Born from above

Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.” Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’ The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered him, “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? “Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. (John 3:1-17, NRSV)

This is always an interesting verse, because Nicodemus asks a good question. “How can one enter for a a second time into their mother’s womb, and be born again?”

It is a difficult concept to understand. But the NRSV helps us a little by saying it a little different.  You must be born from above, but still how does one get born again after growing old?

It is not an easy concept to understand.

But Jesus says unless you are born of water and of spirit you can not enter the kingdom of heaven.

So you must be born of water and spirit. Well all of us are born of water, whether it was natural child-birth, or c-section there was water involved. Now baptism is something we are told to do by Jesus in Matthew, but water was present in all of our births, so water birth is check on all people. And if you want to argue that baptism is necessary for salvation I would ask for you to show me where the disciples/apostles were baptized, and the thief on the cross that Jesus tells will be with Him in paradise…

So then we all must be born of the spirit, and when and how does that happen?

I do not know, but the spirit flows where it wants, and does the will of God, so that is up to God, or as Martin Luther said I can not by my own understanding come to believe in Jesus except through the power and guiding of the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit does it, and calls and enlightens us in God’s grace! So live in that grace!