Generally when we think of someone being “Born Again” we think of the scripture passage in John 3:3, where Jesus responds to Nicodemus by saying “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God”.
This is probably one of the most controversial passages in the new testament and yet 13 verses later, in that same chapter, John 3:16 we have probably the most popular passage in all of the New Testament. It is where Jesus says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life”.
We go from controversial to most popular in 13 verses, and yet both are the words of Jesus Christ. Why is there a hesitancy to accept verse 3:3 and yet a total acceptance of verse 3:16?
Just prior to this passage in John, Jesus at the Passover, has questioned whether he (Jesus) really believed in them (the disciples) . As it says in Chapter 2:24, Jesus was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men. The Greek word here means to know experientially, usually to know intuitively. So that sets the stage for Jesus’ encounter with Nicodemus. Here is Jesus knowing his disciples and are not quite sure of them.
“Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can SEE the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
“How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”
Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can ENTER the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not 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.”
“How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.
“You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven —the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that EVERYONE who believes may have eternal life in him.”
” For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
First of all I think this chapter in John is MISUNDERSTOOD, MISINTERPRETED, AND MISUSED. And because of the words used I think they are EASILY MISUNDERSTOOD. Even Nicodemus misunderstood.
Then comes Nicodemus, and it reads like maybe Jesus did trust Nicki. Nicodemus came in the night, who knows why, most interpreters of the Bible says it’s because he didn’t want to be noticed. Maybe he just worked late, or maybe it was the fore runner of all church meetings, have the good ones at night so that get to last longer. Who knows. Nicki says hey we know you are from God cause you can do all these great things, healing the sick, turning water into wine, raising Lazarus from the dead. That suggests that Nicki and the Pharisees had been watching when he says “WE” know.
But isn’t it interesting that Jesus responds with an answer to a NON QUESTION. Mind reader??? In verse 3 Jesus says
“Very truly I tell you, no one can SEE the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
I am wondering did Jesus mean to say, NO ONE can SEE or be a PART of the Kingdom of God unless they are born Again?
There are those controversial words “Born Again” The Greek word for Again is anothen, which has three acceptable meanings, born again, born anew and born from above. There is no Hebrew, Aramic or English word that has similar double meanings. So every time I say Born Again, you can think or say born anew, or born from above.
So Nicodemus misunderstood and he asks in verse 4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”
I think many of us are like the comedian Dennis Miller, when asked if he was Born Again, replied, “Born Again, No, I’m not…Excuse me for getting it right the first time.”
So instead of answering Nicki’s question Jesus goes on to drive the point even deeper.
“Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.
So now Jesus is saying not only can you not see the Kingdom of God but you can’t enter it.
Well just how does this Born Again, Anew, From Above birth take place? Jesus explains in verse 6.
” Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’
And here is how that happens says Jesus:
” 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.”
Is it the same for everyone? I think not. For me it was August 22, 1983 at 3pm in the afternoon, but does everyone have to have the AHAA moment. Two significant persons in my life didn’t have that AHAA moment but are surely spirit filled.
The words Born Again have become a slogan for an entire segment of the Christian experience, we’re asked “ are you saved, have you been born again” as a measure of one faith. The words Born Again have been flattened to have only one meaning, relating to that one moment of a conversion.
It reminds me of the fellow sitting on the isle in the movie theater, where there was a single empty seat half way down the isle and he was asked “is that seat saved” and he sarcastically replied, “I don’t know I haven’t asked the seat if it’s accepted Christ as savior or not”
The spirit does move like the wind. One never knows when, or where, or how it works in our lives. The important part is that it does.
Jesus’ words speak of a radical new birth, generated from above, but Nicodemus’ imagination just doesn’t seem to reach that far.
Does ours?
It’s interesting but the Greek word for wind is pneuma which also means spirit. I like how Jesus uses words with these double meanings. No wonder we and Nicodemus misunderstand and misinterpret .
Do we need the spirit. Jesus told the disciples that when Jesus left this earth he would send the counselor, the holy spirit and they would be able to do even things Jesus hadn’t done.
Do we need the spirit in our lives?
It was even Budda who said “just as a candle cannot burn without fire, men cannot live without a spiritual fire.”
But Nicodemus still doesn’t understand when he says “How can this be”
I think Jesus gets a little testy with Nicki right here when he says
“You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony.
I think Jesus is saying here, we can only talk about things we know for sure or have seen, the miracles but we don’t accept those things that we can’t see or understand.
Jesus tries His best to help Nicki understand by saying
I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?
I wonder if this isn’t true for us too? Show me the miracles and I will believe!!!
Heal the sick, through prayer and I’ll believe.
Rid my day of stress and I’ll believe.
Take away my pain and I’ll believe.
And then Jesus tells Nicki ……. and U and ME….how it is going to work
No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven —the Son of Man.
NO ONE
And then Jesus dips back into the old testament and refers to Moses and the lifting up of the serpent and equates Jesus being raised up and makes it really clear about eternal life.
Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him. The interpreter’s bible says this about eternal life,
“Eternal life does not mean the mere endless duration of human existence but is a way of describing life as it is live in the unending presence of God” It doesn’t start with physical death. It starts NOW and begins in the believers present.
Jesus has given us the what, the how and now the why.”
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Can you imagine God’s love for us, giving us his Son, to die on the cross for us…think about it from that perspective.
It’s a gift of Love from God……His to give, ours to accept.
To believe is to believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and that God sent His son to us because he loved us so much, that includes the whole world it says, the whole world, and that’s God’s gift to us.
Nicodemus that night was on an exploratory mission, to find out, who Jesus was and maybe what more would happen in his life. Maybe deep down he was just like us and really wanted to know the answers to life, what’s it all about, why are we here, what is the purpose of this life, and maybe, maybe, just maybe Nicodemus walked away still not understanding the invitation Jesus extended to him.
Do you?