Day 11 on the Kingdom of God

John 3.1-8:

"There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. 2 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.” 3 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” 4 “What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?” 5 Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. 6 Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. 7 So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 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.”
(Want a Different Translation? Click Here!)

This is a very popular passage. Nicodemus was a man who was well trained in the Scriptures and held to one of the strictest followings of the Torah, being a Pharisee. Here he encounters Jesus and acknowledges that He in fact has been sent from God. Jesus responds to his statement simply by telling him that no one can see the Kingdom of God unless he/she has been 'born again.' A few notes here:

1. What's rendered 'see' here can be a little broader than what you might think. In fact you could say that it means seeing with your eyes, but also seeing as experiencing.

2. The phrase 'born again' is actually 'born from above.' Jesus is saying that no one can become a part of this kingdom unless that person is given entry by God, from above. In the Old Testament there are many prophesies where God promised to give people a new heart, and if a person is given a new heart, he/she is born to a new life.

I encourage you to read through this section again, because Jesus is saying a whole lot of important stuff! =)

"Father thank You for saving us! I pray we would become more like the people You want us to be! Forgive us when we fall, and help us to live the new lives that we've been given in a way that glorifies You more and more each and every day! It's in Jesus' name that I pray, amen!"