Ye Must Be Born Again – John 3:1-14 & Numbers 21:5-9

Gospel message on how the new birth is experienced through faith in Christ.

In this sermon we want to look at what the new birth is and how it is experienced.

After speaking with Nicodemus about what the New Birth is, Christ then goes on to explain to him how the New Birth is experienced/received.

In Vs. 14, the Lord Jesus draws on the Old Testament type of the brazen serpent to highlight that the new birth is received through faith in Christ. A study of this type as recorded in Numbers 21:4-9 will help us understand this clearly.

The Sin of the People (Vs. 5)

1. The Specifics of their sin (5a)
   1. They spoke against God and His servant
   2. They falsely accused God and maligned his character. How often do men blaspheme God!
2. The Spirit of their sin
   1. They rebelled against God. Rebellion and disobedience are at the heart of our problem.
   2. Rom. 3:10-12 “As it is written, There is none righteous…”
   3. Rom. 3:23 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”
   4. Ecc. 7:20 “For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.”
   5. 1 John 3:4 “…sin is the transgression of the law.”

The Judgement of the People (Vs. 6)

1. It was Divine – God instigated the judgment (Vs. 6a)
   1. Sin and rebellion invokes the just judgment of God. God, due to His holy, righteous nature, must respond to our sin with judgment.
   2. 2 Thess. 1:7-9 “And to you who are troubled rest with us…In flaming fire…”
   3. Rev. 20:11-15 “And I saw a great white throne…”
2. It brought Death – Many perished (6b)
   1. We are all infected with the venom of sin.
   2. Death is the consequence for sin
   3. Romans 5:12 “Wherefore as by one man…”

The Repentance of the People (Vs. 7)

1. Their Confession (Vs. 7a)
   1. Their confession was specific – they named the sins they had committed. They had a change of mind concerning their sin.
   2. This is repentance. In the N.T. metanoia – “after-thought, change of mind”
   3. “In the N.T. the subject chiefly has reference to repentance from sin, and this change of mind involves both a turning from sin and a turning to God. The parable of the prodigal son is an outstanding illustration of this. Christ began His ministry with a call to repentance, Matt. 4:17” W.E. Vine Expository Dictionary p. 963
   4. Acts 8:22 “Repent therefore of this thy wickedness…”
   5. Isaiah 55:7 “Let the wicked forsake his way…”
2. Their Supplication (Vs. 7b)
   1. They knew that only God could save them.
   2. True repentance leads the sinner to the Only One who has the power to deliver him from sin. (Acts 20:21 “repentance toward God”)

The Deliverance of the People (Vs. 8-9)

A Divine Provision (8a)

1. “And the LORD said…”
2. Rom 1:1 “Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,”
3. Note: There was only one means of provision and that was the means that God ordained. The only way to be delivered from death was to avail oneself of the way of salvation God had provided.

A Divine Picture (8b)

1. The serpent of brass was the image of the very thing that had poisoned the Israelites. However, it had no poison.
2. In like manner, Christ had in himself no sin and yet was made and crucified “in the likeness of sinful flesh” (Rom. 8:3)
3. As dying men, we look to the dying form of Christ on the tree for deliverance.

A Divine Promise (8c)

1. Unlimited in its scope – ‘everyone’
   1. Rev. 22:17 “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”
   2. John 3:15-16 “That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
   3. 2 Pet. 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
   4. 1 Tim. 2:4 “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”
2. Certain in its outcome – “shall live”

A Divine Process (8d-9)

1. Look!
   1. Isaiah 45:22 “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.”
   2. John 3:14-15 “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” Believing is “heart-looking” (Ryle)
   3. A.W. Tozer “Faith is the gaze of the soul upon a saving God.”
2. Live!
   1. Note the certainty of the words – “shall live” God’s salvation promises are absolute and certain (e.g. Rom. 10:9-10, 13)
   2. Note the fulfilment of the promise – “when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived”

Conclusion

Jesus Christ, the sinless one, is the only way of salvation. We need to turn to God from our sin in repentance and faith to receive the salvation He offers (the new birth).

Sermon Audio Id: 728181845477