Born of the Spirit: The Life-Changing Truth Jesus Taught Nicodemus
Jesus has just told Nicodemus that being born physically is not enough.
Now He takes the conversation even deeper.
Every person has experienced physical birth, but not every person has experienced spiritual birth.
What does it mean to be born of the Spirit?
How does it happen?
And why does Jesus say it is absolutely necessary for entering the Kingdom of God?
The answers Nicodemus receives are some of the most important truths ever spoken.
Table of Contents
- What Does It Mean to Be Born of the Spirit? (John 3:6-7)
- Why Jesus Compares the Spirit to the Wind
- Why Nicodemus Could Not Understand
- The Heart of the Gospel Message
- The Old Testament Sign That Pointed to the Cross
- ⭐What Does John 3:16 Mean?
- Why Jesus Came to Save Rather Than Condemn
- The Question Every Reader Must Answer
What Does It Mean To Be Born of the Spirit? (John 3:6-7)
Bible Study Guide
(Verses 6-7) Being born of the spirit is a bit easier to understand than being born of water. A person who comes to faith in Jesus Christ and believes that He is the Son of God, died on the cross and was resurrected for the forgiveness of our sins will be born of the spirit (born again).
Once a person repents of their sins and truly accepts Jesus as their Lord and Savior, then the Holy Spirit will come and dwell within them. This is how someone becomes born of the Spirit.
It is a new birth. Spiritual birth.
This is where the Christian journey begins. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit works in your life to make you more holy. Your life changes when the Holy Spirit enters your life. You become less interested in things of the flesh and are look more toward things of heaven and the spirit.
Jesus Christ becomes the most important thing in the lives of born again Christians.
Reflect and Apply:
- Has there been a clear moment when you placed your faith in Christ?
- What changes has God produced in your life since then?
- Are you relying on religion or on the transforming work of the Holy Spirit?
Born of the Spirit is Like Wind You Cannot See but Cannot Deny
(Verse 8) The words wind and Spirit come from the same Greek word, pneuma. Can you take hold of the wind in your hand? No! Can you see the wind? No! We don’t know where the wind comes from or where it’s going. A meteorologist has to predict the weather often in order to get an idea of what’s to come. The reason for this is he doesn’t know how the wind will react or change the atmosphere.
The wind can be as soft and gentle as a cool summer breeze on a warm humid day. It also has the ability to become so powerful and destructive, almost to the point of incomprehension.
Such is the Holy Spirit in our lives. No one can grasp the Spirit. No one can hold onto the Spirit. But the Spirit is there working inside you. It has the power no one else has to change lives and point them to Christ.
The Holy Spirit’s work begins with the spiritual rebirth Jesus described earlier in His conversation with Nicodemus. If you missed that foundation, explore this study on why Jesus said, “You must be born again”.
Why Nicodemus Still Doesn’t Understand
(Verse 9-13) As Nicodemus grapples with everything Jesus has told him, Jesus teaches him even more. He explains to him that he must understand and believe in the earthly things that He’s teaching him in order to understand the heavenly things.
Jesus is the only one that can teach of heavenly things because He is the only one that has been to heaven. Unfortunately, many find it difficult to believe the earthly teachings. How will they ever understand and come to believe the message of the kingdom of God that Jesus has come to deliver to mankind?
Many have a heart of stone and refuse to believe.
“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9)
There are many heavenly things that are about to take place before the very eyes of the Jews.
Especially as Jesus comes to the end of His three year ministry. He wants to prepare them for these things. So when they see them, they’ll understand what is taking place. This will hopefully lead them to believe in Christ and to give their lives to Him.
The Heart of the Gospel
Everything Jesus has been teaching Nicodemus leads to this moment.
The new birth. Salvation. Eternal life.
God’s love for sinners.
These truths are all summarized in what may be the most famous verse in the Bible.
John 3:16 is not a standalone verse. It is the answer to Nicodemus’ greatest need.
He needed more than religion. He needed salvation.
The Old Testament Sign That Pointed to the Cross
(Verses 14-15) Jesus uses the example of Moses in the desert with the snake to help them understand.
“They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!”
Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.
The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.” (Numbers 21:4-9)
By casting their eyes upon the snake on the pole, the Israelites could save themselves from death due to the venomous bite of the snake. This was a foreshadowing of Jesus on the cross giving His life in exchange for our sins.
“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)
This is not something Jesus was forced to do. It’s something he chose to do for His love for mankind.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
The foreshadowing event of Moses with the snake in the desert would one day lead to mankind gazing upon Jesus hanging on the cross. Accepting Jesus for who He was and what He had done for us by the spilling of His precious blood, we would be born again and saved from the bite of sin that leads to eternal death.
Reflect and Apply:
- The Israelites were saved by looking in faith at God’s provision. Have you looked to Christ alone for salvation?
- Are you trusting in your own goodness or in the finished work of Jesus?
- Why do you think God chose faith rather than human effort as the means of salvation?
See how this theme develops throughout John 1–10.
What Does John 3:16 Mean? (John 3:16)
(Verses 16) The Most Important Verse in the Bible.
The bronze serpent in the wilderness was only a shadow of something far greater to come. Just as the Israelites looked upon the bronze serpent in faith and lived, all who look to Jesus Christ in faith will receive eternal life.
It is here that Jesus speaks what may be the most well-known and powerful verse in all of Scripture.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
⭐”For God So Loved the World”
The story of salvation begins with God’s love.
Jesus does not say God loved only the righteous, the religious, or those who deserved His favor. He loved the world that He created and called it good at creation—a world filled with sinners in rebellion against Him.
The cross was not God’s reluctant response to mankind’s failure. It was His loving plan to rescue those who could never save themselves.
⭐”That He Gave His One and Only Son”
Love is proven through sacrifice.
God’s love was not expressed merely through words or feelings. He demonstrated it by giving His most precious gift—His Son. God sent to us in the form of mankind.
Jesus willingly left the glory of heaven, took on human flesh, and ultimately gave His life on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins.
⭐”Whoever Believes in Him”
Notice the invitation.
Jesus does not limit salvation to a particular nation, social class, or background. The offer is open to anyone who believes.
This is the same truth Nicodemus needed to understand. Salvation is not earned through religious achievement. It is received through faith in Christ.
Jesus says eternal life belongs to those who believe—but what kind of belief saves? Discover the difference between intellectual belief and genuine faith in our study on what saving faith truly means.
⭐”Shall Not Perish”
Jesus speaks plainly about the seriousness of sin.
Without Christ, mankind stands condemned already because of sin. The consequence of that condemnation is eternal separation from God.
But Jesus came to provide a rescue.
⭐”But Have Eternal Life”
This is the great promise of the gospel.
Eternal life is more than living forever. It is being reconciled to God, forgiven of sin, adopted into His family, and receiving a new life through the Holy Spirit both now and forever.
This is why Jesus told Nicodemus he must be born again. The new birth is what makes eternal life possible.
Reflect and Apply:
- Which part of John 3:16 speaks most powerfully to you today?
- Do you see salvation as something earned or something received?
- How does God’s willingness to give His Son reveal the depth of His love?
- Have you personally responded to Christ’s invitation to believe?
Why Jesus Came to Save, Not Condemn
(Verses 16-21) God’s gift of salvation to mankind through His Son Jesus Christ is not an act of condemnation. It’s an act of love for mankind by the creator for His created things.
Mankind was already condemned well before Jesus’ arrival. Our sin nature that we are born into is a testimony of our condemnation. If you don’t believe that. Ask yourself why your children tell little white lies or scheme to get there own way. It’s our sin nature.
Jesus came to remove us from this condemnation. It’s not something we can do for ourselves. It can only come through the work and blood of Jesus Christ on the cross.
Because of our sin, our world lives in darkness. Jesus is the light that came into the world to expose what the darkness was hiding. The light is meant to draw us out of the darkness and into the light, so that we might be saved through the light which is Jesus Christ.
Not even religion can save us, but only Jesus Christ alone!
Reflect and Apply:
- Do you love the light or do you find yourself hiding in darkness?
- What areas of your life are you reluctant to bring before Christ?
- How does John 3:16 change the way you view God’s love toward you?
- If Jesus came to save you rather than condemn you, how should that affect your response to Him today?
The Question Every Reader Must Answer
Nicodemus came to Jesus seeking answers.
What he received was something far greater.
Jesus showed him that religion could not save him.
Knowledge could not save him. Position and influence could not save him.
He needed a new birth by the Spirit of God.
He needed the Savior standing in front of him.
The same choice remains before every person today.
Will you remain in darkness, or will you come into the light?
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for loving the world so much that You gave Your one and only Son. Thank You for the gift of salvation that we could never earn and do not deserve. Help us to turn from darkness and walk in Your light. Strengthen our faith, renew our hearts through Your Spirit, and draw us closer to Jesus each day. May we never lose sight of the cross, the depth of Your love, and the eternal life found in Christ alone.
In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.