Lent Devotionals – Day 4

John 3: 1 – 21:

John 3 is one of the most famous and challenging passages of the Bible, right in the heart of the Gospels. It tells the story of Nicodemus, a highly-educated scholar and member of the ruling Jewish council, coming before Jesus. The fact that Nicodemus sought Jesus out at night suggests he was looking for a genuine answer and, unlike his fellow council members, is not seeking to embarrass, catch out or ridicule Jesus.

Nicodemus believes that being Jewish makes him right before God. He doesn’t understand that when God reaches out into our lives we need to be born again.

What does it mean to be born again?

This is the question which has Nicodemus searching, and for which he cannot understand the answer.

Understanding who Nicodemus was, helps us to understand just why he could not comprehend what Jesus was telling him. In John 3:10, Jesus refers to Nicodemus as “Israel’s teacher” suggesting that he held the position of Rosh Yeshiva, which meant he was the Senior Theologian in Israel and would have been the final declarative voice of Jewish orthodoxy in Jerusalem. Attaining this position required being “born again” in the context of the time.

In fact, there were three other ways that Nicodemus could be said to have been born again by the time of his interaction with Jesus:

1. As a Jewish male, he had the ancient version of a Bar Mitzvah at 12 years old when he was “born again” into adulthood. At this point, Judaism would consider himself responsible for his own sin.

2. As a Pharisee, it is likely that he is married, entering vows of marriage is a way to be “born again”, this time into a united life with another person.

3. As a Rabbi, the process of ordination involves being “born again” and it would have been a requirement for Nicodemus to join the Jewish ruling council.

He asks “How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus is clearly confused and we don’t know how he responded in this moment. John 19:39 tells that Nicodemus is responsible for seeing that Jesus receives a proper burial so it is likely that he became a follower of Christ.

The answer Jesus gives Nicodemus is radical and life changing. It is not what we expect.

Jesus does not say that being born again is a way of getting into heaven, or even a way of knowing God more closely, both of which are true and beautiful things. Instead, Jesus tells us that the “Spirit gives birth to spirit” and that “the wind blows wherever it pleases”. New life is freedom and an adventure in the Spirit. Jesus is telling us that being born again is a whole new way of living, a way of living that starts right now.

Jesus also tells us that by living in this new way we can know that we are living “in the sight of God”

This passage is a promise that born-again life has meaning, purpose, beauty and destiny and that should be a great encouragement to all.