Jesus answered him, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.’” vs. 3
John 3:1-3
Nicodemus had been impressed by the signs that Jesus had been doing, but he was also puzzled, and he wanted to have a chat. Concerned for his reputation, he came by night and served as a foil for Jesus’ comments about the nature of faith. Nicodemus had seen the signs, but he hadn’t seen the kingdom. The signs hadn’t been enough to trigger faith. Where does faith come from then? Jesus said that it came through being born from above. That’s Holy Spirit talk, and it’s what Martin Luther was referring to in his explanation of the Third Article, when he says that the Holy Spirit calls us through the gospel and enlightens us with gifts. Faith is born in us in that mysterious moment when the Spirit of God connects with our spirits and we are turned from spectators into disciples. It’s not a matter of intellect or knowledge–faith comes by grace, sometimes out of the blue, but most often where the gospel is proclaimed and practiced. We might wonder why it comes to one person and not another, but such are the mysteries of life. We can suspect that it fails to come where the Spirit is stifled and the gospel is perverted, but we can know for sure that no person is intentionally “ghosted” by our loving God. Faith is a gift intended for all!
Thought for the Day: What does it mean to be born from above?
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