John 3:1-8 ESV
Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
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.”
Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
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?”
Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’
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.”
Nicodemus comes to Jesus in the dark of night to be secretive, to hide this visit from his peers. He is in the darkness, but is drawn to the light of truth. Jesus is the light and truth of God in human form. Nicodemus acknowledges that God is with him. He seeks the kingdom of God and Jesus recognizes this unspoken desire and answers Nicodemus with what he is looking for.
The trouble for Nicodemus is Jesus answers with spirit words because the answer to the question is the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit Who allows us to see the kingdom of God, Who brings us into the kingdom of God. Jesus calls that transition being "born again". A baby leaves the darkness of the womb and enters the light of the world. A person "reborn" leaves the darkness of the world and enters the light of the kingdom of God. It is with that light we are able to "see" the kingdom.
Being reborn means becoming spiritually alive. Until that happens we remain in the womb of the earth, spiritually dead and in the darkness of that domain. Nicodemus asks his question from that perspective because his sight is informed by that darkness. The kingdom of light will cannot be understood from the kingdom of darkness.
Nicodemus could see evidence of of the Spirit in the signs worked by Jesus, but unless he was "reborn", he would not know the answer is blowing in the wind.
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