Water And Spirit

There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. He came to Jesus at night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one can do these signs that you are doing unless God is with him.”

Jesus answered and said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless one is born from above, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.” 

Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man once grown old be born again? Surely, he cannot reenter his mother’s womb and be born again, can he?”

Jesus answered, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless one is born of water and Spirit he cannot enter the Kingdom of God. What is born of flesh is flesh and what is born of spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I told you, ‘You must be born from above.’ The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:1-8)

What might be the source of Jesus’ reference to water and spirit to make us “reborn” and capable of entering the Kingdom of God?  Perhaps it was Ezekiel (36:25-27) who said, “I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.”  Ezekiel – six centuries before Jesus – seems to give us the key for entering the Kingdom of God.

Therefore, if our hearts are of flesh, not stone, we are born from above, and the wind – the Spirit – moves us to keep God’s commandments.   This leaves us with two questions: Are our hearts warm?  Do we feel the wind?   If so, we are born again, and again, and again...and again...

Deacon David Pierce