3) Jesus answered and said unto him, Amen, amen, I say to thee, Except one
be born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God. On the use of ἀπεκρίθη and the doubling of
the verbs “answered and said,” see 1:48. Jesus saw what was in the man (2:25)
and thus told him what he needed; and the two verbs show that this is highly
important. When Jesus “takes the word” (ἀπεκρίθη) he does not begin
with his own person although Nicodemus had put this forward. In due time Jesus
will cover that point. Jesus begins with the kingdom of God and the entrance
into that kingdom. And we must note that this kingdom and the coming of the
Messiah belong together, for he is the King, and only where he is the kingdom
is. Nicodemus, too, understood this relation and, like every serious Israelite,
desired to see (ἰδεῖν) this Messianic
kingdom, i.e., as a member entitled to a place in it. This is the background of
Jesus’ statement. So he begins with the solemn formula, explained in 1:51,
“Amen, amen (the assurance of verity), I say to thee” (the assurance of
authority) and follows with a statement regarding what is essential in order to
see the kingdom as one of its members.
This word of Jesus, as
also its elaboration in v. 5 and 11, goes back to what the Baptist had preached
when he declared the kingdom at hand and called on men to enter it by the
Baptism of repentance and remission of sins, meaning the kingdom in its new form
with redemption actually accomplished by the Messiah, the Lamb of God, i.e.,
the new covenant that would supersede the old. This grand concept ἡ βασιλεία
τοῦ Θεοῦ must not be defined by generalizing from the
kingdoms of earth. These are only imperfect shadows of God’s kingdom. God makes
his own kingdom, and where he is with his power and his grace there his kingdom
is; whereas earthly kingdoms make their kings, often also unmake them, and
their kings are nothing apart from what their kingdoms make them. So also we
are not really subjects in God’s kingdom but partakers of it, i.e., of God’s
rule and kingship; earthly kingdoms have only subjects. In God’s kingdom we
already bear the title “kings unto God,” and eventually the kingdom, raised to
the nth degree, shall consist of nothing but kings in glorious array, each with
his crown, and Christ thus being “the King of kings,” a kingdom that has no
subjects at all.
This divine kingdom
goes back to the beginning and rules the world and shall so rule until the consummation
of the kingdom at the end of time. All that is in the world, even every hostile
force, is subservient to the plans of God. The children and sons of God, as
heirs of the kingdom in whom God’s grace is displayed, constitute the kingdom
in its specific sense. And this kingdom is divided by the coming of Christ, the
King, in the flesh to effect the redemption of grace by which this specific
kingdom is really established among men. Hence we have the kingdom before
Christ, looking toward his coming, and the kingdom after Christ, looking back
to his coming—the promise and the fulfillment to be followed by the
consummation—the kingdom as it was in Israel, as it now is in the Christian
Church, the Una Sancta in all the
world, and as it will be at the end forever. It is called “God’s” kingdom and
“Christ’s” kingdom (Eph. 5:5; 2 Tim. 4:1; 2 Pet. 1:11) because the power and
the grace that produce this kingdom are theirs; also the kingdom “of heaven” or
“of the heavens” because the power and the grace are wholly from heaven and not
in any way of the earth. The Baptist preached the coming of this kingdom as it
centers in the incarnate Son and his redemptive work.
Jesus tells Nicodemus
the astonishing fact, “unless one is born anew” he cannot enter this kingdom. He
makes the statement general, “one,” τίς, not singling out Nicodemus as though making an
exceptional requirement for him. Not until v. 7 do we hear “thou,” although the
application to Nicodemus personally lies on the surface throughout. The
requirement of a new birth is universal. The form ἐάν with the subjunctive
shows that Jesus counts on some entering the kingdom, i.e., that the new birth
will be received by them. While ἄνωθεν may mean “from above” (place, local), here
it must mean “anew” (time); for in v. 4 we have δεύτερον, “a second time,” in
the same sense. Nor is ἄνωθεν the same as ἐκ Θεοῦ (in John’s First Epistle), for while God bestows
this birth, the means by which he does so do not descend “from above” (Word and
Sacrament), for which reason also what Jesus says of the new birth belongs to
the ἐπίγεια, “earthly things” (v.
12). Not new and superior knowledge is essential; not new, superior, more
difficult meritorious works; not a new national or ecclesiastical or religious.
party connection that is better than the Pharisaic party; but an entirely new
birth, the beginning of a newly born life, i.e., the true spiritual life.
This rebirth is
misconceived when the Baptist and Jesus are separated and it is thought that
the former was unable to bestow the Spirit. On this subject compare the
comments on 1:26. The Baptist’s requirement is identical with that which Jesus
makes. The Baptism of repentance and remission of sins bestows the new birth
even as it is and can be mediated only by the Spirit. Jesus is not telling
Nicodemus, “Go and be baptized by John and then wait until the Messiah gives
thee the Spirit (how would he do that?), and thus thou wilt be reborn.” True
repentance, the Baptist’s μετάνοια, consists of contrition and faith; and these
two, wrought by the Spirit, constitute conversion which in substance is
regeneration. All these focus in Baptism: every contrite and believing sinner
whom the Baptist baptized was converted, was regenerated, had the Spirit, had
forgiveness, was made a member of the kingdom, was ready for the King so close
at hand to participate in full in all that the King would now bring. The
Baptist stressed repentance and forgiveness in connection with his Baptism
because these mediated the great change; in this first word to Nicodemus Jesus
names only the great change itself and its necessity, “born anew.” In a moment
Jesus, too, will name the means.
Jesus’ word regarding
the new birth shatters once for all every supposed excellence of man’s
attainment, all merit of human deeds, all prerogatives of natural birth or
station. Spiritual birth is something one undergoes not something he produces.
As our efforts had nothing to do with our natural conception and birth, so, in
an analogous way but on a far higher plane, regeneration is not a work of ours.
What a blow for Nicodemus! His being a Jew gave him no part in the kingdom; his
being a Pharisee, esteemed holier than other people, availed him nothing; his
membership in the Sanhedrin and his fame as one of its scribes went for nought.
This Rabbi from Galilee calmly tells him that he is not yet in the kingdom! All
on which he had built his hopes throughout a long arduous life here sank into
ruin and became a little worthless heap of ashes. Unless he attains this
mysterious new birth, even he shall not “see” (ἰδεῖν) the kingdom, i.e.,
have an experience of it. This verb is chosen to indicate the first activity of
one who has passed through the door of the kingdom.
4) Nicodemus says to Him, How can a man be born when he is old? He
certainly cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?
These questions of Nicodemus have sometimes been misunderstood. This is not
mere unspiritual denseness that is unable to rise above the idea of physical
birth; nor rabbinical skill in disputation that tries to make Jesus’
requirement sound absurd, which Jesus would never have answered as he did; nor
hostility to the requirement of Jesus. Nicodemus simply puts the requirement
laid down by Jesus into words of his own; and by doing this in the form of
questions he indicates where his difficulty lies. He thus actually asks Jesus
for further explanation and enlightenment, and Jesus gives him this.
When Nicodemus says γέρων ὤν he is thinking of himself, although his question
would apply to one of any age, even to a babe. This touch indicates both that
the conversation is truly reported, and that one who saw the old man when he
said “being old” remembered and wrote it down. The second question elucidates
the first. We must note especially the interrogative μή, which indicates that
in the speaker’s own mind the answer can only be a no. This completely
exonerates Nicodemus from the charge that he understood Jesus’ words only as a
reference to physical birth; or that he tried to turn those words so that they
referred only to such a birth. The fact is that he does the very opposite as if
he would say, “I know you cannot and do not mean that!” or, “That much I see.”
He clearly perceives that Jesus has in mind some other, far higher kind of
birth. But “how can such a birth take place?” He might also have asked, “What is this birth?” and the “what”
would probably have explained also the “how.” He did the thing the other way,
he asked, “How,” etc., and the
manner, too, involves the nature—“how” one is thus born will cast light on
“what” this being born really is. As in the word of Jesus, Nicodemus also
retains the passive, here two infinitives, γεννηθῆναι, the second after δύναται. The term κοιλία denotes the abdominal
cavity and thus is used for “womb.”
Although Jesus’ word
must have struck Nicodemus hard, being uttered, as it was, by a young man to
one grown old and gray as an established “teacher” (v. 10), Nicodemus shows no
trace of resentment. He neither contradicts nor treats Jesus’ statement as
extravagant and ridiculous. He takes no offense although he feels the personal
force of what Jesus says. He does not rise and leave saying, “I have made a
mistake in coming.” He quietly submits to the Word. This attitude and conduct,
however, is due to the Word itself and to its gracious saving power. Changes
were gradually going on in this man’s heart, some of them unconsciously; not he
but a higher power was active in producing these changes. He was not as yet
reborn, nor do we know when that moment came. Enough that Jesus was leading him
forward, and Nicodemus did not run away.
5) Jesus answered, Amen, amen, I say to thee, Except one be born of water
and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. In no way does
Jesus rebuke or fault Nicodemus—clear evidence that he who knew what is in a
man (2:25) regards the questions of this man as being wholly sincere. Jesus
explains his former word—again evidence that Nicodemus really has asked for an
explanation. Jesus repeats his former word exactly, adding only one phrase and
substituting “enter” for “see,” a mere explanatory detail, for only they who
“enter” “see” the kingdom. The preposition ἐκ denotes origin and
source. The exegesis which separates ἐξ
ὕδατος καὶ
Πνεύματος, as though Jesus said ἐξ ὕδατος
καὶ ἐκ
Πνεύματος is not based on
linguistic grounds; for the one preposition has as its one object the concept
“water and Spirit,” which describes Baptism, its earthly element and its divine
agency. The absence of the Greek articles with the two nouns makes their unity
more apparent. The making of two phrases out of the one is due to the
preconception that the Baptist’s Baptism consisted only of water and that
figuratively the Messiah’s bestowal of the Spirit can also be called a
Baptism—yet leaving unsaid how and by what means the Messiah would bestow the
Spirit. The fact that Jesus thus also postpones the very possibility of the new
birth for Nicodemus (and for all men) into the indefinite future, when he and
others may already have been overtaken by death, is also left unsaid.
In the Baptist’s
sacrament, as in that of Jesus afterward, water is joined with the Spirit, the
former being the divinely chosen earthly medium (necessary on that account),
the latter being the regenerating agent who uses that medium. When Jesus spoke
to Nicodemus, the latter could understand only that the Baptist’s sacrament was
being referred to. This was entirely enough. For this sacrament admitted to the
kingdom as completely as the later instituted sacrament of Jesus. Therefore
Jesus also continued to require the Baptist’s sacrament, 3:22 and 4:2, and
after his resurrection extended it to all nations by means of his great
commission. No need, then, to raise the question as to which Baptism Jesus here
had in mind, or whether he also referred to his own future sacrament. It was
but one sacrament which was first commanded by God for the use of the Baptist,
then was used by Jesus, and finally instituted for all people. Tit. 3:5 thus
applies to this sacrament in all its stages. Jesus tells Nicodemus just what he
asks, namely the “how” of regeneration. How is it possible? By Baptism! But
Jesus cuts off a second how: How by Baptism? by using the description of
Baptism, “water and Spirit.” Because not merely water but God’s Spirit is
effective in the sacrament, therefore it works the new birth.
Jesus here assumes that
Nicodemus knows about the preaching as well as about the baptizing of John. In
passing note that the Holy Spirit is here mentioned, and that Nicodemus accepts
this mention and all that follows regarding the Spirit without the slightest
hesitation, as though he knew this Third Person of the Godhead; compare 1:32.
Thus this reference of Jesus to Baptism is not understood by Nicodemus as an opus operatum, a mere mechanical
application of the earthly element with whatever formula God had given the
Baptist to use, but as being in the Baptist’s entire work vitally connected
with μετάνοια or “repentance.”
Strictly speaking, this repentance (contrition and faith) itself constitutes
the rebirth in all adults yet not apart from Baptism which as its seal must
follow; for the rejection of Baptism vitiates repentance and regeneration,
demonstrating that they are illusory. (R.
C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. John's Gospel [Minneapolis,
Minn.: Augsburg Publishing House, 1961], 231-38)
Further Reading
