Water and Spirit

In our previous post we saw the beginning of a conversation between Jesus and a high-ranking Jewish religious leader called Nicodemus. Jesus had told Nicodemus that he needed to be 'born again'. 

Nicodemus is startled:

“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. 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.”

Despite his lifetime of studying the Jewish scriptures, Nicodemus was rather rigid in his understanding of spiritual things. He understood the idea of being 'born again' as literal not as a metaphor for starting a new spiritual life.

Previously Jesus had said that the new birth was necessary if a person is to 'see' the kingdom of God. Now he takes things further and talks about 'entering' the kingdom of God. Entering is a step beyond seeing. Both require the new birth.

What does Jesus mean when he talks about being 'born of water and the Spirit'? The most likely explanation is that Jesus is drawing a contrast between physical birth and spiritual re-birth. When a baby is born, the amniotic sac which has contained the fetus ruptures and the amniotic fluid gushes out - the mother's waters break. Such a child could be said to be 'born of water'.

This contrast between physical and spiritual birth is reinforced when Jesus immediately comments that 'Flesh gives birth to flesh but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.' It also fits with the question asked by Nicodemus about an adult entering the mother's womb a second time to be born. Jesus wants Nicodemus to know that being born again is a spiritual experience not a physical one.

Jesus concludes by underlying the role of the Holy Spirit in bringing a person to new spiritual birth. 'The Spirit gives birth to spirit.' This is the first time Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit in John's gospel. As we shall see, it becomes an important theme in the rest of the book. Jesus compares the work of the Spirit to that of the wind: it comes and goes without us fully understanding it. The wind seems to follow its own rules. By saying, 'So it is with everyone born of the Spirit', Jesus is letting us know that there is a surprising and unseen dimension to the work of the Spirit in bringing someone to new birth. One day, a person may be completely turned off spiritual things. Later on however, they may become passionate about the kingdom of God. Like the blowing of the wind, being born again from above contains an element of mystery.

How would a person know if they were in the process of being born again? How about you? Are you aware of an increased interest in the person and message of Jesus Christ? Are you starting to see the Kingdom of God? Have you entered it yet by faith?

You can read the whole story we've looked at today here.



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