[CYM] 51.0 You Must Be Born Again

The command “You must be born again” is central to Yeshua’ teaching on spiritual transformation and entrance into the kingdom of God. It is found most clearly in John 3:3–7, during Yeshua’s conversation with Nicodemus, a Pharisee and member of the Jewish ruling council.

Yeshua tells him:

Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (John 3:3)

Nicodemus is confused, asking how one can be born when old. Yeshua clarifies:

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. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. (John 3:5-7)

Here, “born again” (or “born from above”) refers to a spiritual rebirth through the Holy Spirit, not merely a change in behavior or religious observance. Yeshua is commanding a complete inner renewal, a new identity rooted in divine life.

While Matthew, Mark, and Luke do not use the exact phrase “born again,” they echo the same theme. For example, in Matthew 18:3, Yeshua says:

Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

And in Luke 24:49, He promises power from on high—the Holy Spirit—indicating the new life His followers will receive.

Across the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, Yeshua teaches that entrance into God’s kingdom requires more than religion—it requires regeneration, a spiritual rebirth that only God can bring about through faith and the work of the Spirit.