We will study Christ's teachings during our daily meditations over the next two or three weeks. We know many of the things Jesus did, but what did He truly teach? One of the most significant messages Jesus shared was that salvation was impossible for humanity to attain while remaining in their sinful state. The apostle John records Christ's conversation with Nicodemus, one of the elders of Israel. This man came to Jesus at night with questions on his mind. As a ruler, teacher, and Pharisee, Nicodemus possessed the kind of righteousness the nation admired, but something was missing. He lacked assurance that he was good enough to enter heaven. In another passage of scripture, Jesus explained that more than just following a system of good works is necessary.
For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law [of which Nicodemus was both], you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:20; note in parentheses added).
The Lord Jesus knew what was on Nicodemus' mind. He told him, “No one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again” (John 3:3). The Greek word translated as "born again" is anōthen, which can mean two different things. It can mean again, in the sense of a second time, or it can mean from above, implying that God must work in our soul, our inner man, before we can start to understand the Kingdom of God. Both meanings are valid. Jesus' words shocked Nicodemus because religious Jews believed they would enter the kingdom of God because they were children of Abraham and followed the law. They dressed nicely on the outside, but inside, they were full of hypocrisy.
Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean (Matthew 23:27).
There must be an imputed moral character—an ascribed righteousness—to each person’s spiritual account. Without an inner transformation, our lives stay the same. True change has to come from within, and we cannot achieve this rebirth on our own. We need to connect to the power source! The core of a person—the heart—must be transformed. This process is called regeneration: “he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5; emphasis added). Becoming a Christian isn’t about starting fresh; it’s about receiving a new life to begin with. J. Sidlow Baxter said, “Regeneration is the fountain; sanctification is the river.”
Jesus' statement was difficult for Nicodemus to understand. The Jewish people believed that wealth was a sign of being on the path to entering the kingdom of heaven. In another teaching, Jesus told the disciples that it was difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom. The people were surprised by Christ’s statement.
23Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." 25When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, "Who then can be saved?" 26Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:23-26; emphasis added).
Some teach that the eye of a needle refers to a city gate so small that, to get in with your camel loaded with "stuff," a person has to unload before entering the gate. I think that we should interpret this passage literally. I believe Jesus is saying that, just as it is impossible to thread a camel through a sewing needle, in the same way, it is impossible for anyone, whether you are rich or poor, to enter into the eternal kingdom of God without being born again or born from above. Without God's regeneration work at the center of one's life, it is impossible to enter the kingdom of God. It is so critical for us to recognize this truth that three times in John, chapter three, Christ states, "I tell you the truth" (Verses 3, 5, and 11), a statement designed to show the importance of His words. How about you, dear reader? Have you been regenerated into a new life? If not, maybe today is your day to cry out to the Lord for this change in your inner being. The study linked below will help you. Keith Thomas
This meditation is a shortened version of the in-depth study: You Must Be Born Again.
We also have a video study on YouTube with subtitles in 70 languages. Hit the link below: