The Carson Center Podcast

Why You Must Be Born Again (John 3:1–21)

Episode Summary

Don Carson teaches that the gospel is the transformative news of what God has done through Jesus, and new birth is a supernatural work essential for entering God's kingdom.

Episode Notes

In this lecture, Don Carson examines John 3:1-21 to discuss the complexity of the gospel, emphasizing its transformative nature. Carson critiques the view that the gospel is merely a gateway to discipleship and highlights the importance of being born again. Carson explains that new birth involves supernatural transformation, grounded in God's love and action.

He teaches the following:

• The gospel is good news about what God has done in Christ's cross and resurrection
• The historical context of the Reformation and The Great Awakening
• Nicodemus’s significance as a Pharisee and a member of the Jewish council
• The new birth is a miraculous, supernatural transformation, not just a change of mind
• Why Jesus could speak authoritatively about the new birth
• How Jesus’s crucifixion parallels the bronze snake in Numbers 21
• Why Jesus's unique revelatory claim is central to understanding the gospel