What the heck is being born again
3 December, 2009, 10:25 am
John 3:1-8 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Jesus said this thing about being born again. Of course Nicodemus was a little confused by what he meant. Seriously, that is confusing. he asked a great question. The biggest problem is that most of the followers of Jesus today don’t ever ask that question. They sprout the phrase (all the time) but don’t really know what it means.
So what does it mean to be born again?
Let me tell you what is significant in the original Greek here. It’s what we call the passive voice. Be born again might be better translated (if we spoke this way) as “unless someone is given birth to again.” The point is you did not ask to be born, your parents did something you don’t want to consider and a few months later your mom pushed and breathed and agonized, and you just were.
You had suddenly become something that had not been before. And it was a thing that happened to you.
What Jesus is telling Nicodemus is that unless a person is acted upon in just the same way, they can’t see the kingdom of heaven.
He is saying that they must become something that they had not been before, or they won’t see the kingdom of heaven.
Sure we need to talk more about the kingdom of heaven. And that’s a favorite topic of mine.
But first. Are you born of the Spirit? Are you different than you were before? Has something been done to you that made you a different person?
Consider this. Did the Spirit of God change you or have you changed yourself?
Are you the one who made yourself who you are or was it the creator and King of heaven and earth?
Unless you are born of the spirit (or acted upon by the Spirit of God, apart from yourself) you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.
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