Spiritual Rebirth Through Jesus Lifted Up Cross

God’s love for the world is demonstrated supremely in the giving of His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. This truth, found in John 3:16, establishes that faith in Jesus is indispensable for salvation. Spiritual rebirth is essential; it is the foundation upon which eternal life is granted. Being born again is not optional but necessary, as it is through this new birth that believers enter into a restored relationship with God ([08:47]).

The necessity of looking to Jesus for salvation is powerfully illustrated by the account in Numbers 21, where Moses lifted up a serpent in the wilderness. The Israelites who looked upon the lifted serpent were healed and lived. In the same way, Jesus must be lifted up on the cross so that all who look to Him in faith may be saved. This lifting up is central to the gospel message because it signifies the crucifixion, the means by which spiritual rebirth and eternal life are made possible ([22:29]). The act of looking to Jesus—believing in Him—is the key to receiving salvation, just as the Israelites’ gaze upon the serpent brought physical healing.

Jesus Himself declared that He must be lifted up so that “whoever believes in Him may have eternal life.” This lifting up is not merely a physical event but a spiritual reality, drawing all people to Himself and making salvation accessible to everyone who believes ([02:13]). The cross is the means by which new life is granted, transforming hearts and enabling spiritual rebirth.

God’s faithfulness in completing the work of transformation is assured in Philippians 1:6, which states that God, who began a good work in believers, will bring it to completion ([16:36]). This guarantees that spiritual rebirth is not dependent on human effort alone but is a divine work that God faithfully accomplishes. The new birth, initiated by grace through faith in Jesus, is a miraculous process that God will see through to its full realization, transforming believers into the likeness of Christ.

Belief in Jesus is essential for salvation, made possible through spiritual rebirth. The lifting up of Jesus on the cross, like the serpent in the wilderness, is the means by which all who look to Him in faith are healed and saved. God’s faithfulness ensures that the work of spiritual renewal begun in believers will be brought to completion, affirming the necessity of trusting in Jesus’ sacrifice and the divine assurance of transformation.

This article was written by an AI tool for churches, based on a sermon from Alistair Begg, one of 1769 churches in Chagrin Falls, OH