Except a Man be born again ST. JOHN iii. 3. Jesus answered and said unto him, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4. 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? 5. Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. MANY of you, no doubt, brethren, remember this very important chapter, the third of St. John, the first sixteen verses of which have been read to you this morning as the Gospel for Trinity Sunday. It is the great chapter which speaks of Holy Baptism, and that is the reason why it was chosen as the Gospel for the day. For the last command of Christ before He ascended into heaven was, that the Apostles should go and teach all nations the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, and baptize them into it. So that the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost that is, the doctrine of the Holy Trinityand Christian baptism, are very closely joined together. You remember how Nicodemus came to the Lord by night. He was much struck by His miracles, and felt sure that He must be come from God to teach men some great things, or else God would never have given Him the power to perform them. But he was afraid of the Jews. So he came cautiously and secretly; very desirous to hear what the Lord had to say, but very desirous also that the Jews, especially the other Jewish rulers, should not know of his coming; and no doubt you remember how suddenly, how abruptly, and how unexpectedly the Lord began His discourse. He waited for no questions. He did not ask what Nicodemus wished to learn or know, but he began at once by saying, 'Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." I daresay Nicodemus expected something very different from this. May be he thought that the Lord would be flattered by a secret nightly visit from one of the rulers of the people. Perhaps he expected some learned discourse or argument, something about which he too would have much to say, and which he might go away and ponder at his leisure. But he seems to have been quite astonished at this strange and sudden beginning, and asked in utter surprise, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time |