John 3: 14-16

(John 3: 14-16)

『And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 』

This is the end of the conversation between Jesus and a man named Nicodemus. Nicodemus did not understand Jesus' words, but did you understand it easily? Nicodemus said that he knew that Jesus was from God. But through John's conversation with Nicodemus in John 3: 3-4, we can recognize that Nicodemus did not understand Jesus' words. 『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. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?』 Nicodemus thought that "the body received from the parents was born again." So he thought it was impossible. But what Jesus said is the body of the spirit.『It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.』(1 Corinthians 15:44)

The body received from parents applies to the "law of the world," but the body born of the Spirit is subject to the law of the Spirit. Jews, in particular, were applied to the law received from God on Mount Sinai. The law of the Spirit applies to the covenant people. Those who believe in the covenant are born again by the Holy Spirit. The covenant is a promise that "God will give birth to the Holy Spirit to those who enter into the death of Jesus Christ." This is faith in God's promises.

 『 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. 』 (Galatians 4: 22-24)

Galatians means "Ishmael was born of the law, and Isaac was born of the Holy Spirit." Those under the law are not saved. Only those born of the Holy Spirit are saved. Even if you say, "I believe in Jesus," you are not saved unless you are born of the Holy Spirit. To be born of the Holy Spirit, you must repent and die with Jesus who died on the cross. It's like replacing your computer's hard disk. Older hard disks are souls (feelings, knowledge, will) that appear in the body. The newly replaced hard disk is a spirit body born of the Holy Spirit. The human body is the body of the computer. Seemingly the same as before, the hard disk has changed. God is replacing the soul of the repentant. So when you repent, you must always believe that you are "born by the Spirit." So you are free from sin.

『 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 』(Galatians 3: 22-23)

Those who are trapped in the net of the law live in sin. Law is needed because everyone sins. So to escape from sin, you die by law. If a sinner in prison dies, he comes out of prison. Sinners are also released from law if they die by the law of God. Jesus was tried by Pontius Pilate, governor of Rome, and the Pharisees were executed on the cross for blasphemy. But God allowed Jesus to die by God's law to redeem sinners. Jesus' death is dead by the law. God recognizes those who are united on the cross with Jesus as dead by the law. They are those who repent to God. Galatians 2: 19-20 says:『 For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: neverthless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.』

 Jesus said, "You must be born again by water and the Holy Spirit." Water represents the law. Jesus was invited to a wedding feast called Ghana in Galilee. But there was not enough wine at the wedding feast. The lack of wine means the lack of Old Testament law through an incomplete marriage feast. The Bible says in John 2: 6-7:

『And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. 』

Jar 6 represents the law. The water in the jar is a hand-washing water that cleanses sins to show purity. In the Old Testament, water means washing away sins. Jesus said, "Fill the jar with water." This is the fulfillment of the law. The fulfillment of the law is death on the cross. So water represents death. In baptism, water represents death. Romans 6: 3-4 says:『 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 』

But water was turned into wine. Water did not gradually become wine, but rather a different kind. Wine symbolizes the blood of Jesus. Though expressed in the Old Testament as washing sins with water, in the New Testament, after redemption with the blood of Jesus, the sins are washed. To redeem means God buys sinners from Satan through the blood of Jesus. Thus, God washes away the sins of the redeemed. So sinners are crucified with Jesus. Romans 6: 6-7 says:『 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. 』

The dead for sin become dead for the law. Thus, the law of the Holy Spirit applies, not the dead to sin. The period of the law extends from the time when God gave the Israelites two tablets on Mount Sinai, until Jesus died on the cross. Jesus compared the law and the law of the Holy Spirit through the parable of the ten virgins. The foolish five virgins believe in Jesus, but they believe in God according to the Sinai law, and the wise five virgins are crucified with Jesus. Those who died with Jesus have nothing to do with Sinai's law, but the law of the Holy Spirit applies. Today, there are two kinds of believers who go to church. One is "who are still trying to keep the law of Mount Sinai," and the other is "who died on the cross with Jesus, living by the power of the Holy Spirit." God saves those who follow the Holy Spirit. Romans 8: 1 says:『There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 』