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Have you heard these words before? They are both very familiar
and very controversial. In this passage Jesus is trying to explain
his ministry to one of the religious leaders, a man named Nicodemus,
who has come to see him under the cover of darkness. While Nicodemus
has seen and heard what Jesus is all about and is impressed he still
fails to grasp the full picture of what Jesus is doing. This failure
on the part of Nicodemus elicits these words from Jesus. Jesus knows
Nicodemus is not seeing the whole picture and so he tells Nicodemus
that he needs to be born again from above to be able to see. This
rebirth has long been understood by the Church as something that
happens in and through the waters of baptism. In baptism we become
new creations and are then able to see beyond the obvious around us.
So what does this really mean for us today? Well, it means several
things. First, it means that we have the gift of faith. Being born
again from above means that we have faith in who Jesus is and what
he is about. Second, it means that we are a part of God's kingdom
and thus are to be about the business of God on earth. But it is the
third meaning that is most important this morning. Being born again
from above gives us the gift of meaning. Faith infuses our lives
with meaning and allows us to see the movements of God in our lives.
A chance meeting that changes our day is not a coincidence. The life
of a loved one given up for dead is not an accident. The feeling of
calm or comfort amidst crisis and fear is not a biological reaction.
Being born again from above allows us to interpret ordinary events
as extraordinary and invites us to search for God's work in the
world. Thus rebirth changes the very substance of our lives [to top of second column] |
Prayer: Holy God, thank you for calling me to faith and giving me
the gift of faith. Please nourish and nurture this faith within me
and help me to see you and know you. I pray in the name of Jesus
Christ. Amen.
[Text from file received by Phil Blackburn, First Presbyterian
Church] |
