Be Born Again

BE BORN AGAIN

a prayer to open

Here I am, Lord. Quiet my mind. Open my heart.

Give me ears to hear your invitation and the faith to respond.

There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.”

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”

“What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”

Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.”

“How are these things possible?” Nicodemus asked.

Jesus replied, “You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things? I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you won’t believe our testimony. But if you don’t believe me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man has come down from heaven. And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.

Nicodemus, a leader among the Jewish religious authorities, came to Jesus at night, obviously not wanting to be seen for fear of what his friends and fellow teachers might think. But something about Jesus caused Nicodemus to ask questions, and to Nicodemus’s surprise, he learned that Jesus was not asking anyone to add another religious task to their daily routine as a way to earn God’s favor; rather, Jesus was inviting people to receive a new life altogether—one that would allow access to the Kingdom of God.

• What does your new life in Jesus look like? How has it been different from the old? What parts of the old life are you still holding on to?
• Read today’s passage again slowly. What invitation related to new life do you sense Jesus extending to you?
• Do you know a “Nicodemus”—someone who seems to have it all together but is longing for something more, something deeper? Seek God’s guidance as to how you might be able to invite that person to receive new life in Christ.

Loving God, thank you for this invitation to be born again and receive new life. You placed in me a desire for more than money, power, success, and stuff. You created me with a longing to know you and to be a part of your Kingdom, where love, mercy, and peace reign. Help me continue to embrace the new life you’ve given me. And give me eyes to see those who are longing for more so I can extend your invitation. Amen.