A Christmas Thought: The Story of New Birth

We evangelicals often use John 3:3 when presenting the gospel to someone who is searching for God:

[Jesus said], "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."

  Most of us (especially laity) find it difficult to understand the concept of new birth, let alone explain it. One approach to simplify things is to go back to when birth first began.  Yes, Eve gave birth to Cain and Abel (which were physical births), but she gave birth to something else even before that.  With the help of her husband both Adam and Eve gave birth to sin.

Before that fateful day in the garden Adam and Eve enjoyed perfect favor with God.  But through disobedience (i.e. eating of the apple) they in essence turned their back upon the quality of life that God had created for all of mankind through them.  This sent all of creation, including mankind, into an evolution of erosion, destruction, and death.  What would stop this imminent downward spiral toward complete separation from God?  What would restore humanity and creation back into God's favor of grace? A new birth of course.  Luke 2:11, 13:

"Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord."

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to all men on whom his favor rests."

This was the announcement of the angels of the new birth that would set things right and restore mankind to the relationship that God had planned for them from the beginning.  Romans 5:12, 15,

"Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men."

"...How much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the one man, Jesus Christ,..."

Adam and Eve gave birth to sin, and all of their posterity that followed after them was terminally infected by it.  The birth of Jesus was the birth of the Christ child (the only begotten Son of God) into the world.  But even more than that, it was the birth of sinless life and right relationship with God.  His mission was to come into the realm of our physical lives and show us the way back to "as it was in the beginning" before Adam and Eve sinned.

Praise God that new life has come through Jesus.  Simply believe and obey - that very same command to Adam and Eve has not changed (see Genesis 2:16-17) - and you will be reborn into new life.

Merry Christmas,

-Leo