The new birth is not something you do.

It is a sovereign, free, supernatural work of the Holy Spirit, brooding like a creator dove over your heart and bringing it to life and opening

the eyes of your heart and giving you a relish for God and causing you to trust in Jesus Christ

alone for the forgiveness of your sins. You don't anymore initiate your new birth than

Lazarus initiated his resurrection. Have you ever wondered what actually explains the moment someone

goes from not seeing Christ at all to suddenly trusting him. That shift is not

something we produce. It's something the Spirit alone does. I'm your host, Dan Kruver. In this episode

of Light and Truth, John Piper explains why the new birth is a sovereign work of the

Holy Spirit. This message was originally delivered at Bethlehem Baptist Church on February 12, 1984.

Has it ever struck you as strange that before Nicodemus gets to say one word to Jesus about why he came to see him,

Jesus looks him straight in the eye and says, you must be born again.

The context is very important to see what's going on here.

Back up with me to chapter 2, verse 23.

Jesus was at the Passover in Jerusalem, and it says many believed in his name when they saw the signs which he did.

And then drop down to verse 2 of chapter 3 to see the connection.

Rabbi, Nicodemus says, we know that you are a leader come from God,

for no one can do these signs which you do unless God is with him.

In other words, Nicodemus is one of those believers.

Nicodemus is one of those people who have seen the signs and believe in Jesus as a wonder worker

and see that somehow he is from God.

And he wants to talk to him.

But then look at verses 24 and 25 of chapter 2,

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