“Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!” John 3:4 (NIV)
Jesus says, “Your whole life needs to be remade and relived. You must be born again. And… unless that happens you cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus says, “My whole life remade and relived? How can that possibly happen? How can a man be born when he is old?”
Nicodemus is a mature man. Youngsters didn’t get on the Jewish ruling council. In asking “How can a man be born again when he is old?” Nicodemus gives away his life stage. You can see the point of his question. As you get older, the shape of your life begins to set—the cement hardens. Over time, you come to terms with who you are.
It’s good to see younger people professing faith in Christ, and being baptized, but how can a man or woman in their forties, fifties, sixties, seventies, or eighties be born again? How could the very core identity of your life change? Years have gone. You cannot get them back. Your life is what it is. “How can a man be born again when he is old? Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!”
Do you feel that you are too old to change, too set in your ways? Talk to God about this in prayer.