Born from Above

Image credit:

1. Entombment by Titan

2. Necodemus talking to Jesus by William Brassely Hole

John 3:1-17

How wonderful it would be to have a visit with a dear friend who cheers us up when we are not so cheerful, a friend who is happy for us when we share our inner joy, a friend who is wise to gently counsel us when we are in trouble:

When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me, speaking words of wisdom, let it be. And in my hour of darkness she is standing right in front of me, speaking words of wisdom, let it be . . .  – The Beetles

Friendship and love lift us and strengthen us, and when we look back, they remind us of what a beautiful time we had together. They recharge us with a kindred spirit even in our memories. You have a special friend. His name is Jesus. Now, you and he sit down together and have a conversation. You can ask him any questions. If you do, what would be your first question?

There is a painting by a Scottish artist William Hole (1846-1917). In this painting Jesus is approached by a man who looks a little serious. This man, named Nicodemus, is a well-educated rabbinic Pharisee and a member of Sanhedrin, the ruling body of the Jews. Nicodemus queries what it means to be “born from above.”

Our New Revised Standard Version of the Bible uses the phrase “born from above,” with a footnote, “born anew,” while some other translations go with the term born again. And, some people are more familiar with this term born again, which has been associated with the evangelical Christian renewal since the late 1960s.

The original Greek text uses the word that means “from above” or “again,” therefore it creates confusion.  Jesus says, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above” (Jn 3:3).

In response, Nicodemus takes only the literal meaning from Jesus’ statement, choosing to hear the word not as “above” but as “again,” and challenging Jesus with a logical question: “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?” (Jn 3:4). Jesus clarifies that he means more of a spiritual rebirth from above – the need for every human being born from the womb to be born also of the Spirit.

Why do we need a spiritual rebirth? By the way, what does it mean to be born from above? Isn’t it good enough to go to church regularly, do charity, and be nice to our neighbours, but to be born again?

Martin Luther King Jr. once invoked Nicodemus as a metaphor concerning the need for the United States to be born again in order to effectively address social and economic inequality.

If we expand our landscapes from our homes to our neighbourhood, to our society, and further to the world, we should be able to see more clearly the needs of others who are underprivileged. It is then when we begin to reflect our geocentric world views in reflection of the heliocentrism and more of a cosmological thinking.

The season of Lent calls to repentance as well as spiritual rebirth. To repent is not simply to regret for past wrongs, but essentially, to position God in the centre, to turn ourselves toward our Creator by changing our hearts and our behaviours, to feel the sufferings of fellow human beings through the lens of the cross of Jesus Christ.

Born from above is an experience when everything we have been taught as Christians becomes real, and we develop a personal relationship with God. In his first epistle, Apostle Peter describes the new birth as taking place from the seed which is the Word of God (1 Pet 1:23). Using the Parable of the Sower, Jesus refers to the Word of God as the seed (Lk 8:11).

To be born from above is to meet the Word of God.

To be born from above is to have the faith of Abraham. Abraham obeyed unquestioningly the commands of God, putting his trust in God’s guidance, rather than on human device. He had to set out, not knowing where he was going. Of course, his life had so many challenges, but from God he received promises and a covenant that his descendants would inherit the land.

To be born from above is to be God’s children, born not from blood nor from human desire or passion, but born from God, by receiving Jesus Christ who sacrificed his precious life for our sins and has restored our fellowship with God.

To be born from above is to become one who follows the footsteps of Jesus Christ who is the light of the world, thus never walks in the darkness.

We are people who have many questions like Nicodemus. Some of those questions are hard to grasp, and their answers are sometimes difficult to accept, as if Nicodemus wrestled with his own questions. What Nicodemus was searching for was the Holy Spirit. The Lord Jesus used this man to reveal divine insights on what it means to be born from above. In the end, Nicodemus turned out to be openly a loyal supporter of Jesus.

In fact, Nicodemus appears only in the Gospel of John, and he is mentioned in three places. The first time, we encounter him in today’s Gospel in chapter 3, where he hears the famous saying of Jesus: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life" (Jn 3:16).

The second time Nicodemus appears later in chapter 7 when the Sanhedrin is considering what to do about Jesus. He presents the opinion that Jesus should not be dismissed or condemned until they hear from him personally, reminding his colleagues that the law requires that a person be heard before being judged. Nonetheless, the rest of the council dismisses Nicodemus’ suggestion out of hand.

And, finally, the third time Nicodemus returns to the scene after the Crucifixion of Jesus in chapter 19. He provides the customary embalming spices and assists Joseph of Arimathea in preparing the body of Jesus for burial.

Here is another religious artwork painted by a Renaissance painter, Titian (1490-1576), depicting the scene of the burial of Christ, featuring Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathea, and the Virgin Mary taking Christ in the tomb, watched by Mary Magdalene and St. John the Evangelist.

Some scholars speculate that at the beginning of his encounter with Jesus, Nicodemus didn’t want his colleagues to see him associating with Jesus, thus he chose night time to visit.

But, look, how his life had been transformed! Born from above!

We are nothing without God who is merciful and gracious, whose love is without end. If you are experiencing pains and having unsolvable questions in life, when you feel you have reached a dead end, you still have a choice. Hold on the Word of God that has the power to give you a new life.

The grace of God will turn your tears to precious gems that shine in darkness.

Today’s Gospel narrative is such a beautiful and moving story about a man who has found the true source of light at the foot of the cross. I hope that the story of Nicodemus is to be your story.

May the Lord breathe the Holy Spirit in you and guide and strengthen you as you walk in his way!

God bless you!