For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son

There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him." Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old?" Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit,he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit." Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?

"Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

"For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."

- John 3:1-21

On Saturday, we read of Jesus' cleansing of the temple (see What sign do You show us?). In today's reading, Jesus teaches Nicodemus, an important Pharisee, about baptism and rebirth.

There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him." My study bible notes that, "Nicodemus believed Jesus was from God (v. 2). Afraid of being seen with Him by his peers, he came to Jesus by night (v. 2). Following this conversation with Jesus, Nicodemus disappears from John's gospel until he seeks to defend Jesus' legal rights before the Sanhedrin (7:50, 51). At the end, with Joseph of Arimathea, he prepares and entombs the body of Jesus (19:39-42) -- a bold public expression of faith. His memory is celebrated with that of the myrrh-bearing women and Joseph of Arimathea ... According to some early sources, Nicodemus was baptized by Peter, and consequently was removed from the Sanhedrin and forced to leave Jerusalem." I think it's important that we understand that John's Gospel focuses us on a central conflict among the Pharisees and the leadership in the temple: they are not united in their condemnation of Jesus. There are those who will boldly claim Jesus' body after execution, and donate the tomb for burial.

Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." My study bible notes, "Again: more accurately, 'from above,' speaking of the heavenly birth from God through faith in Christ (1:12, 13). Whereas God the Word is born from the Father before all ages, Christians are born from the Son in His human nature within time by Holy Baptism. Being born again, however is but the beginning of spiritual life. The goal is to see the kingdom of God, a phrase frequently used in the synoptic Gospels but found only here in John (vv. 3,5). Its equivalent in John is 'life' or 'eternal life.'" We are introduced to an idea here in which like meets like - we are reborn in Spirit ("from above") in order to receive an understanding and perception of the things that are "from above." It is a way to form relationship and union, even as Christ is man and God.

Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old?" Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" A note reads: "Nicodemus misunderstands, thinking of a second physical birth. A typical feature in John's Gospel (see 4:10-11, 32-33) is the elevation of an idea from its superficial meaning in this age to its spiritual meaning in the Kingdom."

Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." My study bible notes, "Birth from above is of water and the Spirit, a clear reference to Christian baptism. While the workings of the Holy Spirit are mysterious (v. 8), nevertheless spiritual birth is integrated with baptism here and throughout the New Testament." Rebirth is a kind of transforming total nature change: our redemption is based not on simply modifying our thoughts, but on total change so that we may perceive what is not "worldly" but "from above" - and understand life in this Kingdom.

"That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit." Verse 8, my study bible notes, is "a play on words: the Greek word pneuma can mean either wind or Spirit. The working of the Holy Spirit in the new birth is as mysterious as the source of destination of the blowing wind." We are born in the Spirit in order that we may be able to enter into this mysterious Kingdom.

Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven." A note here reads: "This is a difficult passage. St. John Chrysostom interprets earthly things as being the mystery of new birth through baptism (v. 5) and heavenly things as being the eternal generation of the Son from the Father (v. 13). The new birth is an incomparable spiritual gift, but compared to Christ's eternal birth from the Father, it is earthly." At first glance, it seems to me that Jesus is speaking of earthly things as that which can be observed: the change wrought in individuals (such as those who are his followers) through baptism. To explain the spiritual reality that allows such transformation to happen is an altogether higher magnitude of Mystery. The heavenly reality of the Kingdom and the power of God is beyond the reach of we who are earthly - if we cannot grasp that spiritual change which is happening even amongst ourselves in this world, how can we grasp the affairs of the heavenly reality itself? The Son straddles both.

"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." My study bible says here: "Moses lifted up a bronze serpent to cure the Israelites from the deadly bites of poisonous snakes. Christ will be lifted up on the Cross. As the believer beholds the crucified Christ through faith as Savior, the poisonous bite of that old serpent, the devil, and the bite of sin and death, is counteracted and cured. The moment of Christ's greatest humiliation becomes the moment of exaltation for completing His redeeming work (19:30). This is the first of many instances in John's Gospel where Jesus teaches that He is the fulfillment of an Old Testament type." John's Gospel will give us repeated understanding of Jesus' repetition and fulfillment of that which has come before, especially as we encounter Jesus' teachings in the settings of important festivals. Moses lifted up the focus from the bites of the deadly snakes toward a heavenly reality that led people to life: so Christ's elevation on the Cross will do the same, for all people who come to Him in faith. As baptism creates a transcendent change - so that we may be reborn from above, the Cross will teach us transcendence in our earthly lives, so that we may be like Him.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." My study bible says here: "The essence of the Gospel: God's gift of His Son as the ultimate expression of His love for the world." Again, "earthly things" point to the things from above, the heavenly things. Christ will be raised on the Cross, so that we may be elevated, for one reason: because God so loved the world. John teaches us the roots of all things, the root of this mission of Jesus to the world: it is Love. It is so that we understand the love of God for us.

"For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." My study bible notes, "The purpose of Christ's coming is to save; but the result is also condemnation for those who will not believe." There are two significant concepts here. The first is God's love for the world. Jesus' mission here is salvific, not made in order to condemn but to save. A world that might be lost to evil, to death and all the elements we associate with this (such as despair, pain, destruction, etc.) must be saved and returned to the love of God who does not want to lose His children. But what are these words of condemnation here? How do they correspond to the loving nature of God who wishes to save? I live in a tolerant environment, and have conflict in reconciling some of these statements. But I believe the meaning is clear if we separate - as Jesus has been teaching - that which is earthly from that which is "from above." This is not about condemning in earthly terms one people or another. This is about what takes place in the heart. Can we truly see? Do we understand Jesus' choice and what He is doing here? If we cannot perceive spiritual reality, how will we enter that Kingdom? How will we return to the Father if we do not perceive the love with which He has sent the Son? "Condemned already" implies that we have lost an opportunity for reconciliation, reunion with God - for entry into that Kingdom; in short, for what it means to be saved from the effects of our separation.

"And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God." My study bible notes that this is "a profound insight: Goodness and a pure heart welcome the light, whereas evil deeds and malice resist the light and seek to hide in the darkness." How do we know love? How do we see love? Can we understand someone who comes to us in love, in spiritual truth born of that love? I think these words are essential for us to understand as human beings, now and in our time, and not just in the context of this statement at the time of Christ. How do we judge one another? Because truly, this statement is about our own judgment, and how we are quick to condemn. Jesus will teach that to blaspheme the Spirit is the one unforgiven sin. Here, John's Gospel teaches us from a different perspective. If our hearts are not true, then we do not want the truth - we don't want the light. We wish to remain in darkness. It is from this perspective of falsehood that we understand Satan as the "father of lies" and a "murderer." If what we embrace in our hearts is falsehood and all that goes with it, then we don't want the light and we will try to rid ourselves of it any way we can.

Love is the essence of this story, love and the desire for reunion on the part of God. We are reborn in order to enter into that Kingdom - reborn "from above" so that we may be reunited with God who loves us as the father in the story of the Prodigal Son. It's like a key that unlocks a door so that we may pass into a life in which we go forward in spiritual understanding, toward ever fuller union. This is a story about opening up communication, relationship. We are reborn "from above" so that we may understand and grow in spiritual relationship. If we hide from this, it is because we want to guard what cannot come to the light of this relationship. Our reading today has essentially three parts: that we must be reborn of the Spirit so that we understand the things that are spiritual. In this way we can enter into the heavenly kingdom, and this offer is made to the world in order to save it, to bring it back into relationship out of the darkness of the influence of evil and all that goes with it. But that which wishes to hang onto this separation will not come to the light and does not want to perceive the spiritual reality with the sight offered through rebirth. These are choices of the heart that we make. So, what do we love? Can we perceive love, and that which is offered us through love and spiritual understanding? The Cross will be a sign of transcendence for those who believe. Christ will take the evil of the world onto Himself, in order to be our bridge to the Father. How do we perceive spiritual things? Can we also see our lives in the world this way? Or will we choose to reject this message of love?