Note how Jesus in his discussion with Nicodemus underscored the importance of the new birth. He stated: “Unless anyone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3) The words “unless” and “cannot” highlight the necessity of the new birth. To illustrate: If someone says, “Unless the sun shines, there cannot be daylight,” he means that sunshine is absolutely necessary for daylight. In a similar manner, Jesus stated that being born again is absolutely necessary for seeing God’s Kingdom.

A careful reading of Jesus’ words shows that Jesus did not teach that it is up to man to choose whether to experience the new birth or not. Why do we say this? The Greek expression translated “is born again” can also be rendered “should be born from above.”a Thus, according to that alternate rendering, the new birth originates “from above”​—that is, “from heaven,” or “from the Father.” (John 19:11; footnote; James 1:17) Yes, it is caused by God.​—1 John 3:9.

Note, though, what Jesus himself said about the purpose of the new birth. He stated: “Unless anyone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3) Thus, one needs to be born again in order to enter into God’s Kingdom, not in order to receive salvation. ‘But,’ some may say, ‘are not these two expressions​—entering the Kingdom and receiving salvation—​referring to the same reward?’ No, they are not. To understand the difference, let us consider first the meaning of the expression “kingdom of God.”

A kingdom is a form of government. So, then, the expression “kingdom of God” means “government of God.” The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ, the “son of man,” is the King of God’s Kingdom and that Christ has fellow rulers. (Daniel 7:1, 13, 14; Matthew 26:63, 64) Furthermore, a vision given to the apostle John disclosed that Christ’s fellow rulers are individuals chosen “out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation” and will “rule as kings over the earth.” (Revelation 5:9, 10; 20:6) God’s Word further reveals that those who will rule as kings form a “little flock” of 144,000 individuals “who have been bought from the earth.”​—Luke 12:32; Revelation 14:1, 3.

Where is the seat of God’s Kingdom? “The kingdom of God” is also called “the kingdom of the heavens,” which shows that Jesus and his fellow kings rule from heaven. (Luke 8:10; Matthew 13:11) Thus, God’s Kingdom is a heavenly government made up of Jesus Christ and a group of fellow rulers chosen from among mankind.

What, then, did Jesus mean when he stated that one must be born again to “enter into the kingdom of God”? He meant that one needs to be born again in order to become a ruler with Christ in heaven. Simply put, the purpose of the new birth is to prepare a limited group of humans for heavenly rulership.