Flesh gives birth to flesh.

 A sermon by Vicar Timothy Kern

Text: John 3:1-15 NASB

1. Flesh gives birth to flesh.

          My dear brothers and sisters, our Gospel text for today is about a Jewish rabbi and Pharisee named Nicodemus. He went to Jesus at night because he had heard of Jesus’ teaching and miracles, and when he found Jesus, Nicodemus quickly learned that he had a problem. This miracle working teacher named Jesus is confusing! “Truly, truly I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God.” What on earth does that mean? The great teacher of the Law, Nicodemus, assumes the role of student and asks the obvious question, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb, can he?” You can almost see Jesus smile lovingly as He explains further. “Truly, truly I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter the Kingdom of God. That which is born of flesh is flesh, and that which is born of Spirit is spirit.” And here lies, my friends, an even greater problem. Nicodemus certainly has a problem, but that problem isn’t that he is confused by Jesus. Nicodemus’ real problem is that he is born of the flesh. And being born of the flesh is precisely the problem of all humanity.
          Ever since Adam and Eve took the forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, humanity has been cursed. Now, instead of walking with God in the cool of the garden of Eden, we are cursed with toil and labor, pain in childbearing, hardships, and death. As the sons and daughters of Adam and Eve, we have been suffering from that curse because we are now under the birth of the flesh. For, the sin of Adam and Eve’s flesh has given birth to our flesh. This birth of the flesh produces only more servants of sin who can do nothing but think, speak, and do evil. As servants of sin and the flesh, we cannot help but fear, love, and place our trust in almost everything but God our heavenly Father. We take His holy Name in vain when we are angry or surprised. We hate our fellow man for various reasons committing murder in our hearts, we steal and cheat, lust, lie, and covet. This is the human condition, the fleshly condition, and it leads ultimately to death, for we know that the wages of sin is death. The problem for Nicodemus, the problem for us is that we are by nature and according to the flesh sinful and unclean. Under these circumstances, we cannot enter the Kingdom of God because God is holy and pure. Born of the flesh, we are not.

1. Spirit gives birth to spirit.

          However, Jesus did not simply say ‘flesh gives birth to flesh.’ He also said, ‘Spirit gives birth to spirit.’ We cannot receive the birth of the Spirit from the flesh of our parents. Flesh does not give birth to spirit. However, we can and do receive the birth of the spirit from the Holy Spirit through the washing of water into rebirth and renewal. This Baptism is nothing that we ourselves can bring about. I would dare to say that none of us decided to be born into the world. How then can we choose to be reborn? Instead, God who first created us in His image, now in Baptism restores that image by regenerating us. In Baptism, our flesh is recreated back into the image of God. In Baptism, we are born again by water and the Spirit, and we are made ready to see and to enter the Kingdom of God. In Baptism, we are washed clean of everything which made us unclean. Sin and death are exchanged for righteousness and eternal life. The old Adam within us who would try to keep us down in a birth of flesh is drowned and dies with all sin and evil desires. The birth of the Spirit kills the flesh. That tyrant of flesh, the old Adam, no longer has dominion over you. The Spirit rules over the new man in Jesus Christ. You are baptized into the name of the Triune God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. His Name is placed upon you, and He makes you an heir to His Kingdom. You are now under His most glorious dominion. You are no longer sons of the flesh because, born of the Spirit, you are regenerated into the sons of God through the waters of Holy Baptism.

1. The Son of Man is lifted up.

Nicodemus is still confused. After Jesus explains that he must be born of water and the Spirit, Nicodemus, the great teacher of Israel still doesn’t get it. He doesn’t understand how someone can be born again. It just doesn’t make sense for Nicodemus, so he asks, “How can this be?”
Jesus, then, points Nicodemus to the cross, and says, “as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up.” This refers to the book of Numbers. The Israelites had been wandering in the desert. They had been disobedient to God, and so He sent a plague of fiery venomous serpents. Everyone who was bitten died. The people of Israel cried out to the Lord, and He heard their prayers. He had Moses fashion a bronze serpent and place it on a pole. Anyone who was bitten could look at the bronze serpent and live.
I’m sure that there were some who refused to look at the bronze serpent after they were bitten. They probably thought something like, “This is ridiculous. How could simply looking at a bronze figure of a snake save my life?” These people no doubt died in unbelief. The same could be said of baptism. Someone could say, “How could simple water wash away my sins and save my life? It doesn’t make any sense.” Of course we know that Baptism is not just plain water. It is the Word of God in and with the water. With the Word of God, Baptism is a life giving water, rich in grace, and it is a washing of rebirth in the Holy Spirit.
By pointing Nicodemus to the Son of Man who is lifted up, Jesus explains that this Baptism, which now saves you from sin and death, is certainly a Baptism into death. That is, into the death and the resurrection of Jesus Himself. Romans chapter 6 says, “that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death. Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.” This means that through your baptism, the atoning sacrifice of Jesus’ death is applied to you. This means that the body of Jesus which was broken and His blood which was poured out on the cross is given and shed for you for the forgiveness of all your sins. This means that as the Israelites looked to the bronze serpent and lived, so also you may look to Jesus who was lifted up on the cross and live. For, born of the Spirit, whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 
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