Sermon Tone Analysis

The prophetic word

The kingdom of Heaven

The Sermon on the Mount

Follow Me

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Everyone knows that verse, and everyone knows it in old english,

If you ever decide you are going to relearn this verse in modern english, good luck

But when you think of this verse, do you immediately think of the context in which Jesus said it?

Where was he when he said it?

Who was he speaking to when he said it?

Do you remember?

He was speaking to Nicodemus, in private, at night.

Nicodemus was a member of the Sanhedrin.

At the time of Jesus, Jewish law and Jewish religion were one and the same.

Our legal courts, and our religious systems are separate in this country, but not in first century Israel.

Rome ultimately ruled Israel at that time, but they gave the Jewish people a lot of freedom to practice their religion and obey their own laws as long as they submitted themselves to Rome’s authority and paid their taxes.

So the Sanhedrin was the Jewish ruling council made up of 71 members with the High Priest being the one at the top who had the final say so.

Nicodemus was one of those members and he came to Jesus at night to ask him questions about what Jesus had been teaching.

Now the reason he came at night was obvious.

He was afraid other people would see him and word would get back to the other members of the sanhedrin.

… The ruling religious leaders, The sanhedrin, composed of Sadducees and Pharisees were opposed to Jesus from the very beginning, but there were at least some, such as Nicodemus who were willing to consider that Jesus was right and wanted to know, but didn’t want anyone to find out or he probably would have been outcast.

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Now when Jesus said unless someone is born again, he is using a phrase that is a play on words.

let me give you an example:

what does this word mean?

Can

I Can drink Sunkist.

(capability)

I Can drink a Can of Sunkist.

(Metal object)

I Can drink a Can of Sunkist only if Lindsay says I Can.

(permission)

Let me give you one more example:

There wasn’t a single man at the class reunion.

This is what Jesus did when he told Nicodemus that he must be born again.

The word he used for again, Anothen, could also mean above.

Anothen — From above, top, or again,

it appears 13 times in the NT, and the CSB translates it as

4 — above

3 — top

3 — again

1 — very first

1 — from above

1 — for a long time

Later in the same chapter, John 3:31

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He uses that same word, Anothen, to mean above

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So when Jesus said to Nicodemus, unless someone is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God, he is also saying, unless someone is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

It is a play on words, which is why Nicodemus could not understand how you could be born again.

Nicodemus was thinking of only physically being born again, whereas Jesus was meaning Spiritually.

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Now there are a lot of opinions on what Jesus meant when he said unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

But I think that the most simple answers are typically going to be the correct ones.

Especially if it is supported by the context.

I believe that when Jesus was referring to someone being born of water, he was referring to physical birth, and when he referred to being born of the Spirit, he was referring to spiritual birth.

When a woman goes into labor, what is one of the first warning signs.

Her water breaks.

Well 2,000 years ago it was the same process.

The babies lived in “water” and were understood to be born “from” water.

physical birth.

But physical birth is not enough to enter heaven, there must also be a spiritual birth done by the Holy Spirit.

God describes this transformation process that He does through His Spirit, by changing us and placing His Spirit within us.

God said through the prophet Ezekiel:

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And in the New Testament He said

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John told us that he baptized with water, but Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit.

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When Peter preached to the people at Pentecost after Jesus ascended back to heaven, they asked how they could be saved and he said

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The apostle John talks about being born of God, like Jesus said you must be born again, or born from above, born of God:

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And John sums it all up in 1 John chapter 5:

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God describes to us in His word that when we turn from sin to Him, and place our trust in him, He will forgive us, come to live in us, and change us.

God is a trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

The Bible refers to all three living in you, if you are saved.

Holy Spirit in you:

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God in you

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Christ in you

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The Holy Spirit Changes you, causes you to desire to do His will

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And you will be different, and you will live different, you will produce fruit consistent with repentance.

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And so Jesus finished telling Nicodemus

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