John 3:1-8 CSB
There was a man from the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. [2] This man came to him at night and said, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one could perform these signs you do unless God were with him." [3] Jesus replied, "Truly I tell you, unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." [4] "How can anyone be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked him. "Can he enter his mother's womb a second time and be born?" [5] Jesus answered, "Truly I tell you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. [6] Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit. [7] Do not be amazed that I told you that you must be born again. [8] The wind blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don't know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."
Born Again
Growing up in the 60s and 70s, the world felt divided into camps. There were those who spun away from traditional values to experiment with the world—embracing the excesses of drugs, mysticism, and a “new” kind of music. On the other side, a powerful “Jesus Movement” was rising. These believers sought an authentic spiritual experience that went beyond empty tradition, fueled by intense evangelism and informal worship. It was a tumultuous time, filled with riots and war, not unlike the world we see today. It was in this atmosphere that preachers like Billy Graham popularized a phrase straight from the lips of Jesus: “You must be born again.”
In today’s scripture, we meet Nicodemus, a man searching for that same authenticity. Though he was a Pharisee and a ruler, he was a sincere seeker. He recognized that the signs Jesus performed could only come from God. Interestingly, Jesus didn’t start by correcting Nicodemus’s morals; instead, He addressed his lack of spiritual understanding. Even as a religious leader, Nicodemus was missing the most vital component of faith.
Jesus didn’t speak in riddles. He explained plainly that he wasn’t talking about a physical rebirth, but a spiritual one—the same transformation those young people in the 60s were hungry for. Being born again is a life-changing moment that defies human logic. Jesus compares it to the wind. We cannot see the wind itself, but we can certainly see its power and feel its impact. Just as the physical world would be barren without the movement of the wind, our spiritual lives remain stagnant without the movement of the Spirit.
If a person is unsure if they have experienced this “new birth,” the beauty is that they only have to ask. In Luke 11:13, Jesus gives us a beautiful promise: “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”
Our belief brings new life. This truth resonated through the turmoil of the 60s, and it remains the only true answer to the unrest we feel in our hearts today. The Spirit is moving; we only need to ask.
Reflection Questions
- Nicodemus was a religious expert but was still “spiritually blind” to the new birth. How can we make sure our religious habits don’t get in the way of our spiritual life?
- Jesus says the Spirit is like the wind—invisible but powerful. Where have you seen the “results” of the Spirit’s work in your own character lately?
- Is there someone in your life who, like Nicodemus, is “searching at night”? How can you encourage them to simply ask the Father for the Holy Spirit?
Prayer
Father,
We thank You for the promise of new life. We confess that sometimes we try to live by our own flesh and our own strength, forgetting that only what is born of the Spirit is spirit. We ask today for a fresh movement of Your Spirit in our lives. Blow through the stagnant areas of our hearts. Give us the courage to be born again daily into Your grace and truth.
Amen.
