Faith

Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by 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 do apart from the presence of God.’ Jesus answered him, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.’ Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?’ Jesus answered, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, “You must be born from above.” The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.’ Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can these things be?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?
- John 3:1-8

Nicodemus comes to Jesus because of all the signs Jesus has been doing. John tells us in the section just above my quotation that many believed in Jesus because of the signs he'd done, but Jesus did not entrust himself to them, because he knew what was in their hearts. So first we are in a setting where signs alone cannot be the foundation of our faith. We need something more than being convinced by a sign.

Jesus tells Nicodemus that those who wish to see the kingdom must be born of water and Spirit. This puzzles Nicodemus - how can one be born again? He doesn't understand what Jesus is talking about.

The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.

The ability to see, to enter the kingdom, is conferred by Spirit. We're in a place of a different dimension added to life. For eyes that see and ears that hear we must be baptized with a different baptism, born with a different birth. It is Spirit that creates right relatedness, so that we have the ability to see the kingdom, so that we have the ability to know and enter into relationship beyond belief in signs.

If we are convinced by great feats, can it be enough for faith? If we wish for a car, a boat, and by some miraculous design it's provided, is this enough for faith? No, faith requires more of us. If the signs don't come or keep coming, then how is faith sustained? Faith is about relationship. It is a relationship of love and trust. It is created through Spirit, through the enabling power of Spirit to build relationship, to turn on our inner sight and inner hearing. Faith must sustain us not only through the signs and wonders but also the times of crucifixion. We must understand what it is to have faith even in our emptiness, what it is to have relationship even when things don't go the way we think we'd like them to.

For Nicodemus to understand Jesus, to see the kingdom, he must be born of Spirit. He must understand Jesus on Jesus' terms and through the eyes that Spirit will confer upon him. Jesus doesn't trust the crowds, because he knows the nature of their belief, rooted in seeing signs. And faith asks much more of us than this.