Preaching Outline on I Peter 1:3 – “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”
When we read the dialogue between Jesus and Nicodemus in John 3, we realize right away that it wasn’t just any conversation. Jesus was talking to someone who had everything to be considered “perfect”. Nicodemus was a Pharisee, knew the Bible like few others, was religious, obeyed the commandments and had prestige in the community. But something about him caught Jesus’ attention… something was missing.
And do you know what Jesus said to him? “You must be born again.” (John 3:7). Imagine the impact this had on Nicodemus’ mind. Wasn’t he already saved? Wasn’t he righteous? Wasn’t he “right”? So why did he need to be “born again”?
This word is so powerful because it reveals that, often, no matter how religious or right we seem to be, there is something else that God is offering us. And here I want to reflect on this: what are we still missing?
Jesus passed through this world performing incredible miracles, but every healing he did wasn’t just to solve a physical problem. Each healing pointed to something spiritual, something that man needs in order to truly walk with God. Let’s explore that:
Going back to the Gospel, we find a Syro-Phoenician woman who said something impressive: “Yes, Lord, but the little dogs also eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” (Matthew 15:27).
She wasn’t asking for much, she knew that even “crumbs” were enough to change her life. Her humility opened the door to the miracle. What we often lack is the recognition that we are not enough on our own. We need to depend totally on God.
Let’s go back to Nicodemus. He thought he had everything right, but Jesus looked at him and said: “You need to be born again.” It wasn’t enough to be religious, follow rules or have biblical knowledge. Something greater was missing: a new spiritual birth.
Peter is also an interesting example. He lived with Jesus for three years, saw miracles, heard teachings, preached, healed the sick… but, before his crucifixion, Jesus said to him: “When you are converted, strengthen your brothers.” (Luke 22:32).
This means that, even after so long in ministry, Peter still wasn’t truly converted. He needed a new heart, a new life.
In today’s text, I Peter 1:3, Peter says: “Blessed be God, who has begotten us again to a living hope.” Note that he didn’t say, “Blessed be God who has begotten me again,” but “begotten us again.” This shows that Peter understood that rebirth is something universal, something that everyone needs to experience.
Now I ask you: What are you still missing? Have you been born again? Have you received the new life that God has for you? Or are you still complacent, waiting for someone to do something for you?
God doesn’t just want to fix parts of your life. He wants to make everything new! He wants to give you a new vision, new experiences, new forgiveness, new definition and, above all, a new heart.
So, like Peter, declare: “Blessed be God, who has begotten us again!” Because when we accept this new birth, we discover that salvation is not just for heaven, but for living abundantly here and now.
Salvation, my brother, my sister, is being born again.
Preaching Outline on I Peter 1:3 – “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”