The Heart of the Matter | John 3:1-8

This essay is about salvation. Not the whole of salvation, of course, since that would require more space than allowed. So, the focus will be on the initial process of salvation, or what is known as regeneration. Merriam-Webster defines regeneration as “an act or the process of regenerating: the state of being regenerated." [1] In Christian theology, however, the word denotes a spiritual transformation. [2] The latter definition will reframe the discussion.

A multitude of non-human animals can regenerate a damaged body part: Axolotl, Mexican tetra, Salamander, Sea cucumber, and Starfish. [3] Spiritual regeneration, however, is more than the replacement of a lost or damaged part. Above all, it is the creation of a completely new person: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation" (2 Cor. 5:17-18).

Humanity becomes a new creation by the work of the Holy Spirit: “he saved us, not because of works done in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5). Regeneration, therefore, is entirely an act of God: “Salvation belongs to the Lord!” (Jon. 2:9). In other words, humanity is unable to regenerate itself. This is what Paul means by All this is from God (2 Cor. 5:18).

It should be remembered that chapter/verse divisions were not included in the original manuscripts. [4] While helpful for scripture location and memorization, these divisions may interrupt the flow of passages that should be connected. In fact, Jesus’ encounter with Nicodemus is a perfect example of chapter/verse divisions breaking the continuity between the end of Jn. 2 and the beginning of Jn. 3. Therefore, the analysis will begin with Jn. 2:23.

Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man (Jn. 2:23-25).

That the people believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing means that they only believed in Him as a miracle-worker. Unfortunately, this is where their faith stopped. They were blinded by entertainment and could not ascertain the identity of the One behind the miracles. In other words, they did not know Him on a personal level, which is ironic because He is the Passover Lamb “…who takes away the sin of the world” (Jn. 1:29). Whereas the Israelites were instructed to place the blood of a lamb above their doorposts, sinners are instructed to place the blood of the Lamb in their hearts.

The implication is that genuine faith means that Jesus has been accepted for who He is. We must therefore answer the question: “Who is Jesus?” The question was partly answered when I said that He is the Lamb of God. Nonetheless, He is much more than this. Most importantly, He is God, and His glory is on full display here. Jesus was not caught off-guard by their inadequate faith because He is omniscient and knew all people (Jn. 2:24). He also knew what was in man (Jn. 2:25). There are personal implications that can be drawn from Jesus’ omniscience: [5]

1. We may succeed in hiding things from others, but nothing (including ourselves) is (or can be) hidden from Him.
2. His knowledge of us far exceeds the knowledge that we – or anyone else – could ever have of ourselves.
3. He therefore needs no one to bear witness about man (Jn. 2:25). Put differently, He does not need to consult with anyone to learn something about us, because He already knows us.
4. Although He knows everything about us, He is still willing to love and have a relationship with us.

The One who knew all people and what is in man is now confronted by someone in need of a spiritual makeover, Nicodemus. We know very little about Nicodemus, except that he is a Pharisee, a “ruler of the Jews” (Jn. 3:1), and “the teacher of Israel” (Jn. 3:10). We can, however, surmise certain truths about him:

1. He is legalistic and clings to an uncompromising observance of the Mosaic Law.
2. He is self-righteous and a hypocrite [Note: Jesus describes the Pharisees as a religious group who do not practice what they preach – Matt. 23:1-4].
3. He is a savant.
4. He is likely an old man – Jn. 3:4.?

Nicodemus coming to Jesus “by night” (Jn. 3:2) can be interpreted in two ways:

1. Literally – Nicodemus came to Jesus at night because he feared religious excommunication.
2. Figuratively – night may signify spiritual darkness, as it does elsewhere in John’s Gospel (9:4; 11:10; 13:30).

The expression by night is probably literal, but it is undoubtedly true that Nicodemus is in spiritual darkness: “Doubtless Nicodemus approached Jesus at night, but his own 'night' was blacker than he knew." [6] Such is the case with sinful humanity. Sinners cannot fathom the depths of their spiritual darkness until they are illuminated by the Light.

Nevertheless, a modicum of credit must be given to Nicodemus for coming to Jesus and addressing Him as “Rabbi” (Jn. 3:2). Nicodemus had earned the right to be called rabbi, so to address Jesus as such – someone with no formal rabbinic training – denotes a level of respect. This is highly commendable since some of the Pharisees’ believed Jesus was demon-possessed (Jn. 8:48).

Nicodemus uses the first-person plural “we know” (Jn. 3:2). So, he probably saw himself as a spokesperson for other Pharisees (or other members of the Sanhedrin) who agreed with his assessment of Jesus as a “teacher come from God” (Jn. 3:2). He is the only Pharisee in Scripture, though, that approaches Jesus in a respectful manner.

There is another reference to signs (Jn. 3:2). Nicodemus does not suggest that Jesus is a prophet, much less the promised Messiah. As Nicodemus sees it, Jesus is simply a teacher and miracle-worker – the signs being evidence that “God is with him” (Jn. 3:2). Nicodemus recognizes God’s proximity to Jesus but does not recognize that Jesus is God. This is shameful because the signs testify to who He is, but only to the one that has been “born again” (Jn. 3:3). Jesus therefore wastes no time getting to the heart of the matter.

The expression “born again” (Gk. gennethe anothen) can also be translated as “born from above.” Either will do. The idea is that sinful humanity must be spiritually re-born, which means their heart must undergo a spiritual cleansing. Take heed to the fact that this imperative is given to Nicodemus – the one who holds the highest religious authority in all the land. If the teacher of Israel needs to be born again, despite his attempts to gain entrance into the “kingdom of God” (Jn. 3:3), how much greater is the need of everyone else?

Nicodemus misunderstands Jesus’ imperative that he must be born again: “How can a man be born when he is old?” (Jn. 3:4). Nicodemus is probably asking for himself, even if he does not comprehend Jesus’ words. Can a man be born when he is old? The answer is “Yes” and “No”. Yes, if we take born again to mean the inauguration of a new spiritual life. But not if we take the expression to mean a second physical birth. It is doubtful that a man as intelligent and educated as Nicodemus would believe that he must “enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born” (Jn. 3:4). He instead asks an asinine question to flesh out the true meaning of Jesus’ words. At any rate, Nicodemus continues to misunderstand Jesus: “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?” (Jn. 3:10).?

Jesus restates Himself but in a slightly different way. This time the words ‘born of water and the Spirit’ (Jn. 3:5) displace ‘born again.’ What does born of water mean? There are some who use v. 6 to interpret the preceding verse, so that born of water refers to the “water” that breaks during natural birth. [7] This interpretation does not fit the immediate context since there is a parallel between v. 3 and v. 5. If v. 3 refers to one birth, then v. 5 must also refer to one birth, not two. Furthermore, what sense would it make for Jesus to tell Nicodemus “Unless you are naturally and spiritually born, you will not enter the kingdom of God?” This is tantamount to the following statement: “In order to be spiritually reborn, you must first exist.” It is obvious that natural birth precedes spiritual rebirth. Therefore, it is not worth mentioning. Moreover, if this interpretation were true, Nicodemus would not have been so beset with difficulties as he was. The expression born of water must refer to something else.?

What about water baptism? This interpretation will not do, either, since it makes salvation dependent on works. The NT, however, stresses time and again that sinners are “saved by grace…through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph. 2:8-9). Admittedly, this response is too easy, and some amount of credit must be given to those who endorse the water baptism interpretation. [8] In fact, water baptism (i.e., John’s baptism) is mentioned near the end of Jn. 3:

After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing. John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized (for John had not yet been put in prison) (v. 22-24 ).

Is Jesus stressing the importance of John’s baptism for entrance into the Kingdom of God/Heaven? No, not at all. John’s baptism was primarily a sign of the One to come:

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and borne witness that this is the Son of God” (Jn. 1:29-34).

If John’s baptism is in view, why would Nicodemus respond with ignorance rather than indifference? Also, every mention of water in Scripture does not signify water baptism. Consider Jn. 7:37-39 where “living water” is of (or proceeds from) the Spirit. The same water-Spirit conjunction is found in Jn. 3:5 and signifies one birth (“from above”), not two.

The interpreter must bear three things [9] in mind: (1) The expression ‘born of water and the Spirit’ is parallel to ‘born again/from above’ (2) The preposition of produces a conceptual unity between water and Spirit (3) Jesus expected Nicodemus to understand the expression as the teacher of Israel. The third point leads the interpreter back to the Old Testament. In the OT, the expression ‘born of water and the Spirit’ is not found. However, the conceptual basis is found in Ezek. 36:25-27:

I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleanliness, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

The expression born of water and the Spirit, therefore, refers to one spiritual birth in which sinful humanity is cleansed from all unrighteousness, given a new heart, and baptized with the Holy Spirit. Although Nicodemus could not have expected to comprehend the fulness of this new birth, he should have at least been able to recognize that Jesus was not expressing an entirely new idea.

Nicodemus’ inability to understand Jesus’ words demonstrates that Nicodemus is of the flesh, not the Spirit: “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (Jn. 3:6). The word ‘flesh’ (Gk. sarx) here does not mean “sinful nature” as it so often does in Paul’s writings (e.g., Rom. 8:5). Nor does it refer to “human nature ” as it does in Jn. 1:14. The idea, rather, is that human birth can only produce people who belong to an earthly family. The antithesis between flesh and Spirit emphasizes the need to be born of the Spirit. Only then can humans be called children of God: “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (Jn. 1:13).

Again, Nicodemus could not have comprehended the fulness of this God-given birth, but his elaborate study of Scripture should have granted him an inkling of understanding, which is why Jesus says, “Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again’” (Jn. 3:7). The you (Gk. hymas) is plural and indicates universal application. In other words, everyone must be born again; otherwise, no one will see or enter the Kingdom of God/Heaven. The you may also be a clever response to the we in Jn. 3:2.

Jesus uses a wind/Spirit analogy to illustrate what the Spirit-birth is like: “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” (Jn. 3:8). Although humans cannot see the wind, we are able to perceive the effects of it: the rustling of leaves on a tree, a whistling sound through a small crack in a window, and so on. Humans who are born of the Spirit can also perceive the effects of the new birth and know that a radical transformation has taken place: “Where the Spirit works, the effects are undeniable and unmistakable.” [10]

There is probably an allusion to Ezek. 37 where God’s spirit restores life to a valley of dry bones: “Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live” (v. 5). It is God who restores life to spiritually dead people; a fact that Nicodemus should have been acquainted with.

The meaning of the passage hinges upon Jn. 3:3, 5. Therefore, the interpreter must come to an understanding of what born again/from above and born of water and the Spirit refer to. A critical examination of the text reveals that Jesus has one birth (“from above”) in mind, not two. Furthermore, the expression born of water is probably an allusion to Ezek. 36:25-27. However, there are other interpretations that seem to work, as well (e.g., John’s baptism ). So, it is best to not be dogmatic about which interpretation is the correct one. The simple fact is that everyone must be born again. This is the heart of the matter.

#Regeneration #Nicodemus #BornAgain