Born Again and Beginning Again
Rev. Guy Benton Leads Week Two of the Lenten Sermon Series
In the second week of our Lenten Study Series, Rev. Guy Benton from All Saints, Hataitai, offers an engaging reflection on one of Jesus’ most significant conversations: His late‑night meeting with Nicodemus in John 3:1–17.
Following on from Bishop Anna’s exploration of Jesus’ wilderness temptations, Guy continues the theme of “conversations that demand a response,” inviting us to consider what Jesus is revealing — and requiring — in each encounter.
A Conversation Built on Choice
Framing the session with a playful family tradition — the famous “Would You Rather?” debates in the Benton household — Guy notes that Jesus’ interactions throughout Lent consistently invite both discussion and choice.
In this week’s passage, Nicodemus approaches Jesus under cover of darkness, representing a group whom Jesus has recently offended. Guy highlights the tension Nicodemus carries: a respected leader, trying to smooth things over, seeking common ground. Yet Jesus immediately cuts through the negotiation and offers a startling reorientation of the conversation:
“Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
What Does ‘Born Again’ Really Mean?
Guy recognises the modern baggage the phrase “born again” carries — from American evangelical culture to dramatic conversion stories. But Nicodemus, he says, wasn’t thinking about any of that.
A learned, moral, and highly respected biblical scholar, Nicodemus would not have seen himself as someone in need of a fresh start. And yet Jesus insists on exactly that.
Drawing on the Greek double meaning of the word — “born again” and “born from above” — Guy explains that Jesus is speaking not of emotional experience or dramatic transformation, but of source.
Where does true life come from?
What are we relying on?
What do we believe establishes our identity?
Nicodemus’ credentials, pedigree, religious devotion, and cultural standing — impressive as they are — cannot usher him into the kingdom. Jesus calls him to begin again and to receive life from above.
Transformation Through Water and Spirit
Guy connects this new birth to the wider biblical narrative: the Spirit hovering over chaotic waters, the liberation of God’s people through the Red Sea, the transformative symbolism of baptism.
Whether someone’s faith story is quiet and generational, or dramatic and life-altering, the same truth applies:
New life is a gift received, not an achievement earned.
He shared from Isaiah 44:3–4 — a passage his All Saints community has been memorising — reminding listeners that God longs to pour out water on thirsty ground and Spirit upon dry hearts.
From Darkness to Light?
Nicodemus seeks Jesus under cover of night, perhaps cautiously, perhaps protectively. But tragically, says Guy, he appears to leave the encounter still in the dark. Though he meets the Light of the World face‑to‑face, the narrative suggests he does not yet step into that light.
This stands in deliberate contrast to next week’s Lenten reading, where we will meet someone very different who encounters Jesus and responds openly, wholeheartedly, and in the brightness of day.
A Call to Begin Again
Are we willing to set aside what we think qualifies us, and begin again?
Being born again, says Guy, is not reserved for the broken or marginalised; it is a call to every one of us — especially those most confident in their faithfulness. It requires letting go of control, acknowledging false starts, and trusting the true source of life.
An Invitation for Lent
As we continue our Lenten journey, Guy encourages us to keep practising Scripture memorisation, keep reflecting, and keep choosing the light.
Nicodemus was given a choice that night.
So are we.
Will we lay down our lives, be born again, and reorient our gaze toward the One lifted high?
Or will we hold on to what is familiar, comfortable, and controllable?
