Graduates Never Forsake Your Birthright John 3 1to17
Series: Trinity Season Gospel Sermons
May 31, 2026
Rev. Nathan J. Rusert
The Feast of the Holy Trinity 31-May-2026 Sermon Text: John 3:1-17 Sermon Theme: “Graduates - Never Forsake Your Birthright!” I. It Alone Brings You Into God’s Kingdom! (Vs.1-6) II. It Sounds Forth By The Holy Spirit in Jesus’ Word in His Church!(Vs.7-11) III. It Reveals The Mystery of the Triune God’s Love For You! (Vs.12-17) by Rev. Nathan J. Rusert
Episode Notes
The Feast of the Holy Trinity 31-May-2026
Sermon Text: John 3:1-17
Sermon Theme: “Graduates - Never Forsake Your Birthright!” I. It Alone Brings You Into God’s Kingdom! (Vs.1-6) II. It Sounds Forth By The Holy Spirit in Jesus’ Word in His Church!(Vs.7-11) III. It Reveals The Mystery of the Triune God’s Love For You! (Vs.12-17) by Rev. Nathan J. Rusert
I.N.R.I. “What are you going to be when you grow up?” Adults ask little children. High school graduates hear, “What are you going to do now?” Young adults in their mid twenties complain, ‘Adulting isn’t easy.”
Isaiah was of royal blood mourning the death of King Uzziah in the House of the Lord, the Triune God revealed Himself to him. The mighty six winged seraphim humbly cover their face before their God and Creator. They confess the mystery of the Holy Trinity singing out, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory.” One Lord - Three Holy Persons in One God. As Christ’s Church joins with the holy angels confessing: “And the catholic faith is this, that we worship one God in Trinity and Trinity in unity, neither confusing the persons nor dividing the substance.” Isaiah was crushed by his sin in the presence of the Triune God. The Lord sent an angel to minister to him from the altar. The atoning sacrifice touched Isaiah guilt was taken away his sin paid for in full - he was born from above. Isaiah tells us, Isa 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: "Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me."
Isaiah born from above answered the Triune God’s call to go for Him.
Will you? You go forward in life by going back. To His disciples dreaming of becoming the greatest in God’s Kingdom, Jesus holding an infant said, Mat 18:3-4 and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. (4) Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Go forward by every morning and every evening becoming as little children hearing the voice of the only God speak you alive, “In The Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” Confess reality in they mystery of the Trinity as you speak The Apostles’ Creed out loud. Then hear Jesus’ Word breathing forth the Holy Spirit reconciling you to your God and Father as He prays with you, “Our Father, who art in heaven.”
On the basis of our text and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, “Graduates - Never Forsake Your Birthright!” I. It Alone Brings You Into God’s Kingdom! (Vs.1-6) II. It Sounds Forth By The Holy Spirit in Jesus’ Word in His Church!(Vs.7-11) III. It Reveals The Mystery of the Triune God’s Love For You! (Vs.12-17)
I. In the Old Testament the birthright belonged to the firstborn son. He received the greatest share of his father’s inheritance to care for his mother, siblings, father’s workers, and estate after his father had died. In the case of twin sons, the first born had the birthright. Esau born seconds before Jacob was the rightful heir of Isaac’s estate. But profane Esau despised his birthright. Thinking only of his stomach, he sold his birthright to his twin brother for a bowl of stew. Scripture warns, Heb 12:17 For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears.
Listen to Jesus! History records, (vs.1) Nicodemus is a good moral man. He knows the Scriptures. By twelve years old he had memorized the hymnal and could sing all 150 Psalms. He had committed the first five books of Moses - the Torah - to memory. He was respected among the Pharisees and was appointed to serve on the ruling council of the seventy. (Vs.2) Nicodemus is open minded. He can’t sleep, so in the dark he seeks out Jesus. He confesses that Jesus is from God. The signs Jesus did were clear evidence to many Pharisees. God is with Jesus.
Why is he seeking Jesus in the dark? What keeps you up late at night? Robs you of sleep? Can you be certain that you are saved? (Vs.3) From rebellious Adam we imagine that we are good enough to earn our way back into paradise. We imagine the fig leaves of our good works, of our biblical knowledge, of our name a congregation’s roster will save us. You can have all these things, but like Nicodemus still be a heathen, a pagan before the judgment seat of the Triune God.
Salvation isn’t something we earn, do, or secure for ourselves. Salvation is a gift from above. We must be born from above to see the Kingdom of God. None of us can remember the moment our mother gave us birth, but we live. None choose to be born into this world - life is a gift from the Lord and Giver of Life. So also the Triune God births you from above - it is never a moment of your decision, but the breaking of His grace upon you to secure you in His salvation!
Baptism makes no sense to human reason. (Vs.4-6) Man made religions of doing good to earn heaven despise the truth of infant baptism. From Adam we are born from below. His sin infects us all from the moment of conception. We cannot free ourselves from original sin. We must be freed from above - we must be born of the Holy Spirit. How? In baptism. It is a water and the living Word of Christ full of the Holy Spirit united as one. The Spirit of Truth teaches, Tit 3:4-7 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, (5) not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, (6) whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, (7) that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Baptism is your birthright bringing you into God’s Kingdom by birth from above. It is the Triune God’s Word, work, and gift to you and in you. God the Holy Spirit births you in Jesus’ cross and empty tomb declaring you the Father’s beloved child. Don’t be like Esau forsaking your baptism to follow your sinful feelings and desires.
II. Where is God at work? Everywhere! Paul teaching us of our sinfulness and God’s grace in Christ Jesus through the book of Romans breaks forth into a high doxology - a hymn of praise: Rom 11:33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! Confessing the Triune God before the Areopagus in Athens Paul said, Act 17:24-28 God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. (25) Nor is He worshiped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. (26) And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, (27) so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; (28) for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also His offspring.' Apart from the Triune God’s Word and work there is no life, no universe - He alone is the Source of all Life and Light! Genesis beings with the Father, the Holy Spirit, and the Son - the Word by which all is made.
Behold, the mystery of the Triune God’s saving work in you. (Vs.9-11) We can’t see the wind. We hear its sound. We see its effects. Meteorologists predict weather patterns for God’s wisdom and logic are found in our physical creation, but even they don’t know the origin or destination of the wind.
The Holy Spirit work in infant baptism is evident. For the first 1500 years of the Church since Pentecost the majority of Christians were baptized as infants. If infant baptism didn’t birth us from above, the Church would have ceased to exist long before the radical reformers rejected infant baptism.
Behold the mystery of the Triune God’s Word. We are born from above by the Holy Spirit through the sound of Christ’s Word to be the Father’s beloved children. This is the mystery of our conversion from darkness to light, from death to life, from sin to righteousness. All flows from the Spirit through the Son reconciling us to our loving Father.
Don’t forsake your birthright by ignoring the divine service. Jesus still bears witness in His Church as He serves us forgiveness in absolution, life through His Word preached, spoken, and sung, and salvation placed upon our lips in His body and blood - FOR YOU!
Why do we not receive Jesus’ witness? He is the Bread of Heaven - His Word is filled with the Holy Spirit and Life. His Word alone sustain you as you journey through this dark death filled shadowy valley with Him by your side to the Life of the world to come.
III. The Triune God’s ways are past finding out. With Paul we break forth in a hymn of doxology: Rom 11:34-36 "FOR WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD? OR WHO HAS BECOME HIS COUNSELOR?" (35) "OR WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM AND IT SHALL BE REPAID TO HIM?" (36) For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. [This is most certainly true! ]Amen.”
Your birthright from above in baptism reveals the mystery of the Triune God’s love for sinful and lost mankind. (Vs.12) From Genesis on the Holy Spirit through Jesus have testified to “earthly things.” Our world isn’t an accident of billions of years, it is carefully crafted and created by the Father through His Son by the Holy Spirit in six 24 hour days about 6,000 years ago. Don’t follow the foolishness of man’s fallen sinful reason - cling to the Truth by which the Holy Spirit sets you free to truly make scientific discovers seeing the Father’s hand and wisdom in all creation. Behold the mystery our world’s creation and perseveration in our Father’s great love for you!
The mystery of the Holy Trinity’s love for us sinners is like a diamond. The more you examine a diamond the more beauty you see. Behold the mystery of the incarnation of the eternally begotten Son of God. (Vs.13) Human reason cannot comprehend the mind of God - God’s Son becomes our Brother - conceived by the Holy Spirit born of the Virgin Mary. Accomplishing our salvation He remains the God/Man at God’s right hand. He has redeemed our human nature to live in the Father’s presence to sanctify us by the Spirit. Behold the mystery of the Trinity’s unity. Jesus is incarnate, but He is in heaven while on earth.
Behold the mystery of the Trinity that has rescued us through His Son! (Vs.14-15) From eternity the Triune God planned our rescue in Jesus. The children of Israel rejected God. God lifted His protecting hand and poisonous serpents brought death to their camp. Crying out to Moses, the Lord saved them by having Moses fashion a bronze serpent. Trusting His Word and promise those who looked to the snake on the pole were saved from the deadly serpent’s bite. Here is the mystery of the only true God’s grace. Salvation is found only in the God/Man being “lifted up” on the cross. He alone bears the hellish poison of all our sin. Looking to Him as the only sacrifice for our sin we are saved.
Behold the mystery of true Love - God is Love! (Vs.16) God so loved YOU! The Triune God gave YOU His only begotten Son! The Holy Spirit births you from above to believe in Jesus. The Triune God gives you His Life everlasting by grace through faith alone. Listen and cling to your birthright! (Vs17) God the Father sent His Son to save sinners - me, you, and all people. The Son sends forth the Holy Spirit that we might believe in the Name of Jesus and be saved.
The day after Jesus fed the 5,000 in the wilderness with bread from heaven. They asked Him, Joh 6:28-29 .... "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?" (29) Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent." Faith alone is the good work that saves - without it we cannot please God. Cling to your birthright - cling to Jesus by the Holy Spirit’s ongoing work in the Word in the local congregation always reconciling you to God the Father!
Confess with the Church universal - the Church of all ages - catholic: Although He is God and man, He is not two, but one Christ:one, however, not by the conversion of the divinity into flesh but by the assumption of the humanity into God; one altogether, not by confusion of substance, but by unity of person. For as the rational soul and flesh is one man, so God and man is one Christ, who suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, rose again on the third day from the dead, ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father, from whence He will come to judge the living and the dead. At His coming all people will rise again with their bodies and give an account concerning their own deeds. And those who have done good will enter into eternal life, and those who have done evil into eternal fire. This is the catholic faith; whoever does not believe it faithfully and firmly cannot be saved.
What will you be? The Father’s beloved child, baptized into His Name, washed forgiven in Jesus’ blood, and made alive by the Holy Spirit to live by faith towards God and loving service to your neighbor. Amen.
Sermon Text: John 3:1-17
Sermon Theme: “Graduates - Never Forsake Your Birthright!” I. It Alone Brings You Into God’s Kingdom! (Vs.1-6) II. It Sounds Forth By The Holy Spirit in Jesus’ Word in His Church!(Vs.7-11) III. It Reveals The Mystery of the Triune God’s Love For You! (Vs.12-17) by Rev. Nathan J. Rusert
I.N.R.I. “What are you going to be when you grow up?” Adults ask little children. High school graduates hear, “What are you going to do now?” Young adults in their mid twenties complain, ‘Adulting isn’t easy.”
Isaiah was of royal blood mourning the death of King Uzziah in the House of the Lord, the Triune God revealed Himself to him. The mighty six winged seraphim humbly cover their face before their God and Creator. They confess the mystery of the Holy Trinity singing out, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory.” One Lord - Three Holy Persons in One God. As Christ’s Church joins with the holy angels confessing: “And the catholic faith is this, that we worship one God in Trinity and Trinity in unity, neither confusing the persons nor dividing the substance.” Isaiah was crushed by his sin in the presence of the Triune God. The Lord sent an angel to minister to him from the altar. The atoning sacrifice touched Isaiah guilt was taken away his sin paid for in full - he was born from above. Isaiah tells us, Isa 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: "Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me."
Isaiah born from above answered the Triune God’s call to go for Him.
Will you? You go forward in life by going back. To His disciples dreaming of becoming the greatest in God’s Kingdom, Jesus holding an infant said, Mat 18:3-4 and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. (4) Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Go forward by every morning and every evening becoming as little children hearing the voice of the only God speak you alive, “In The Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” Confess reality in they mystery of the Trinity as you speak The Apostles’ Creed out loud. Then hear Jesus’ Word breathing forth the Holy Spirit reconciling you to your God and Father as He prays with you, “Our Father, who art in heaven.”
On the basis of our text and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, “Graduates - Never Forsake Your Birthright!” I. It Alone Brings You Into God’s Kingdom! (Vs.1-6) II. It Sounds Forth By The Holy Spirit in Jesus’ Word in His Church!(Vs.7-11) III. It Reveals The Mystery of the Triune God’s Love For You! (Vs.12-17)
I. In the Old Testament the birthright belonged to the firstborn son. He received the greatest share of his father’s inheritance to care for his mother, siblings, father’s workers, and estate after his father had died. In the case of twin sons, the first born had the birthright. Esau born seconds before Jacob was the rightful heir of Isaac’s estate. But profane Esau despised his birthright. Thinking only of his stomach, he sold his birthright to his twin brother for a bowl of stew. Scripture warns, Heb 12:17 For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears.
Listen to Jesus! History records, (vs.1) Nicodemus is a good moral man. He knows the Scriptures. By twelve years old he had memorized the hymnal and could sing all 150 Psalms. He had committed the first five books of Moses - the Torah - to memory. He was respected among the Pharisees and was appointed to serve on the ruling council of the seventy. (Vs.2) Nicodemus is open minded. He can’t sleep, so in the dark he seeks out Jesus. He confesses that Jesus is from God. The signs Jesus did were clear evidence to many Pharisees. God is with Jesus.
Why is he seeking Jesus in the dark? What keeps you up late at night? Robs you of sleep? Can you be certain that you are saved? (Vs.3) From rebellious Adam we imagine that we are good enough to earn our way back into paradise. We imagine the fig leaves of our good works, of our biblical knowledge, of our name a congregation’s roster will save us. You can have all these things, but like Nicodemus still be a heathen, a pagan before the judgment seat of the Triune God.
Salvation isn’t something we earn, do, or secure for ourselves. Salvation is a gift from above. We must be born from above to see the Kingdom of God. None of us can remember the moment our mother gave us birth, but we live. None choose to be born into this world - life is a gift from the Lord and Giver of Life. So also the Triune God births you from above - it is never a moment of your decision, but the breaking of His grace upon you to secure you in His salvation!
Baptism makes no sense to human reason. (Vs.4-6) Man made religions of doing good to earn heaven despise the truth of infant baptism. From Adam we are born from below. His sin infects us all from the moment of conception. We cannot free ourselves from original sin. We must be freed from above - we must be born of the Holy Spirit. How? In baptism. It is a water and the living Word of Christ full of the Holy Spirit united as one. The Spirit of Truth teaches, Tit 3:4-7 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, (5) not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, (6) whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, (7) that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Baptism is your birthright bringing you into God’s Kingdom by birth from above. It is the Triune God’s Word, work, and gift to you and in you. God the Holy Spirit births you in Jesus’ cross and empty tomb declaring you the Father’s beloved child. Don’t be like Esau forsaking your baptism to follow your sinful feelings and desires.
II. Where is God at work? Everywhere! Paul teaching us of our sinfulness and God’s grace in Christ Jesus through the book of Romans breaks forth into a high doxology - a hymn of praise: Rom 11:33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! Confessing the Triune God before the Areopagus in Athens Paul said, Act 17:24-28 God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. (25) Nor is He worshiped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. (26) And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, (27) so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; (28) for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also His offspring.' Apart from the Triune God’s Word and work there is no life, no universe - He alone is the Source of all Life and Light! Genesis beings with the Father, the Holy Spirit, and the Son - the Word by which all is made.
Behold, the mystery of the Triune God’s saving work in you. (Vs.9-11) We can’t see the wind. We hear its sound. We see its effects. Meteorologists predict weather patterns for God’s wisdom and logic are found in our physical creation, but even they don’t know the origin or destination of the wind.
The Holy Spirit work in infant baptism is evident. For the first 1500 years of the Church since Pentecost the majority of Christians were baptized as infants. If infant baptism didn’t birth us from above, the Church would have ceased to exist long before the radical reformers rejected infant baptism.
Behold the mystery of the Triune God’s Word. We are born from above by the Holy Spirit through the sound of Christ’s Word to be the Father’s beloved children. This is the mystery of our conversion from darkness to light, from death to life, from sin to righteousness. All flows from the Spirit through the Son reconciling us to our loving Father.
Don’t forsake your birthright by ignoring the divine service. Jesus still bears witness in His Church as He serves us forgiveness in absolution, life through His Word preached, spoken, and sung, and salvation placed upon our lips in His body and blood - FOR YOU!
Why do we not receive Jesus’ witness? He is the Bread of Heaven - His Word is filled with the Holy Spirit and Life. His Word alone sustain you as you journey through this dark death filled shadowy valley with Him by your side to the Life of the world to come.
III. The Triune God’s ways are past finding out. With Paul we break forth in a hymn of doxology: Rom 11:34-36 "FOR WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD? OR WHO HAS BECOME HIS COUNSELOR?" (35) "OR WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM AND IT SHALL BE REPAID TO HIM?" (36) For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. [This is most certainly true! ]Amen.”
Your birthright from above in baptism reveals the mystery of the Triune God’s love for sinful and lost mankind. (Vs.12) From Genesis on the Holy Spirit through Jesus have testified to “earthly things.” Our world isn’t an accident of billions of years, it is carefully crafted and created by the Father through His Son by the Holy Spirit in six 24 hour days about 6,000 years ago. Don’t follow the foolishness of man’s fallen sinful reason - cling to the Truth by which the Holy Spirit sets you free to truly make scientific discovers seeing the Father’s hand and wisdom in all creation. Behold the mystery our world’s creation and perseveration in our Father’s great love for you!
The mystery of the Holy Trinity’s love for us sinners is like a diamond. The more you examine a diamond the more beauty you see. Behold the mystery of the incarnation of the eternally begotten Son of God. (Vs.13) Human reason cannot comprehend the mind of God - God’s Son becomes our Brother - conceived by the Holy Spirit born of the Virgin Mary. Accomplishing our salvation He remains the God/Man at God’s right hand. He has redeemed our human nature to live in the Father’s presence to sanctify us by the Spirit. Behold the mystery of the Trinity’s unity. Jesus is incarnate, but He is in heaven while on earth.
Behold the mystery of the Trinity that has rescued us through His Son! (Vs.14-15) From eternity the Triune God planned our rescue in Jesus. The children of Israel rejected God. God lifted His protecting hand and poisonous serpents brought death to their camp. Crying out to Moses, the Lord saved them by having Moses fashion a bronze serpent. Trusting His Word and promise those who looked to the snake on the pole were saved from the deadly serpent’s bite. Here is the mystery of the only true God’s grace. Salvation is found only in the God/Man being “lifted up” on the cross. He alone bears the hellish poison of all our sin. Looking to Him as the only sacrifice for our sin we are saved.
Behold the mystery of true Love - God is Love! (Vs.16) God so loved YOU! The Triune God gave YOU His only begotten Son! The Holy Spirit births you from above to believe in Jesus. The Triune God gives you His Life everlasting by grace through faith alone. Listen and cling to your birthright! (Vs17) God the Father sent His Son to save sinners - me, you, and all people. The Son sends forth the Holy Spirit that we might believe in the Name of Jesus and be saved.
The day after Jesus fed the 5,000 in the wilderness with bread from heaven. They asked Him, Joh 6:28-29 .... "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?" (29) Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent." Faith alone is the good work that saves - without it we cannot please God. Cling to your birthright - cling to Jesus by the Holy Spirit’s ongoing work in the Word in the local congregation always reconciling you to God the Father!
Confess with the Church universal - the Church of all ages - catholic: Although He is God and man, He is not two, but one Christ:one, however, not by the conversion of the divinity into flesh but by the assumption of the humanity into God; one altogether, not by confusion of substance, but by unity of person. For as the rational soul and flesh is one man, so God and man is one Christ, who suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, rose again on the third day from the dead, ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father, from whence He will come to judge the living and the dead. At His coming all people will rise again with their bodies and give an account concerning their own deeds. And those who have done good will enter into eternal life, and those who have done evil into eternal fire. This is the catholic faith; whoever does not believe it faithfully and firmly cannot be saved.
What will you be? The Father’s beloved child, baptized into His Name, washed forgiven in Jesus’ blood, and made alive by the Holy Spirit to live by faith towards God and loving service to your neighbor. Amen.
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