John 3:4-6 4Nicodemus 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?” 5Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he is not able to enter the kingdom of God. 6That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Nichodemus’ response indicates several things. One is his incredulousness to the idea of being born again. A second is that he is thinking in physical terms. Third, he is intrigued by the idea and wants more information. Fourth, his reference to an old man implies that he himself was old. A simple reading might suggest that he doubted the whole situation, but there might be something deeper going on. If we put all these together, it could be that Nicodemus wanted what Jesus offered but did not know if it could even be possible for a person like him. He was a teacher and leader among the people. His problem was not moral but spiritual. It was a matter of faith in the right object. He needed to know the way to experience what his heart really longed for.
Jesus responds with another statement to pay careful attention to: truly, truly. The repetition of this word emphasizes the need to listen closely to what will be said next. Jesus repeats his idea about new birth in a different way that helps clarify what type of birth he meant.
The birth comes through two sources. Water is an essential matter of this world used to wash the flesh. It could refer to natural birth and amniotic fluid, but that does not seem to be Jesus’ meaning here. He often used physical matter to illustrate spiritual truths, so the water here could also refer to the need for baptism. Baptism is the symbolic act of repentance and the commitment of faith. Thus, it could refer to the required human response of faith in him.
The new birth also comes through the Spirit. The original Greek lacks the article, raising the question whether Jesus is referring to physical matter and spiritual existence (lower case s). Just because a Greek word lacks the article does not mean it is indefinite. The literary (verse 6) and theological contexts would argue that he means the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is the source of the new life. The Spirit always sanctifies. Baptism begins the sanctification process of cleansing and removing the power and effects of sin. John the Baptist spoke of two types of baptism. He baptized with water for repentance, but the one after him would baptize with fire for sanctification. The new birth begins with a person’s repentance and is confirmed and continues through sanctification.
Verse 6 clarifies the ideas of verse 5. The new birth is different than natural birth, though it follows a similar pattern. Being born of the flesh comes through the mating process of a male and female. A new life is created by this union. Being born again into God’s kingdom comes through the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was an important topic in Jesus’ teaching as indicated in John’s Gospel (especially chapters 15 and 16). The mention of the Spirit here prepares for later teaching.
As a teacher of spiritual matters, Nicodemus should have been able to put the pieces together after this statement. The image is easy to understand, though the theology requires careful thinking. The most important matter is if the readers join him in believing Jesus to be the source of this new life.
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