This is Spoken Gospel.

We’re dedicated to seeing
Jesus in all of scripture.

In each episode, we see what’s
happening in a Biblical text

and how it sheds light
on Jesus and his gospel.

Let’s jump in.

Nicodemus is a member of
the same religious leadership

that will eventually crucify
Jesus, but he’s curious.

He doesn’t understand how Jesus could
perform miracles unless God was with him.

Jesus tells Nicodemus the only way to
understand him or his signs is if he is
“born again”.

And he tells Nicodemus,
that shouldn’t surprise him.

Humans must be born before they
can understand the world of humans.

And he must be born again if he
wants to understand spiritual matters.

He will need to be given new eyes to see,
new ears to hear, and a new
heart to perceive.

And there’s a second reason Nicodemus shouldn’t
be surprised by the idea of being born again.

This is precisely what the
Old Testament taught as well.

Being a part of God’s people always
meant a change of heart and nature.

If Nicodemus doesn’t understand that he
needs a renewed heart, Jesus says he will

never understand that God
descended from heaven to be

lifted up on a cross and die to offer
eternal life to those who believe in him.

In the book of Numbers an unspiritual
and miracle-dismissing Israel

are punished with a plague
of poisonous snakes.

God tells Moses to make a bronze serpent and lift
it up so that anyone who looks to it will be saved.

Nicodemus should know that all humanity
has a God-denying poison in their veins.

He should expect that, just as God offered
a way to save Israel from physical poison,

there would be a day when salvation
would be made flesh and lifted up again,

so that God’s people
could be born again.

After all, God doesn’t
hate the world; he loves it.

But the world stands condemned,
poisoned, and on the verge of death.

Jesus comes to rescue all of us, who like
Nicodemus are writhing in our unbelief.

He became flesh so that he would be lifted up
on the cross and save all those who
simply look to him.

May the Holy Spirit open your eyes to
see the God who gives us new hearts.

And may you see Jesus as the one
who was lifted up to give us eternal life.