Conversation -- conversion!

John 3:1-3
Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him."
In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." NIV

So...Nicodemus says, "we know you are a teacher who has come from God..." and Jesus says, "No one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born again." HUH?

Is there part of a conversation missing? Are they even talking to each other? Then Nic responds, "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!" I cannot even tell you how many sermons I heard that concluded that Nicodemus really thought Jesus was a biological imbecile who really thought reverse generation would be possible...or that Nicodemus thought it might be. I was not 3 interchanges into the conversation and I was already shaking my head. So...back to questions: If the conclusions purported in sermons made NO sense, what then? Why the disconnect? What DID Nic mean by his response?

Nicodemus and Jesus were Jewish -- ok, that is a "yeah, duh!" But what that means is that for them metaphoric speech is natural and normal. They think in images. One really good place to see this is in Proverbs:


Prov 10:7 The memory of the righteous will be a blessing,

but the name of the wicked will rot.


Prov 10:26 As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,so is a sluggard to those who send him.

Prov 11:22 Like a gold ring in a pig's snout is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion.

Prov 12:18 Reckless words pierce like a sword

Prov 17:14 Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam
Prov 18:19 An offended brother is more unyielding than a fortified city,

and disputes are like the barred gates of a citadel.

Prov 27:15-16 A quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping on a rainy day;

restraining her is like restraining the wind or grasping oil with the hand.

NIV

Truly a picture is worth a 1000 words! Time in scripture shows that the poetic heart of this people controls their language. So -- I think Nicodemus and Jesus understood each other perfectly! I would interpret the interchange this way:

Nicodemus, bumbling, tries to start the conversation and Jesus cuts right to the heart of things ~ cuts, actually right into Nicodemus' heart. Jesus looks into Nic's heart and sees the desperate longing for the LIFE that Jesus has, and lays the problem on the table. Jesus says, 'unless you have life from above (usually translated ''born again'') you can not see, or perceive, or know the kingdom of God.' Nicodemus does not misunderstand -- he understands all too clearly! And the kingdom of GOD ~ the rule and reign of God, the restoration of the glory of a nation that is strong because they are intimate with God ~ is exactly what he wants. Israel is under a very unrighteous king at the time, and subjugated to Rome as well. He sees and lives with the impotent religious leaders. He watches Jesus come and pour out power, life and truth. Now Jesus say, in effect, 'you can't get there, Nicodemus, unless you are born -- given life -- from above. So Nicodemus, volleys back in kind -- that is about as possible as it would be for me to literally go back and be physically re-born. He means something like, 'Jesus I am old! I am a Pharisee, a member of the Sanhedrin. Religion and the study of God ARE MY LIFE...and have been for my WHOLE life. I have spent my whole life in and around the Temple life -- in study, in ministry. If I cannot get there from here -- no one can! What can you possibly be telling me???? I cannot 'start again'!


Jesus responds: "Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." NIV


I had help deciphering this section. The Bible I was using to study was a gem! The NASB Reference Edition. Love it love it love it!!! In the margins this Bible gives great cross-referencing, and so I stopped and looked up all the references. It was like mental fireworks going off! Eureka!!! The context of my understanding was still based in the primary question: "who is this Nicodemus guy?" Now I pondered one more aspect: teacher of the Law. Jesus, I realized, wanted to be understood ~ he spoke to fishermen about fish, farmers about sowing seed, housewives about cleaning to find lost coins. He would speak to a teacher of the Law from the LAW!!


In the next post I will give the "translation" to this image rich answer that Jesus gave him. To find it I re-read Ezekiel 36 and 37, Ecclesiastes 11, and Proverbs 30.








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