Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
I would encourage you to read John 3:1-21. In this exchange between Jesus and Nicodemus (a ruler of the Jews who came to Jesus at night), Jesus shares all that is to happen, He shares what we today call the Gospel, even His death as He is lifted up on the cross. The problem was that Nicodemus did not fully understand what Jesus was telling him.
The phrase “born again” is used regularly in Christian circles today and people today do not fully understand what Jesus meant. When you talk to children about Jesus, phrases like this can be confusing for them because they take things literally, just like Nicodemus who asked, how can I be born when I am old?
Being born again in this life is not a new physical birth as Nicodemus questioned, but a spiritual rebirth. This is a hard concept for many to understand. Turning from life away from God, a life of sin, to a new life where we are following God and doing our best not to sin – though we still sin because we are not perfect, God sees us as perfect through the blood of Jesus.
That is the new life we are speaking of, much like the new life of spring. Turning from the cold, desolate, season to one of warmth and new life. Like the season changes, so should our lives be changed when we are “born again”.
Discussion questions:
- What do you think of when you hear the words “born again”?
- What do you think of when you hear the words “new life”?
- How has your life changed since you began following Jesus? (If they have not started following Jesus yet, use John 3 to share the Gospel)
End in prayer thanking God for the new life that we have in Him.
