Jesus Asks a Question: “If I told you earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe when I tell you heavenly things?”
Jesus Asks a Question: “If I told you earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe when I tell you heavenly things?”
The Grand Inquisitor. Messiah Jesus was a Master of asking questions: some were open-ended, others were very pointed; some were out of curiosity, others were challenging; some seemed rhetorical, others seemed painfully obvious; some were to reveal Himself, others were to guide the other into self-understanding; some were intentionally provocative, others were to kick-start a conversation; some questions were asked to explore a topic to deepen understanding and stretch toward the truth; some were leading questions that He designed to suggest a particular answer, and others were questions in response to questions asked of Him; some were hypotheticals to stimulate the imagination, other questions were used by Him as stepping stones to think logically from one point to the next. Jesus used questions to dignify the listener, letting that person know that He is taking that person seriously and listening carefully. Many of His questions were acts of friendship and used to pursue a more profound intimacy with someone. Jesus asked very few yes-no questions, and since time was usually irrelevant for Him when He was with people, He rarely asked a “when” question. Several biblical scholars have studied the gospels with Christ’s questions in mind, and they have literally counted a total of 307 questions in His various conversations and teachings. It seems that a worthy spiritual exercise when considering the many questions of Jesus is that we ask ourselves… should I take His questions personally, as if He was asking us that question right now?
The Question. “If I told you earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe when I tell you heavenly things?” (John 3:12).
Context. “There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish leader of the Pharisees. After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus in a private setting. ‘Rabbi,’ he said, ‘we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are clear evidence that God is with you.’” (John 3:1-2).
Nicodemus. He was a prominent leader of the Jews in Jerusalem, a leading rabbi and a member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council. A devout teacher of Torah, he wanted to ask this man Jesus some questions, probably both personal and religious. Nicodemus was well aware of some of Jesus’ miracles, and was convinced that Jesus enjoyed God’s power. So he wanted to meet Jesus discreetly at night, avoiding criticism and judgment from his religious peers, and avoiding any risk to his considerable reputation in religious circles. Nicodemus wanted to “interview” Jesus face to face and see what this man had to say for himself. Of course, it turned out that Nicodemus was the one being interviewed. We don’t know when Nicodemus became a believer in Jesus, but we do know that he came to the defense of Jesus with his Pharisee peers when Jesus badly needed an advocate. (John 7:50-52). At some point, Nicodemus became a secret follower of Christ after many more conversations together. Finally, after the death of Jesus on the Cross, Nicodemus made his faith public, and together with Joseph of Arimathea took the body of Jesus down from the Cross, covered His body with 75 pounds of myrrh, aloes, and other spices, and wrapped His body in linen sheets. (John 19:39-40). Nicodemus thought that astounding amount of spices was appropriate, something meant for royalty, the King of the Jews. Early Christian tradition maintains that Nicodemus was soon baptized by Peter, removed from the Sanhedrin, and forced to leave Jerusalem. His tomb is at the Chapel of St. Nicodemus, in a tiny backroom chapel connected to his Master at the Tomb of Jesus.
Focused and Intense. This secret nighttime conversation suggests a very forthright time together for them. They must have been leaning toward each other throughout their discussion. Nicodemus was the one who called the meeting, and was used to giving orders and getting his way. Jesus evidently was his usual gracious and accommodating self and agreed to meet in the dead of the night with no one around. But Jesus took over the meeting right away, answering a question that Nicodemus didn’t even have time to ask! Jesus knew what Nicodemus was thinking and got down to business. During this conversation, Jesus used His special double Amen three different times, underscoring the importance of what He was trying to convey to Nicodemus. Truly, truly, Nicodemus, you have got some solid truth coming your way, says Jesus. Listen to me carefully and try to understand this, Nicodemus, this is literally God’s honest truth! Sure enough, this rather short conversation near the beginning of Jesus’ ministry is sometimes called the most significant conversation in John. That would be debatable, of course, because John is full of significant conversations between Jesus and others. One of them is coming right up with the woman at the well!
“Jesus replied, ‘Truly, truly, I tell you this, unless one is born anew from above, he cannot experience the Kingdom of God.’ Nicodemus exclaimed, ‘What do you mean? How can an old man like me go back into his mother’s womb and be born a second time?’ Jesus answered, ‘Truly, truly, I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can only reproduce human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. So don’t be surprised when I tell you, you must be reborn…” (John 3:3-7).
Born Again. The concept of being “born again” wasn’t anything new to Nicodemus, since it is an old Jewish concept. According to Judaism at that time, a practicing Jew was said to be “born again” after each of these four occasions: after a bar mitzvah at 13 years of age; after becoming married; after one becomes a rabbi; and after one is named the head of a rabbinic school. After each of those occasions, one is pronounced “born again”. Nicodemus met all four of those requirements to be born again, but of course those requirements were a natural program designed by man. There was nothing supernatural about being born again like that, it was just a natural part of their faith. When Nicodemus heard from Jesus that he needed to be born from above, he didn’t know what to think. Born from above? Yes, said Jesus, only this time it is a spiritual rebirth from above, not an ordinary rebirth according to our religion. Being truly born anew is spiritual and supernatural. Now Nicodemus might be thinking, wait a minute, is God bearing children in His kingdom? Is that what you mean? Obviously, I can’t enter my mother’s womb a second time, so I can’t be born again that away! So Jesus prefaces His next remark with, Truly, truly, this is really important, Nicodemus, so try to understand what I’m saying. Nicodemus was having a hard time tracking with Jesus, because he was stuck with the literal, earth-bound way of thinking, and not at that deeper level that Jesus was trying to engage.
A Womanly Reference for Salvation. Talking about being born again brings to mind the birthing process of a mother. Somehow we are saved only after going through a birthing process with God. Interesting. It’s almost as if God Himself has a spiritual womb. One of the Hebrew words translated as mercy is rachem, which has a root word that means womb. So rachem is intended to mean mercy-womb. God formed each of us with rachem when we were mere unborns, and we were conceived and nourished within His rachem, the mother’s mercy-womb. The baby within the woman is the ideal time to extend God’s compassion to that human being inside of her. The developing baby utterly depends on a mercy-womb. And God wants Himself to be experienced as our womb-sanctuary, our safe place in Him, our refuge and shelter. God Himself yearns to be experienced as a womb of mercy for each of us, a refuge and shelter and safe haven. The purpose of our lives is to live in God’s rachem, God’s womb of love.
Father with a Mother’s Heart. The Lord’s love for us is compared to both a father and a mother in Deuteronomy 32: 18, “You neglected the Rock who had fathered you, you forgot the God who had given you birth.” God’s parental love and their rejection of that love highlights just how thoughtless the sins of Israel truly were. This verse continues a thread through Scripture, that the Father has a mother’s love, that the Father has a maternal side to His love. Since the Hebrew word for mercy and compassion comes from the root word for “womb,” it is easy to believe that there is something motherly about the Father’s care and compassion for each of us. There is something motherly about salvation. God’s compassion is the same as that of a mother who loves the child she has carried and borne. Isaiah says this in 66:13: “As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you.” And also in Isaiah 49:15: “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.” Even Jesus compares Himself to a mother hen in Matthew 23:37: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.” God is referred to as Father, but He often displays the heart of a mother.
“… The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it’s going. That’s how it is with everyone who has been born of the Spirit.’ Nicodemus asked, ‘How is this even possible? How can this happen?’ Jesus replied, ‘You are a respected Jewish teacher in Israel, and you don’t know this? Truly, truly, We tell you what We know and have seen, and yet you didn’t accept our evidence. If you don’t believe me when I tell you about earthly things, how will you believe me when I tell you about heavenly things?” (John 3:8-12).
In Other Words. Jesus seems to be challenging the spiritual understanding of this noted religious leader… I’m telling you some deep truths here, Nicodemus. Don’t take me so literally when it’s obvious I’m talking about spiritual matters. Because if you don’t believe me when I try to tell you about things of this world, things that are as plain as the nose on your face, how will you be able to believe me when I tell you about invisible things, things of the spirit and of heaven?
“… God loved the world so much that He gave His only and unique Son, so that everyone who believes into Him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent His Son into the world not to judge the world, but rather to save the world through Him. Those who do not believe into Him have been judged already, in that they have not believed into the One who is God’s only and unique Son.’’ (John 3:16-18).
Believing “into” Jesus Christ. “For God so loved the world, that He gave us His only begotten Son, that whoever believes into Him, should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16).
“En” and “Eis”. In the New Testament there are two little Greek words used constantly, en and eis. When “in” is intended, then the Greek term “en” is generally used. And when “into” is meant, the term “eis” is used. Eis literally means into or to, and implies motion into, union, and penetration.
With that in mind, this is how John 3:15-19, the most popular passage in all of Christendom, could be, and often is, translated: ”… whoever believes in (en) Him, should have eternal life. For God so loved the world (Kosmos) that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes into (eis) Him, should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into (eis) the world to judge the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. The one who believes into (eis) Him is not judged; but the one who does not believe has been judged already, because that one has not believed into (eis) the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this now is the judgment, that the light has come into (eis) the world, and mankind loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”
Believing into Him: This is an apt phrase to use in the context because it implies action, not mere belief; it suggests entering into a union with Christ; it is not a passive phrase in which one believes in Christ’s existence, but then again won’t bother to embrace Him in everyday life, working His words practically into his heart and mind; this phrase implies a movement from a generalized belief that Jesus exists, into a personal commitment to Him; to believe into Jesus is to lean into Him, to intimately join together with Him, to trust Jesus enough to unite yourself into Him through active faith, to place yourself into the spiritual reality of Christ; to believe into Him is to desire have a permanent relationship with Him, finding your human identity in Him; believing into Jesus is to work His words into your heart and mind; it is to prove your allegiance to Him by the biblical standard of both hearing and doing, not just hearing. Believing into Christ means you have asked His Holy Spirit to enter your life, and that you to enter into His.