Making the World New in Love
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Nicodemus went to Jesus under the cover of night in order to ask questions.
He must have been afraid of what his fellow Pharisees might say, just by him speaking to Jesus.
He felt a tension or disconnect between what he was taught and what he was seeing.
He saw the miracles performed and was amazed like the rest.
Asking questions and hearing answers is one way the Gospel is communicated.
Nicodemus was confused with Jesus answers that spoke metaphorically about salvation.
Nicodemus was trying to figure out who Jesus was, and Jesus was talking about being birthed.
Jesus makes a clear distinction between Flesh and Spirit:
Human bodies are born from other human bodies
The Spirit of God gives life to human spirits
Jesus instructed Nicodemus on his understanding of the soul contrary to Rabbinic teachings of the Talmud
The Pharisees believed that only the soul was immortal and the souls of good people would be resurrected or reincarnated and ‘pass into other bodies,’ while ‘the souls of the wicked will suffer eternal punishment.’
Written in the Talmud, the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law and Jewish theology.
Jesus said that the whole person, Body (flesh) and Soul (spirit) are made new in salvation.
Jesus says that the Spirit (symbolized as wind or breath) will move wherever to pleases
No one controls or dictates where the Spirit may go.
No one can predict where the Spirit will go or what the Spirit will do.
No human made rules will stop the movement of the Spirit.
Everyone born of the Spirit is free to follow the movement of the Spirit, wherever the Spirit leads.
Caution: Be certain that it is the Spirit that is leading and not our own ego.
Since the Pharisees believe that Souls are eternal, then they must come from heaven.
Jesus says that this is not the case, he, the Son of Man is the only one that came from heaven.
Later, Gnostics would try to affirm an eternal soul as did the Pharisees, but Jesus warned his disciples about adopting the beliefs of the Pharisees.
And even later, others try to pair a belief of the eternal soul with predestination to say that souls are pre-determined to be either good or evil, but this is what Jesus is said is not true.
What would be the point in even trying to do good, if I am predetermined to do evil?
Jesus presents the possibility for everyone to be given eternal life through belief/faith in him, the Son of Man, by the grace of God alone.
JW - No external profession, no ceremonial ordinances or privileges of birth, could entitle anyone to the blessings of the Messiah’s kingdom:
An entire change of heart as well as of life, was necessary for that purpose
It only be brought about by the almighty power of God
Every person born into the world, was by nature in a state of sin, condemnation, and misery
The free mercy of God gives his Son to deliver them from it, and to raise them to blessed immortality
All of humanity may share in these benefits, procured by his being lifted up on the cross, and to be received by faith in him
But if they rejected Jeuss, their eternal condemnation would be the consequence.
Note: If our Lord by being born again means only reformation of life (as a good person), instead of making any new discovery, he has only thrown a great deal of obscurity. - JW
This discovery is: God loved all the world and everyone in it, from the beginning to the end, so much that he sent is Son, Jesus as the way to eternal life simply by belief, and for the restoration of the Earth and reforming of Heaven through him.
Simply by rejecting Jesus, all humans are condemned by their sinful nature and conduct.
Jesus is the Light come into the world that illuminates the way out of the darkness of sin and evil.
By walking in the light, no one has reason to be ashamed, because even though we might sin, that sin is brought to our awareness, so that we can humbly present it before God as further proof that we need God to continue to work in and through us by his Spirit.
In this way sin has not more power over us, not prone to sin anymore, nor ignorant of our need for the grace of God.
In this way we are empowered to be good and do good works of God with all the fruit of the Spirit he has given us.
So, what are we to do with this new Body and Spirit of ours?
Those around us already have a Body and are breathed into by the Spirit
We are to be like midwives or companions preparing to receive a new birth of the Spirit.
Being present
Remembering what is necessary and helping them shed what is not
Receiving with open arms, hearing the loud cries, and consolation
Remaining through the painful parts, even sharing in the pain
Nurturing the new birth and leading the way forward
This is what bodies in the world needs:
Those willing to receive and nurture new births fo the Spirit made possible through Jesus Christ.