The Gospel of John 3:1-8 (Born again!). – Angelic Wars

The Gospel of John 3:1-8 (Born again!).



 

Here is the next section, John 3:1-8.  Many Christian memorized John 3:16, but the overall story in John 3 is very fascinating.

Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”

 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.  Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spiritgives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘Youmust be born again.’  The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”




Questions and discussion:

  1. What did Jesus mean by “born again?”? 
  2. Can we be “born again?” How?”
  3. What is the “Kingdom of God?”
  4. What did Jesus mean by his analogy of the “wind?”
  5. Are you born again?



Leave a Comment:

5 comments
van says June 6, 2023

1. Born of the Spirit, when we accept the New Covenant Ezk 36:26-27
2. Accept the New Covenant Rom 10:9-10, and receive the promised New Covenant from the Hebrew Scriptures and the changes to the New Covenant that Jesus made while here on earth.
3. When you are a New Covenant Member, you have joined the Kingdom of God
4. The Holy Spirit is the wind and goes wherever it chooses to
5. Yes

Reply
    Rick says June 6, 2023

    Van,

    I believe that out of dozens of answers, that is the first time I have seen anyone tie in Ezekiel 36:26-27 to “born again.” Excellent! I love it. I will add that to my answer as I respond to those as an online missionary. Also the citing of Rom 10:9-10 is great, too.

    I will post some thoughts on the “Kingdom” to add to what you wrote.

    Great responses!

    Reply
Anna says June 10, 2023

1 &2 Being born again doesn’t mean physical rebirth, its a spiritual one. It refers to a change of heart, from feeling indifference or hostility towards God to a love for him and desire to live our life according to his will. When God’s spirit enters our hearts, he guides us to be more like him. “I will give you a new heart and spirit within you” (Ezekiel 36:26). From then on, he give us new purpose and new goals for living.

3. The kingdom of God is the spiritual realm over which God reigns as king, or the fulfillment on Earth of God’s will. Heaven on earth, we often hear of this phrase but what does this mean? We do not have to pass or die to experience this heaven on earth. The holy spirit fills us with unconditional love, which fills up the emptiness, the sadness or the longing for something more. Now we’re filled with this constant joy in our heart, everyday you wake up and everything is beautiful and filled with hope and joy, regardless of your situation or circumstance. Jesus said, ” for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you” in response to the Pharisees asking when the Kingdom of God will come. It means enlightenment is within you, in your heart and your spark of God has always been there. I always remember this when I’m going through difficult times.

4. The wind is invisible yet it is everywhere, and you can feel its presence everywhere…just like God. It is a powerful force that can erode mountains shift vast lands just like God. He is everywhere even in small spaces in your heart that no one can penetrate, he is there. I do not see him but I feel his presence guiding me everyday. He is so powerful that he drives me to my knees in awe of his mercy and his love.

5. Yes, he changed my life beyond my wildest expectations.

Reply
    Rick says June 11, 2023

    Great answers, Anna! Thanks for answering.

    Reply
Rick says June 13, 2023

Rick’s thoughts:

Those of you who posted comments did a great job! I agree with many of the answers you wrote. Here are some support and further observations to the questions I posted:

1. What did Jesus mean by “born again?”?
“Born again” is Jesus telling of how we need to die to our old life and live a new life. It is a regeneration of the spirit where we develop and grow in a personal relationship with Jesus, which in turn is a personal relationship with God.

2. Can we be “born again?” How?”
We can do this by sincerely praying to Jesus to forgive our sins and put our faith in him. This is referred to as the “sinner’s prayer.” It is not a magic incantation or magic words. The words represent the changing of a person’s heart. If the person doesn’t mean what they say, then the words become hollow.

3. What is the “Kingdom of God?”
The Kingdom of God is all around us, through the Holy Spirit. We will get into that more deeply in other parables that Jesus teaches. It is not just another place, but a very small part of the Holy Spirit that we feel around us.

4. What did Jesus mean by his analogy of the “wind?”
As Van and Anna wrote, we must be a part of it to see or feel it. When one commits to God’s Spirit, the power is unseen among believers.

5. Are you born again?
I am born again when I was a teen, but not much happened to me immediately. My relationship with Jesus got closer over the years, starting with switching churches and enrolling in a five-year course to study the Bible.

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