Albert Barnes Commentary John 1:13

"who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." — John 1:13 (ASV)

Which were born—This undoubtedly refers to the “new birth,” or to the great change in the sinner’s mind called regeneration or conversion. It means that they did not become the children of God by virtue of their natural birth, or because they were the children of “Jews,” or because they were descended from pious parents. The term “to be born” is often used to denote this change. (1 John 2:29). It illustrates clearly and beautifully this great change. The natural birth introduces us to life. The new birth is the beginning of spiritual life. Before, the sinner is “dead” in sins (Ephesians 2:1); now he begins truly to live. And as the natural birth is the beginning of life, so to be born of God is to be introduced to real life, to light, to happiness, and to the favor of God. The term expresses at once the “greatness” and the “nature” of the change.

Not of blood—The Greek word is plural; not of “bloods”—that is, not of “man.” . The Jews prided themselves on being the descendants of Abraham (Matthew 3:9). They supposed that it was proof of the favor of God to be descended from such an illustrious ancestry. In this passage this notion is corrected. It is not because people are descended from an illustrious or pious parentage that they are entitled to the favor of God; or perhaps the meaning may be, not because there is a union of illustrious lines of ancestry or “bloods” in them. The law of Christ’s kingdom is different from what the Jews supposed. (Compare to 1 Peter 1:23). It was necessary to be “born of God” by regeneration. Possibly, however, it may mean that they did not become children of God by the bloody rite of “circumcision,” as many of the Jews supposed they did. This is consistent with the declaration of Paul (Romans 2:28–29).

Nor of the will of the flesh—not by natural generation.

Nor of the will of man—This may refer, perhaps, to the will of a human being in adopting a child, as the former phrases refer to natural birth. The design of using these three phrases may have been to say that they became the children of God neither by virtue of their descent from illustrious parents like Abraham, nor by their natural birth, nor by being “adopted” by a pious person. None of the ways by which we become entitled to the privileges of “children” among people can give us a title to be called the sons of God. It is not by human power or agency that people become children of the Most High.

But of God—That is, God produces the change and confers the privilege of being called his children. The heart is changed by his power. No unaided human effort, no works of ours, can produce this change. At the same time, it is true that no one is renewed who does not himself “desire” and “will” to be a believer, for the effect of the change is on his “will” (Psalms 110:3), and no one is changed who does not strive to enter in at the strait gate (Philippians 2:12). This important verse, therefore, teaches us:

1. That if people are saved, they must be born again.
2. That their salvation is not the result of their birth or of any honorable or pious parentage.
3. That the children of the rich and the noble, as well as of the poor, must be born of God if they are to be saved.
4. That the children of pious parents must be born again, or they cannot be saved. No one will go to heaven simply because their “parents” are Christians.
5. That this work is the work of God, and “no one” can do it for us.
6. That we should forsake all human dependence, cast off all confidence in the flesh, go at once to the throne of grace, and beseech God to adopt us into his family and save our souls from death.