3 There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. 2 After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.”
3 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
4 “What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”
5 Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. 6 Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. 7 So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.”
9 “How are these things possible?” Nicodemus asked.
10 Jesus replied, “You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things? 11 I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you won’t believe our testimony. 12 But if you don’t believe me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man has come down from heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.
John 3:1-15
Dear God, I intentionally stopped before verses 16 and 17 because they are so well known, and I wanted to set the context for them.
Of course, this is one of my favorite stories because it contains one of my three favorite Bible characters–Nicodemus. He was the outlier Pharisee. The one who went to Jesus with earnest questions, listened and learned with an open heart, and then followed him (secretly) to the cross. And it starts here. Going to Jesus in the night. Probably partly out of self-preservation and partly because he wanted to visit with Jesus alone. I wonder if John got this story from Nicodemus years later because, according to this text, it seems like Nicodemus and Jesus were alone for this conversation.
And Jesus is throwing some weird things at Nicodemus. I’m trying to hear these words as if I were hearing them for the first time. I’ve heard the phrase “born again” so many times, that it’s almost lost meaning. Like if I wwere trying to define a word I use all of the time. But for Nicodemus, he was confused and didn’t understand.
When I think about being “born again,” I think about the idea that we still need fed and nourished in that new life. When a baby is born, she or he is not automatically set. They must be nourished and cared for. Loved. Taught. Fed. Disciplined. The same is true for a new Christian. And even as an adult, the same is true for me. I must have housing and food. I must have relationships and community. In today’s world, I must have transportation. And I’m still growing and learning. It hasn’t stopped.
Father, I have a lot in front of me today. I prayed with my wife earlier that you would help me learn how to lean into you instead of leaning on myself. I want to be able to look back on today and offer it all to you with joy. I want to feel like a lot of people experienced your love today. I want you to be glorified in all that I do. Make the path for today very straight and walkable–in your power and your power alone.
I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,
Amen
