New Life
It all began with a strong affirmation of Jesus stature as a Teacher “from God.” The weight of the acclaim was great. The man who gave it was, himself, a knowledgeable man – a Pharisee who could legitimately assert that he not only knew all Jewish Scripture and commentary, but practiced it “blamelessly” (See Philippians 3:5). He was, also, a “member of the Jewish ruling Council” (John 3:1)
Jesus met this prestigious man’s recognition with a direct, almost disrespectful declaration. “I tell you the truth, no one can see the Kingdom of God unless he is born from above.” Later Jesus would say to this man’s inquisitive colleagues, “the Kingdom of God is within you.” Here, much earlier in His public life, He is essentially saying the same thing. The rule of God begins on the inside of a person. His way of teaching this radical truth is to reiterate what John had said about Him earlier. He had the authority to give, to anyone who believed in Him, the right to become a “child of God, … born of God.” (John 1:13) In order for someone to “see the Kingdom of God,” the “Holy Spirit” must “come on them, and the power of the Most High overshadow them,” and they must be born, “a child of God.” (Luke 1:35) It may seem irreverent, even heretical, to use the explanation of Jesus virgin birth in this context. But that is, essentially, what Jesus did.
This man, who first heard the declaration that “birth from above,” was necessary if anyone wanted to “see the Kingdom of God,” was, as you might expect, baffled. “How,” he protested, “can a man be born when he is old?” He even got a bit sarcastic. “Surely he cannot enter his mother’s womb a second time to be born!” Jesus explained.
“I tell you the truth; no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water
and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You
shouldnot be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows
wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or
where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” (John 3:5 – 8)
This is not about obstetrics and gynecology. This is about spiritual things. It’s about supernatural things. Just as, in the waters of baptism, He, Jesus, had surrendered himself to the rule of God in His life, so anyone who wishes to be part of the Kingdom of God must be “born of the Spirit.”
Jesus expressed His disappointment with this Pharisee’s surprise by referring to a phenomenon they both would understand. “The wind,” he said, “blows where it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going.” In referring to the wind Jesus was not only appealing to Nicodemus common sense. He was also referring to his scholarly sense. Jesus and Nicodemus were both fluent in Greek. They both knew – their Bible was the Greek Septuagint – that the Greek word for Spirit and wind was one and the same pneuma. And they both knew that it was this pneuma that moved over the abyss at creation. They, together, knew that the “breath of God,” is the source of all life. Still Nicodemus was confused. “How can this be?” he asked. With this Jesus challenged Nicodemus. “You are Israel’s teacher and you do not understand these things?” Jesus seems to be a little testy here. But He’s justifiably disturbed. Nicodemus, like his fellows, had been missing critical aspects of God’s purpose as it was explained in their Scriptures. Because they had interpreted what God was attempting to communicate to them from a nationalistic, political, economic perspective they had missed the spiritual implications of God’s word to them. This prejudicial and inaccurate understanding of the Scriptures was especially obvious with regard to spiritual matters such as Jesus is now attempting to explain. Nicodemus really should have known better. At least three times in their sacred writings God had revealed His intention to “rebirth” His chosen people. The first is in Jeremiah’s prophecy. In chapter 31 verses 33 and 34 the prophet says,
“‘This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time,’” declares
the LORD. ‘I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be
their God, and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a
man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know me, from the
least of them to the greatest,’ declares the LORD.”
Transformed minds and hearts; a complete, intimate, personal knowledge of God: this is God’s intention for His people. The second and third instances in which God affirms this design for the people He’s chosen are in the prophecy of Ezekiel. In chapter 11 verses 19 and 20 he says,
“I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from
them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow my
decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their
God.”
Then, in chapter 36 verses 24 – 27 his message is even more emphatic.
“I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring
you back into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be
clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give
you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of
stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to
follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.”
The theme is the same in each of these messages. God intends to change the hearts – the spirits – of His people. Jesus and Nicodemus had both memorized these passages. Jesus was disturbed that this “teacher in Israel,” and all his fellows completely missed its significance.
Have we missed its significance? Do we understand that we must “be born from above?” Does the idea of the “Holy Spirit” coming on us and “the power of the Most High overshadowing us,” really make sense to us? Can we truthfully say that we have grasped the meaning of Christ’s words, “The Spirit gives birth to spirit”? There’s no doubt Jesus is insisting on the absolute necessity for us to not only believe it but experience it.
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