Babies, Birth and Baptism--Jesus talks with Nicodemus

Mar 16: Babies, Birth and Baptism--Jesus talks with Nicodemus (John 3: 1-17, pages 416-418 in the spark bible)

(Begin with holding Rory or Grace)—Don’t you love babies?  Aren’t they cute?  Do you think Rory (or Grace) could go back to being inside their mommy’s tummy right now?  What about you—could you fit in your mommy’s tummy? NO? In our story for today, there is a wise man named Nicodemus who was confused by that very thing, and so, very late one night, he came to visit Jesus because he had a lot of questions that he thought were very important and couldn’t wait.

Nicodemus:  Jesus, you say that people must be born again.  How can they be born again when they are older and bigger?  They can’t go back in their mommy’s tummy, can they?

Jesus: No, to be born again is to be born of water and the spirit.  First, when we are born, we are born in flesh.  When we are born again, we experience the spirit, like the wind moving in and through us.

Nicodemus:  How does that work? Can you ask that with me?  How does that work?  How can that happen? How can that happen?

Jesus: I am talking to you about simple things here on earth.  If you can’t understand things about earth, how will you understand things about Heaven that you’ve never seen?  I’ll try once more.  It’s very simple—God loves you.  God loves everyone.  He sent me, his son, to the world to tell everyone how much they are loved and he sent me to save the world.”

Now, in our story, Jesus says that people must be born again of water and the spirit.  Can you say that with me?  Be born again of water and the spirit.     How are WE born again with water? When do we use water in church?  Baptism!  That's right!  When we’re baptized, we are made alive in Christ, as part of the church and supported by our church body. Can you sing the baptism song with me to help remind us of how we’re born again in Christ and the Holy Spirit?  (Sing: You have put on Christ)