In the summer, I sometimes think back to my childhood. Don’t you? Don’t you think about it in the summer? I do sometimes. For example, what was I doing 45 years ago when I was ten years old? As I think about it, I remember waiting a lot for Tuesdays 45 years ago. Do you know why I was waiting for Tuesdays? I don’t think anyone knows. I was terrified but it was so much fun that I always looked forward to that time. That was the legendary hometown. But there was one reason I didn’t like Tuesdays, even though I always looked forward to them. I didn’t want to go to the bathroom that night. I was too scared. The reason I’m sharing this is that as I grew up, stories about ghosts, like "Give me my leg," and the stories of the Gumiho created a worldview in my innocent child’s heart. Even though it’s a superstition that there are other lands besides this one, I thought, "Oh, those people are ghosts. If I live like that, I’ll receive punishment. Ah, I should do good deeds."
Jesus came to a man named Nicodemus and said that a person must be born again. To put it simply, this earth is not everything. There is a new land. There is the Kingdom of God. But that land, that kingdom can only be seen and entered if one is born again. Remember verse 3? It was last week's verse 3. Unless one is born again, they cannot see the Kingdom of God. Therefore, even if everyone in this world sees the same thing, they cannot truly see the same thing. Even if they see the same signs, miracles, or wonders, for some people, it just ends as a sign or wonder. But some people see the glory of Jesus Christ through the signs and see the Kingdom of God through the signs. Jesus said that unless one is born again, they cannot see the Kingdom of God, but when we get to verse 5, it says that unless one is born of water and the Spirit, they cannot enter the Kingdom of God. Ah, there is a Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is in our hearts, and ultimately, there is a Father’s house, which is the heaven filled with righteousness, peace, and joy without sin.
Sometimes I think about it. Look at the sky. When you go out today, look at the sky. There are boundaries in the sky too. You know what I mean. There is the sky of this country and the sky of that country. There are boundaries between countries. Although they are not visible to our eyes, there are lines in the sky. There are boundaries in countries. There are lines that can lead to death if you cross them. The same goes for this earth. There are boundaries everywhere. There are lines in every house. Our house has a fence. Everything in this world has boundaries. Even the sea has lines that we cannot see. The Kingdom of God can be seen and entered.
Today is the second message on Nicodemus's faith, but let me briefly summarize last week's message. It was about verse 5. What does it mean to be born of water and the Spirit? Water signifies cleansing. So, being born again means I have been cleansed. By the blood of Jesus, through the cross, through faith in Jesus. Because without the Holy Spirit, one cannot confess Jesus as Lord. Therefore, believing in Jesus and being cleansed, receiving forgiveness of sins, is the same thing. There is one more thing that needs to happen: the washing of water, the forgiveness of our sins through the blood, and the rebirth through the Holy Spirit means that my dead soul, my spirit was dead. The dead spirit comes back to life through the Holy Spirit. In other words, after being forgiven and cleansed, I am now saved. So what? Because my dead spirit has come back to life, there must be a life lived for Jesus that bears fruit. Jesus also said that if there is no fruit, it will be cut off. That’s what it means. So, I believe in Jesus and I am saved. But there are those who live however they want. Those are not born again. That is what it means to be born of water and the Spirit.
So last time, I talked about Nicodemus's faith as the faith of a religious person, the story of a band-aid, the story of paint, the story of leaking water. Do you remember? If you have a religious worship and a religious faith, you always come asking for a band-aid. That’s how you always worship. It’s not about glorifying God and truly praising Him; it’s always about asking for something. Of course, that is also necessary. Let me give you an example. Recently, we had a funeral service for a beloved one who passed away. In the U.S., we have a viewing. They open the casket so that we can see the deceased's face one more time. But if you look closely, you’ll notice that the faces of our deceased loved ones, like parents or siblings, are made up. I apologize for expressing it this way, but for those who have not been born again, what we do every day is like putting makeup on a dead person. My wife really needs to come back to life, but the supernatural change that has happened inside me, that I have changed because of Jesus, that I have truly been born again — without this experience, those who live their faith are like dead people who just put on makeup and go on living. That is the faith of a religious person. The faith of a religious person, the faith of signs, and the faith that has not been born again were what I talked about last week, but today I will share three more points.
Nicodemus's faith is the faith of the flesh that has not been born again. Flesh, flash. This does not mean that the flesh is bad. The flesh is not bad at all. However, the faith of the flesh means believing only in what is natural. It’s what seems natural to my thoughts. I believe what I can accept. Based on my knowledge, my understanding, and my thoughts, if I think it seems possible, then I believe it; if I think it’s not possible, then I deny it. This is the faith of the flesh. Let’s look at verse 6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Jesus is talking about being born again, but Nicodemus, who is a very learned man and a religious leader, does not understand it. He cannot comprehend it. The flesh understands what it can understand. But the spiritual rebirth cannot be accepted. He asks, "How can a man enter his mother’s womb again when he is old?" This is the fleshly person.
Look at verse 7. Jesus says, "Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’" Nicodemus is what we would call a lifelong believer. He lived in prayer, worship, and the Word. But now the Messiah has come. Without the Messiah, there is no salvation. So, the faith in the Messiah, the faith in being born again, was actually present in the Old Testament as well. I will let you know shortly. But Jesus knows that he is a teacher. In a way, he knows he is a teacher of the law. But in his life, no one has ever told him that he must be born again. No one has ever said that to him because he has always worshiped, memorized the Word, prayed, and done good deeds. But if you look at the Gospel of John, it starts with Nicodemus in chapter 3. Then in chapter 4, we see the Samaritan woman. She has failed in marriage multiple times. In chapter 5, we see the story of the man who had been sick for 38 years. In chapter 6, we see the feeding of the 5,000. They are the hungry ones. They are the ones who have nothing to eat. In chapter 8, we see the woman caught in adultery. In chapter 9, we see the man who was born blind. What does this mean? These are the people Jesus sought out and met. Who is the signal flare among them? It is Nicodemus. But Nicodemus, unlike all the others who met Jesus, is highly educated and a leader. What does this mean? It is a story about Israel. When we look at the big theological picture, it is calling the first ones, Israel. I must be born again. You teach others, but I must be born again. I am a pastor. I am an elder. I am a deacon. I must pray first. I must be born again first. That is the message.
Verse 8. "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit." Since he cannot understand the message of being born of water and the Spirit, Jesus uses the metaphor of the wind. For reference, the Greek word for wind and spirit is the same. It is the same word. So, he says to look at the wind. The wind is invisible. But after the wind passes, things shake. The trees sway. The wind stays and passes by. Typhoons, strong winds, hurricanes are tremendous. I lived in Florida for five years, and when a hurricane comes, it’s terrifying. What does this mean? You cannot see it. You don’t even know when it came. Jesus says, "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes." What does this mean? The Holy Spirit cannot be controlled by man. Being born again cannot be controlled by man. It is according to the way the Holy Spirit goes, the way the Holy Spirit comes. But although it is not visible to the eyes, the fruit is visible. When you come and see, you realize you have changed. So, I will explain later, but there are still those among us who do not believe. "Pastor, you still have to listen. You still have to hold on." Why? Because faith comes by hearing. Don’t give up. Don’t give up. Those born of the Spirit will be revealed. There will be fruit. These parts will be addressed in a series. Would a dead person come back to life without fruit? Would a dead person come back to life without a changed life? Whether it is Jesus or the Holy Spirit, there will be something unusual in you. One of the two must be true. The latter is likely correct.
Verse 9. Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?" He cannot understand. Then Jesus responds in verse 10. "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?" Do you not understand being born again? Being cleansed by water and the Spirit, being cleansed through water, and being purified through sprinkling, I will pour out my Spirit into your spirit. You taught these things, and yet you do not understand? This is from Ezekiel 36:25-27. Verse 25 says, "Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols." Remember well that the message of being born of water and the Spirit is about being cleansed. "I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean." It will cleanse you. Verse 26. "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh." It is not just water. It is a new spirit. It is the Holy Spirit. It is not enough to just have water. It is not enough to just receive forgiveness and cleansing. Being cleansed is not the same as being born again. The dead spirit must come back to life, and now there must be a life lived that is bound to the God who saved me. There must be fruit. In verse 26 of Ezekiel 36, "I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them." Religious people try to keep the law by their own strength. But those who are born again try to keep the Word by the power of the Holy Spirit. This is different. Religious people worship God for their own benefit and seek God for their blessings. But for those who are born again, that is not the priority. That is not the priority. It is simply because the Father is good, simply because Jesus is good, out of love.
Verse 10. "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?" Do you know what Nicodemus's faith is? It is the faith of a teacher. What does this mean? I have pastored. I apologize. I am not trying to judge or condemn anyone, but generally, those who accept the gospel well tend to be relatively pure. I’m sorry, but it is not easy for those with multiple doctorates and high education to accept the gospel. We have a teacher's spirit. We always try to teach. We always try to teach. "This is not right, that is not right." There are always those who try to teach. You need to come down from that position. "I don’t understand this, but for me, this is not it." What is your logic? What is your logic? What is the logic of a dead person? The logic of a dead person is only death. How much do we know? Do we know the one who created and governs the world? We should not speak carelessly. How much do we know?
It cannot be done with our thoughts. Jesus said this. He said that if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a ditch. Nicodemus's spirit is the fleshly spirit that has not been born again, believing only in what is natural. What can I not accept? The second is the spirit of a teacher. You need to come down from the position of a teacher. But even he thinks Jesus is a great teacher. When Nicodemus calls Jesus, he says, "Rabbi." He is also a rabbi, but he is on a different level. Miracles happen to that person. I have no miracles. But he has never experienced the miracles that happen within him. So, even though the truth of being born again exists, he denies it. "That doesn’t exist. There is no such thing. What heaven? When you die, it’s over."
Verse 11. "Most assuredly, I say to you, we speak what we know and testify what we have seen, and you do not receive our witness." What does Jesus say? "We speak what we know and testify what we have seen, and we are not making it up or lying. We speak what we have seen and heard, but you do not believe us." How frustrating that must be! Verse 12. "If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?" Jesus speaks of earthly things and heavenly things. If you cannot even believe earthly things, how will you believe heavenly things? That’s what verse 13 says. "No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven." Why did Jesus come down to this earth in the flesh? This earth is not just this earth; there is another world. Do you know science? There are countless galaxies that scientists have not yet discovered; this is just the tip of the iceberg. What you know about science is just this much. The earth is not even visible. This planet called Earth does not even appear as a dot in the universe. Can you say there is no heaven? It seems like there isn’t? You might have to die to find out. Then, "When I said that, I’m sorry."
Look again at verse 13. "No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man." Jesus says He came down from heaven. What does this mean? Where did He come down from? Look at the Book of Revelation. The Book of Revelation discusses the seven churches on earth. I am preparing a series of messages for the 10th anniversary. I am meditating on it. But while talking about the seven churches on earth, you will later see that it also talks about the heavenly church. It talks about the church on earth and what happens in heaven. Jesus came down from heaven. Why did He come down? For a sinner like you and Nicodemus, because you do not believe, if you cannot believe what happens on earth, how will you believe the things of heaven? Therefore, I will die. He says to die. And I will prove it through resurrection. I will resurrect. Why? To save you, to lead you to that new land, so that not even one person falls into the eternal pit of death and hell, but to lead them to the heavenly Father’s house, He came down from heaven. By what means? As the Son of Man, the suffering servant. He is the Son of God. Son of Man. Will you carry the cross and then go back up? Then Jesus gives an example. How well do you know the Old Testament? Nicodemus knows it well. Verse 14. "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up."
You know the story. The Israelites came out of Egypt. They were slaves. They were dead. They were slaves of Pharaoh. Their lives were just about eating and being full. God showed grace and rescued them. But when they came to the wilderness, they complained. They grumbled. They should have died, but they were alive. God sent fiery serpents to bite them. Many people died. Then look at verse 15. "That whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." What does this mean? Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness. It was God’s command. Even while you are dying, if you believe and look at the serpent that God sent, you will be saved. Those who believed and looked lived, while those who continued to disbelieve died. This is the same. "Whoever believes in Jesus will have eternal life." This is about being born again.
I will conclude. What happened to Nicodemus? Look at John 7:50-51. In chapter 7, Nicodemus, who was one of them, who came to Jesus before, said to them, defending Jesus. Suddenly, he defends Jesus. They are condemning and judging Jesus, wanting to kill Him. But Nicodemus defends Him. People change like this. Verse 51. "Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?" You guys are something wrong. Why do you judge and condemn before fully understanding Jesus's words? Nicodemus disappears. Then he appears again. Look at chapter 19. We are almost at the end of John. Look at verse 38. Joseph of Arimathea, a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus. Among the many disciples who followed Jesus, who was one of those who prepared the tomb for Jesus's burial? It was Nicodemus. Amazingly, look at verse 38. He was afraid of the Jews and kept it secret, but later he asked Pilate for Jesus's body, and Pilate allowed it. So he went and took the body of Jesus. The apostles did not come. Look at the next verse. "And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds." This is an enormous amount. This is a significant amount of money.
Because I was an unbeliever and grew up in an unbelieving family, I understand those who find it hard to believe more than anyone else. But you know, believing in God happens in an instant. It comes in a moment. You need to hold on to that. You cannot run away. You must seek God, "God, give me that faith. I really want to believe." But to do that, you need to come down from the position of a teacher. You need to come down from the position of a teacher. You need to thoroughly repent of being a sinner. When Jesus spoke, there were many reactions. Most reactions were anger, judgment from religious leaders, cursing Jesus, wanting to kill Him, or leaving Him. That was the reaction to the Word. Why am I saying this? Even when you hear this message, there may be some among you who say, "Amen, that’s right," but there may also be those who are angry, saying, "What nonsense is he talking about?" That is perfectly normal. It is very normal. Do not be surprised. It is very biblical. Nicodemus began to change, and even the Apostle Paul, who wanted to kill Jesus, changed in an instant and became a great apostle who lived and died for Jesus.
Dear beloved congregation, 45 years ago, my grandmother, who watched the legendary hometown with me, passed away. My father passed away. My brother, who watched the legendary hometown with me, passed away in his 50s. As I conclude, where do you think you will be in 45 years? Answer me. You have been living as immigrants for 40 or 50 years; how quickly has that gone by? You are not answering. It has gone by quickly, hasn’t it? In 40 or 50 years, it will go by quickly again, so where will you be? You will be worshiping here. Then, hallelujah. We will become grandmothers and grandfathers, and we will live to be 120 or 130 years old. We will finish our mission and go to our Father’s house. In 40 or 45 years, there will be hardly anyone left here. Where will we meet? In heaven, in the Kingdom. Hallelujah. The sound is small. Hallelujah. >> Amen.
