What is the meaning of John 3:4? How can a man be born when he is old? – Nicodemus hears Jesus say, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again” (John 3:3). – He thinks only of physical realities: years lived, bodies aged. – Scripture shows that age never limits God’s work: Abraham was “about a hundred years old” when Isaac was promised (Romans 4:19), and yet God fulfilled His word. – The Lord consistently calls people, regardless of stage in life, to start fresh: “Even to your old age I will remain the same” (Isaiah 46:4). – Jesus’ call to new birth is therefore timeless, echoing promises like “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts” (Hebrews 3:15). Nicodemus asked. – His honest inquiry mirrors many who wrestle with spiritual truth (Mark 9:24; Acts 8:31). – Nicodemus, a respected teacher (John 3:10), underscores that intellect and religion alone cannot grasp the kingdom; revelation is needed (1 Corinthians 2:14). – God welcomes genuine questions that lead to deeper understanding, as demonstrated when Jesus gladly explains rather than rebukes (James 1:5; Isaiah 1:18). Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time – Nicodemus’ literal picture shows the limits of human reasoning about divine realities (Proverbs 3:5). – His confusion parallels the Samaritan woman who thought only of natural water (John 4:11) and the disciples who thought of physical bread (Matthew 16:7). – By exposing the impossibility of physical re-entry, Nicodemus unknowingly sets the stage for Jesus to unveil a spiritual birth “of water and the Spirit” (John 3:5). to be born? – The question emphasizes absolute need: if physical rebirth is impossible, another kind of birth must exist. – Scripture reveals this new birth as the sovereign work of God: “He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5). – It produces a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17), brought forth “not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:13). – The impossibility Nicodemus imagines highlights that salvation is entirely grace-driven, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). summary Nicodemus’ literal questions open the door for Jesus to contrast natural birth with a Spirit-wrought new birth. Age, intellect, and physical ability offer no access to God’s kingdom; only the miraculous, grace-filled work of being “born of water and the Spirit” grants entry. What seems impossible to man becomes gloriously possible through the saving power of God. |
    |