NASHVILLE (BP) — This weekly Bible study appears in Baptist Press in a partnership with Lifeway Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Through its Leadership and Adult Publishing team, Lifeway publishes Sunday School curricula and additional resources for all age groups.
This week’s Bible study is adapted from the MasterWork curriculum.
Bible Passage: John 3:1-15
Discussion Questions:
- What big surprise have you experienced lately?
- What is new birth? Is it essential? What are its effects?
- Is God’s kingdom present and active in the world today? Explain why you think as you do.
Food for thought:
I fondly remember the first time we introduced our daughter to ice cream. We had just finished feeding her and her twin brother in their highchairs and decided to offer them a taste of the vanilla ice cream we were enjoying. Her surprised face and full-body reaction clearly communicated both an exclamation and a question: “Wow, that’s cold!” and “Where have you been hiding this stuff?”
Nicodemus’ surprise must certainly have been just as great when Jesus introduced him to the concept of new birth: What? Born again? How can that be?
Theologian, seminary professor emeritus, and author D. A. Carson surveys theology basics in “The God Who Is There.” The current session considers “The God Who Grants New Birth” from the account of Nicodemus in John 3.
Carson points out that verse 10 refers to Nicodemus as “Israel’s teacher” (NIV), “suggesting he was widely regarded as ‘the teacher of Israel.’” This highly respected and distinguished teacher came to Jesus at night (v. 2), reflecting not only the dark of night but also the inquirer’s darkness of understanding. Despite his honored position, and surely vast knowledge of Jewish religion and law, Nicodemus found himself clueless regarding his spiritual condition and need for new life.
Jesus answered Nicodemus’ initial inquiry: “No one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again” (v. 3, NIV). Nicodemus knew about, and perhaps had personally seen, the miracles Jesus had performed. That’s what brought him to Jesus in the first place. Yet Jesus said he would never understand what he had heard without experiencing the new birth. New birth – being born again or experiencing salvation – not only gives us new life and changes our eternal destination, it allows us to “see the kingdom of God.”
Apart from new birth, we might observe the effect of God at work, but we will only see unexplained phenomenon. With the new birth we can recognize God’s kingdom in what previously seemed to be only unexplained activity.
MasterWork is an ongoing Bible study curriculum based on works from a variety of renowned authors and offers pertinent, practical messages that adults will find uplifting and enriching. The list of authors and their books to be studied in upcoming months can be found at Lifeway.com/masterwork.
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