Faith of Our Fathers – “Nicodemus” by John Stott (Aired October 16, 2025)

Main Theme & Purpose

In this episode, renowned 20th-century preacher John Stott delivers an expository sermon centered on the biblical figure of Nicodemus (John 3:1-15). Part of a mini-series titled "Meeting with Jesus," the sermon explores Jesus' personal interactions and, specifically, the foundational Christian doctrine of being “born again.” Stott invites both seekers and believers to consider what it truly means to experience spiritual rebirth and to personally trust in Christ.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Jesus’ Personal Encounters and the Figure of Nicodemus

• Jesus was not only concerned with crowds or the twelve disciples but also invested in one-on-one relationships. ([00:20])
• Nicodemus is introduced as sincere, honest, and intellectually independent—a model for modern seekers.
  • “He wasn’t prepared to condemn this new movement which was associated with the name of Jesus of Nazareth… He had an independent mind. Have you?” ([01:40])
  • Stott underscores the importance of seeking the truth individually, without yielding to societal pressures.

The Seeking Heart and Spiritual Sincerity

• Nicodemus comes personally to Jesus, illustrating openness and a determination for answers.
  • “He was neither a bigot nor a humbug, nor a coward. He was an open-minded, open-hearted seeker after the truth.” ([03:05])
  • Stott appeals to listeners to emulate Nicodemus, setting aside apathy, prejudice, and fear.

The Concept and Nature of ‘New Birth’

• Jesus shocks Nicodemus by insisting on the need to be “born again,” a core teaching repeated three times in their exchange. ([05:10])
• Stott traces the phrase’s cultural currency (“born again Christians,” “born again movement”) but returns devotionally and intellectually to Jesus’ original intent.

What the New Birth is NOT:

• Not a Second Physical Birth:
  • “Physical birth is one thing, spiritual birth is another.” ([07:10])
• Not Self-Reformation:
  • The new birth is “not a gargantuan effort to turn over a new leaf and reform ourselves… It’s a new birth from above by the activity of God the Holy Spirit.” ([08:15])
• Not Baptism:
  • Baptism is “a visible sign and seal… but the new birth itself is secret and invisible.” ([09:25])

What the New Birth IS:

• A Spiritual Birth and Emergence of a New Person:
  • The new birth gives new desires, ambitions, and relationships, while natural temperament remains.
  • Memorable quote from psychiatrist Dr. Gaius Davis: “Grace does not change us as personalities… Our bodies, our intelligence and our natural aptitudes remain the same. Grace does not change our temperament. The new life…expresses itself through the same old personalities; behaviour, attitudes and motives all change, but basic personality does not.” ([11:00])
  • “If you were an extrovert before you were born again, you will be an extrovert afterwards, but you will be easier to live with.” ([12:10])

The Results (Effects) of the New Birth

• Seeing the Kingdom of God:
  • Spiritual birth opens eyes to God’s reality.
  • Stott’s personal testimony: “I used to read the Bible when I was a kid… but it was double Dutch to me… Then one day Jesus Christ came into my life… the scales fell from my eyes. The Bible began to be a new book to me.” ([13:50])
• Entering the Kingdom of God:
  • Instead of resisting God’s rule, the reborn “welcome it and… find freedom in his service.” ([15:00])

The Necessity of the New Birth

• Stott addresses common objections, dismissing the idea that being “born again” is exceptional or only for a subset of Christians.
  • “We all need it. You must be born again, he said. It’s indispensable if we are to be authentic followers of Jesus.” ([16:20])
• Refers to the diversity of conversion experiences but insists on the universality of the need.
• Stott highlights that even a “model” Jew like Nicodemus, a “leader in the community, a member of the Sanhedrin,” required new birth. ([18:00])
  • “What more could you ask? Answer: the new birth. He still had to be born again.” ([18:50])
• Strong warning: “The devil has lulled them to sleep while under their pillow they dream that they have a first class ticket to heaven. Friend, don’t be deceived. Nicodemus was all those things and more. And yet it was to him that Jesus said, you must be born again.” ([19:50])

The Mystery and Human Responsibility in the New Birth

• Spiritual birth is a divine initiative—a mystery (“the wind blows where it chooses… so is everyone born of the Spirit”). ([21:00])
• Human response: Repentance and Faith
  • Repentance: “To turn away from everything we know to be wrong… willing to let it go.” ([22:12])
  • Jesus likely refers to “being born of water and of the Spirit” as both repentance/preparation (John’s baptism) and actual spiritual renewal.
  • Faith: Illustrated by referencing Numbers 21—the bronze serpent as a type of Christ’s saving work.
    • “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that anybody who believes in him will not perish, but have eternal life.” ([24:30])

The Story of William Haslam

• Anglican clergyman converted by his own sermon—emphasizing that salvation doesn’t come from religious position, good works, or church membership, but by personally looking to Christ in faith. ([26:10])
  • “At last, I was brought by the Spirit of God as a wounded and dying sinner to look at the crucified One. And I found pardon and peace.” ([26:50])
• Memorable Stott plea:
  • “It’s no good looking to the clergy or any human being. We can’t save you… The one thing you must do is to look to Christ who was lifted up on the cross to bear our sin and guilt in his own innocent person in order that we might be forgiven.” ([27:30])
  • “There is life for a look at the crucified one. There is life at this moment for thee.” ([28:14])

The Invitation and Application

• Stott warns against presumption or inaction: “There is nothing automatic about God’s dealings with us. He, for his part, has done everything… now he waits for us to respond.” ([29:05])
• Offers a direct call to trust in Christ personally for forgiveness and new life, closing in prayer that listeners may truly experience “the new life of the Kingdom of God.” ([30:00])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Seeking Truth:
  “If only there were more Nicodemuses in the world today, if only there were more men and women who are prepared to lay aside their apathy, their prejudice and their fears and seek the truth with an honest and a humble spirit.” ([03:34])
• On New Birth:
  “It’s not so much a new beginning from below by our own human effort, it’s a new birth from above by the activity of God the Holy Spirit.” ([08:25])
• On Conversion Experiences:
  “There is a wide variety of in human and Christian experiences… All I dare say, because Jesus Christ said it is, we must be born again.” ([17:45])
• On the Means of Salvation:
  “It’s no good looking to the clergy or any human being. We can’t save you… The one thing you must do is to look to Christ.” ([27:30])
• The Ultimatum:
  “Don’t miss it. It’s for you.” ([29:40])

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:20] – Context of the series and today’s focus on Nicodemus
• [01:40] – The character and appeal of Nicodemus as a seeker
• [05:10] – Jesus introduces the need to be “born again”
• [07:10] – Clarifying what the new birth is not
• [11:00] – Dr. Gaius Davis on the nature of change in the new birth
• [13:50] – Stott’s personal testimony of spiritual sight
• [15:00] – Entering and experiencing the kingdom of God
• [16:20] – The necessity of the new birth for all, without exception
• [19:50] – Warning against substitutes for genuine spiritual transformation
• [21:00] – Explaining the mysterious and sovereign aspect of spiritual birth
• [22:12] – Repentance as part of new birth
• [24:30] – Faith, illustrated through the bronze serpent (Numbers 21)
• [26:10] – William Haslam’s story: deeper application—looking to Christ
• [27:30] – Stott’s direct appeal: salvation in Christ alone
• [29:05] – The application: God waits for a personal response
• [30:00] – Closing prayer and pastoral invitation

Summary

John Stott’s sermon on Nicodemus is a comprehensive, heartfelt exposition on the urgent, universal necessity of the new birth—a gift of God received through honest seeking, repentance, and personal trust in Christ. With clarity and warmth, Stott dismantles misconceptions, offers personal and scriptural testimony, and calls every listener to personally respond to Christ, echoing the Gospel’s timeless invitation: “You must be born again.”