What do you Mean, Born Again?
We saw in a previous post that Jesus was gaining a reputation for performing "signs". The gospel writer uses this term 18 times to describe different acts performed by Jesus - some of them clearly miraculous. Nicodemus had heard of these signs. He may have witnessed some of them first hand. He knew that extraordinary miracles were happening through the rabbi from the north of Israel - Jesus of Nazareth. He wanted to talk with Jesus about the significance of these signs. 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.' Nicodemus was authorised with others to make rulings on matters of religious life and practice among his fellow Jews. He was ...