My brother and his wife have just had their first child and every time I see and hold a little newborn I am reminded how miraculous birth really is! A whole new person has arrived into the world! A new little person who is completely dependent and utterly helpless has come into existence. I guess conception is the real miracle in that case really - but that's another story. So what does Jesus mean that being born again is necessary to see and enter the Kingdom of God?
Jesus statement about being born again certainly takes Nicodemus by surprise! When I first read this passage I was feeling just as surprised and confused as Nicodemus about why Jesus responds to Nicodemus in the way he does. Why is Jesus talking about the Kingdom, when Nicodemus just seemed to come to complement him on his miraculous signs?
But Jesus has actually understood Nicodemus much better than me - he knows that Nicodemus has great expectations, expectations of a King and a physical restoration of the Kingdom of Israel. Nicodemus rightly recognises these miraculous signs as identifiers of the Messiah, but he wrongly understands how that Messiah would redeem Israel. Perhaps Nicodemus came at night because he and Jesus would then be able to talk about the overthrow of their Roman occupiers under the cover of darkness? Or perhaps Nicodemus just didn't want his Pharisee friends to see him?
While Nicodemus' motives are unclear, the point Jesus is trying to make is not. The Kingdom of God is not a physical Kingdom but a spiritual one. Of course this spiritual present reality will result in the physical reality of the new heavens and new earth - when Jesus returns God's Kingdom will be gloriously physical. But in order for this physical restoration to take place, there is first a spiritual reality of sin that must be deal with.
The concept of birth brings in a notion of utter helplessness, just as no-one 'births' themselves physically, no-one can bring about their own spiritual rebirth. Only God can cause people to be reborn into his Kingdom! Verse 14 answers the question of how this spiritual rebirth happens: it is through the death of Jesus in our place, as we put our trust in him.
Again the key response to John's gospel is to 'believe in him' - and the result is eternal life!
The reality and necessity of spiritual rebirth to be part of God's Kingdom ought to drive us to prayer, in dependence of the only one who can bring this spiritual rebirth about. We also need to be careful we don't sell ourselves short - expecting a successful victorious life as Nicodemus perhaps did, in exchange for the eternal life that Jesus offers.
yours in Christ,
Ben
Tomorrows Readings: John 4, Psalm 119:97-128
The snake's an awesome illustration re how we experience new birth - Jesus is saying you’ve got to look to me, you’ve got to look to the cross, that’s how you’ll experience new birth. New birth is grounded in the lifting up of Jesus.In the desert we see a picture of dieing rebellious Israel, helpless to save themselves, all the Israelites had to do was to look to the snake and they would be saved, no matter how gravely infected, no matter how many times they’d been bitten, they simply needed to look with faith to God’s gracious provision. And the cross we see in 3:16 is grounded in the love of God. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
ReplyDeleteIn light of your last comment ben - about expecting a victorious life now - I found the psalmists response to suffering helpful in today's reading. In v71 and 75 he sees God's goodness and faithfulness behind his afflictions and in 76 runs to the Lords steadfast love for comfort. God gives purpose to all things including our suffering - how difficult it must be to live without hope in God especially when everything crumbles around you.
ReplyDeleteGood pick-up Marty. And look at verse 67 - 'before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word'. The affliction is effective discipline here... It intrigues me to think about what the Psalmist understand the 'blessed' life to be like? He talks a lot about promise - is that the promise of God's presence? or is he looking to a future redemption in the Christ? Obviously he doesn't have all the information about God's redemption and the resurrection like we do. I wonder what his understanding of God's promise is?
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