There is a lot of misunderstanding about getting born again. Many are in the same place as Nicodemus, whom despite having been a leader, a teacher of His people, couldn’t understand the meaning of new birth. One of these misconceptions nowadays is that we see it as a New Testament thing, which didn’t exist before Jesus died on the cross. Now I would like to show you that this is not the case.

Let’s take a look at the first part of the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus:

“Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: the same came unto him by night, and said to him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God! That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born anew. The wind bloweth where it will, and thou hearest the voice thereof, but knowest not whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou the teacher of Israel, and understandest not these things? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that which we know, and bear witness of that which we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.” (John 3:1-11)

It’s important to place the story in the timeline. The division of our Bible is a little bit confusing, as the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John can be found in the New Testament while Jesus’s ministry on this earth belongs to the Old Testament. We can read about His death on the cross and resurrection only at the end of the Gospels, however that’s the beginning of the new testament. As having happened before the cross, the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus can be dated the time of the old testament. That’s when He told Nicodemus about getting born again, calling him to account, so to say, for not understanding those things. Nicodemus was a pharisee, a leader in a high rank position, a teacher of His people. It’s very significant that Jesus asked a teacher that question:

“Art thou the teacher of Israel, and understandest not these things?” (John 3:10)

This question of Jesus suggests that Nicodemus should have known about these things, and so the idea of a new birth shouldn’t have made a revolutionary impact on him. By this question of Jesus held a teacher accountable for not knowing them. Nicodemus not only should have known these ideas, but also should have taught His people those. Remember, it is a condition of entering God’s Kingdom, which isn’t a new testament thing at all. And what has Jesus also said to these religious leaders?

“But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye shut the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye enter not in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering in to enter.” (Matthew 23:13)

“Woe unto you lawyers! for ye took away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.” (Luke 11:52)

So we have a main question here: how should Nicodemus have known anything about getting born again and being a teacher what should he have taught about it? Considering the new birth as a new testament thing, it would be hard to answer this question. This is also a good test to see whether what we think about getting born again or what we were taught about that holds true or not. When we teach something about the new birth, we should be able to show that yes, getting born again means this and that, so Nicodemus should have known about it from the Old Testament passages this and that.

I’m not going to give you the answer for the question how Nicodemus should have had known about the idea of getting born again from the Old Testament right know, as it’s not that simple. First of all we should clarify what getting born again really means, and so what we are looking for in the Old Testament. Because it’s hard to find that when we are looking for the wrong thing. I will show you many examples later from the old testament, which are all about getting born again demonstrating the process of it. This way it will be obvious that Nicodemus could have got to the knowledge of getting born again he himself reaching it as well.