We consider the story of Nicodemus, a deeply religious and respected leader among the Pharisees, who came to Jesus seeking understanding. Despite his devotion, knowledge, and moral life, Nicodemus was still in spiritual darkness. Jesus cut through his confusion, declaring that unless one is born from above—born again—they cannot see the kingdom of God. This new birth is not something we achieve through effort, religious activity, or moral living. It is a miraculous work of God, a spiritual regeneration brought about by the Holy Spirit.
Jesus used the imagery of the wind to describe the mysterious and sovereign work of the Spirit in bringing new life. Just as we cannot control or fully understand the wind, so too we cannot manufacture or explain the new birth apart from God’s initiative. Our natural state is spiritual deadness, as Paul writes in Ephesians 2, and only God’s love and grace can make us alive together with Christ. This is not a matter of human merit or religious accomplishment, but of God’s unmerited favor.
The necessity of being born again is absolute. Jesus did not say it was optional or for a select few, but that it is essential for all. No amount of religious activity, church membership, or good deeds can substitute for the new birth. The question that remains for each of us is not how religious we are, but whether we have truly been born from above. This is the most important matter we can settle, and it is my prayer that every heart would seek the certainty and hope that comes from the Spirit’s regenerating work.
