Born of the spirit

JOHN 3:7B-15

JESUS said to Nicodemus: “‘You must be born from above.’ The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus answered and said to him, “How can this happen?” Jesus answered and said to him, “You are the teacher of Israel and you do not understand this? Amen, amen, I say to you, we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen, but you people do not accept our testimony. If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”

REFLECTION

BORN FROM ABOVE. The week following Easter Octave serves as catechesis for the first Christian sacrament: Baptism. Since early times, the Church has used the narrative of Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus about “entry” into the Kingdom of God to explain this sacrament of Christian initiation.

Misunderstanding is a typical Johannine device that allows Jesus to explain the realities of the Kingdom. Jesus declares that to enter the Kingdom of God, a person must be born “from above” (Greek anothen). Nicodemus understands this as “again,” that is, to be reborn physically, which is impossible. Jesus explains to Nicodemus that to be begotten “from above” or “by God” means to be born of water and Spirit. “Water” is often joined with the Spirit and both refer to the same reality: the Spirit is the “rivers of living water” flowing from within the believers (cf Jn 7:38).

Some groups, like the “Born-Again” Christians, maintain that to be “born again,” one must make a personal decision to surrender oneself to Jesus, and even Catholics have to be baptized again if they want to be saved. But since early days, to be born “anothen” has been interpreted in a baptismal context, and people are baptized to receive the Holy Spirit and to be part of the believing Christian community.

Are you a baptized Catholic? Do you need another baptism to gain entry into the Kingdom of God?

SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord 2018,” ST. PAULS Philippines, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 895-9701; Fax 895-7328; E-mail: books@stpauls.ph; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.