John 3:3
One of the most direct and powerful statements Jesus ever made about entering the Kingdom of God was spoken during His conversation with Nicodemus. He was surprised by what the Lord Jesus spoke to him.
“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
— John 3:3
Nicodemus was a religious leader, a teacher in Israel, and a man familiar with the Scriptures. Yet Jesus immediately directed his attention to something deeper than religious knowledge or outward devotion.
The Lord spoke about a spiritual birth.
When Jesus said “Verily, verily,” He was emphasizing the absolute certainty of what He was about to say. It was not a suggestion or a philosophical idea. It was a divine truth. And this is what He taught Nicodemus.
No one can see the Kingdom of God unless they experience this new birth.
Nicodemus struggled to understand what Jesus meant. He thought in terms of natural birth and asked how a man could be born a second time.
But Jesus was speaking about something spiritual—a transforming experience that gives a person the power to live for God as they truly desire, in righteousness and holiness.
This is verified in Acts 1:8:
“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
— Acts 1:8
Then in John 3:5 the Lord Jesus explained what the born-again experience entails:
“Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”
— John 3:5
Just as every person must experience a natural birth to enter this world, the Scriptures teach that a person must experience a spiritual birth to enter the Kingdom of God.
This new birth is more than a simple profession of belief. It is the beginning of a transformed life.
When a person truly encounters the Gospel and responds to God with faith and obedience, something changes within them. We are endued with power from on high, our heart is renewed, our lifestyle changes, and we begin walking in a new life with Christ.
This does not happen with just a confession of faith or a personal acknowledgement of our belief. For this reason the Scripture says:
“Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.”
— James 2:19
If simply saying “I believe” were enough, then even the devil could be saved.
Jesus did not present the new birth as optional. He presented it as essential.
“Ye must be born again.”
These words still stand today as one of the most important truths in all of Scripture.
Continue the Study — #4
This article is part of a Scripture journey exploring how the Bible describes entering the Kingdom of God.
Next article in the series:
“Born of Water and of the Spirit — John 3:5”