We Must Humbly Participate in the Lord’s Work of Firmly Building His Blameless and Glorious Church by Surrendering Our Entire Being, Day After Day, to the Complete Guidance of the Holy Spirit, Who Comes from Above Like the Wind.
“Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. He came to Jesus at night and said to Him, ‘Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher who has come from God, for no one can perform these signs that You do unless God is with him.’ Jesus answered him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ Nicodemus said to Him, ‘How can a person be born when he is old? Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born?’ Jesus answered, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, “You must be born again.” The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.’ Nicodemus answered Him, ‘How can these things happen?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Are you the teacher of Israel, and yet you do not know these things? Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. If I have spoken to you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I speak to you about heavenly things?’” (John 3:1–12).
(1) I would like to divide my meditation on John 3:1–21, which records the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus, into two parts. Therefore, today I first read John 3:1–12, the first part of this passage, in the Korean Bible and then in the Greek Bible. As I read, the first thing that caught my attention was the similarity between the two statements Jesus made to Nicodemus, a Pharisee and a ruler of the Jews (v. 1): “Unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” [ἐὰν μή τις γεννηθῇ ἄνωθεν, οὐ δύναται ἰδεῖν τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ (ean mē tis gennēthē anōthen, ou dynatai idein tēn basileian tou theou)] (v. 3). And: “Unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” [ἐὰν μή τις γεννηθῇ ἐξ ὕδατος καὶ πνεύματος, οὐ δύναται εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ (ean mē tis gennēthē ex hydatos kai pneumatos, ou dynatai eiselthein eis tēn basileian tou theou)] (v. 5). I wondered why Jesus spoke of the necessity of being born again of water and the Spirit, and of seeing and entering the kingdom of God, when Nicodemus had come to Him at night and said: “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher who has come from God” [Ῥαββί, οἴδαμεν ὅτι ἀπὸ θεοῦ ἐλήλυθας διδάσκαλος (Rhabbi, oidamen hoti apo theou elēlythas didaskalos)]. “For no one can perform these signs” [ταῦτα τὰ σημεῖα (tauta ta sēmeia), “these signs”] “that You do unless God is with him” (v. 2). Why did Jesus respond by declaring that Nicodemus must be born again of water and the Spirit and that only then could he see or enter the kingdom of God?
(a) The following is an interpretation provided by artificial intelligence, explaining in three dimensions the carefully structured redemptive-historical purpose behind Jesus’ response to Nicodemus (Internet). Nicodemus came to Jesus at night and addressed Him with words of praise (v. 2). Jesus’ response might initially appear unrelated to what Nicodemus had said. Yet His declaration concerning being born again of water and the Spirit and entering the kingdom of God penetrated the deepest spiritual condition of the human heart.
1. Exposing the Limitations of the Human Knowledge in Which Nicodemus Was Confined (V. 2)
A confession made within the boundaries of religious hypocrisy: Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin, the highest Jewish council. Outwardly, he possessed impressive religious titles and extensive knowledge of Scripture. He began his conversation with Jesus confidently, saying: “We know” [οἴδαμεν (oidamen)].
A false faith confined to signs: However, the only basis upon which Nicodemus recognized Jesus was “these signs that You perform.” His faith resembled that of the Passover crowds described in John 2:23–24, whom we considered in the preceding meditation. Those crowds remained confined within the boundaries of the old covenant—in Jerusalem, at Passover, during the festival—and were fascinated only by miracles and outward phenomena. This was an intellectual and conditional form of false faith. Because Jesus already knew everything within the human heart, He did not entrust Himself to Nicodemus’s superficial faith. Instead, He immediately placed the outward shell of Nicodemus’s religious knowledge upon the operating table for spiritual examination.
2. The Only Answer to Humanity’s Irreparable Corruption: Being Born Again (V. 3)
Jesus directly rejected Nicodemus’s compliment, “We know that You are a teacher,” and proclaimed the truth recorded in verse 3.
The twofold mystery of γεννηθῇ ἄνωθεν (gennēthē anōthen), “to be born again” (v. 3)
The Greek word ἄνωθεν (anōthen) is a treasure of Johannine theology because it carries two related meanings. First, it can mean “again,” or being born a second time, as Nicodemus misunderstood it. Second, and more fundamentally in this context, it means “from above,” that is, from God.
The Lord’s intention: In essence, the Lord was declaring to Nicodemus: “Nicodemus, you regard Me merely as a good moral teacher, and you want to study and analyze My miracles. “But the human heart is like a decaying temple from which every kind of evil continually emerges, just as Matthew and Mark expose. “A human being cannot be saved simply by keeping the Law more diligently or acquiring more religious information. “Human beings cannot be repaired through education or reform. “Only when the gates of heaven are opened and a person is completely born anew from above [ἄνωθεν (anōthen)] through supernatural new life from God—divine DNA—can that person see My glory!” This is a declaration of salvation by grace alone.
3. The Fulfillment and Concrete Explanation of Old Testament Prophecy: Water and the Spirit (V. 5)
When Nicodemus failed to understand Jesus’ declaration in verse 3, the Lord provided a more specific redemptive-historical explanation in verse 5: “Of water and the Spirit.” This expression confirms that Jesus Himself was bringing to fulfillment the messianic prophecy of new creation recorded in Ezekiel 36:25–26.
The connection with Ezekiel’s Old Testament prophecy “I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean … and I will put a new spirit within you and give you a new heart” (Ezek. 36:25–26).
The meaning of “water” — the complete cleansing of sin (atonement): At the wedding in Cana, Jesus transformed the water contained in the stone jars used for Jewish purification rites into the finest wine, symbolizing the gospel. He also drove the merchants out of the Jerusalem temple with a whip. According to this interpretation, the significance of that cleansing of the temple—the removal of sin—now reaches the innermost sanctuary of the human heart through the work of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit’s work completely washes away and removes the entire ugly catalogue of human transgressions.
The meaning of “the Spirit” — the re-creation of the soul (baptism with the Holy Spirit): John the Baptist witnessed the Holy Spirit descending like a dove upon Jesus at the Jordan River and remaining upon Him. Now that same Holy Spirit is poured out upon those who receive Jesus as their Savior and King. Through this baptism with the Holy Spirit, the broken inner life of a human being undergoes a complete spiritual operation and is re-created as a holy temple of the Holy Spirit.
4. Powerful Lessons from Today’s Meditation for Your Life and Ministry
The opening of John 3 proclaims the true essence of the faith to which believers are called. This truth applies directly to your ministry of sharing God’s Word through the internet and at Victory Presbyterian Church, as you meditate deeply on the Word, the Bread of Life, day and night, offer your meditations to God in prayer, and share them with others.
We must regard our religious knowledge as refuse and cast it away: When we have lived the Christian life for many years and accumulated considerable ministry experience, we can easily become like Nicodemus. We may settle comfortably within the boundaries of familiar religious titles and knowledge, saying: “I know this much theology, and I am capable of interpreting Scripture to this extent.” Such an attitude can lead us into the pride of attempting to control the Lord according to our own will. But the Lord never entrusts Himself to such hypocrisy. Every morning, when we come before the altar of God’s Word, we must completely overturn the table of our own knowledge before the Lord’s whip. We must become poor in spirit, honestly acknowledging and dismantling our own limitations as we confess: “Lord, I am an unprofitable servant who knows nothing. Without the fresh manna and illumination of the Holy Spirit that You pour out from above today, I cannot live for even a single moment.”
Your ministry of sharing the Word is a ministry of proclaiming the message that leads souls to new birth through the Holy Spirit. Your ministry is not merely about offering worldly moral teachings or serving inferior wine. It is a ministry that proclaims the clearest message of this generation, opening the gates of heaven to souls who, like Nicodemus, decorate their outward appearance while wandering in a state of spiritual malnutrition. To such souls, the message declares: “You cannot be saved through your religious activities. Rely upon the precious blood of Jesus, whose body was broken on the cross and who rose again on the third day, and be born again of water and the Spirit alone.” I firmly believe that through the pure language of the gospel you proclaim, souls will witness the miracle of their lives and churches being re-created upon the rock-solid confession of faith in a salvation already accomplished—a rock against which the gates of Hades can never prevail.
Final Summary of the Meditation on the Conversation About Signs in John 3:1–12
When Nicodemus, a Jewish ruler, came to Jesus with an outwardly intellectual confession of faith, blinded by the visible phenomena of miraculous signs, Jesus rejected that superficial confession and proclaimed the truth of the new birth. In doing so, He declared that humanity’s fallen nature cannot be repaired or reformed, and that salvation comes only through supernatural new life—divine DNA—from God. Jesus also demonstrated that He Himself is the fulfillment of the new covenant promised through Ezekiel. According to this interpretation, He cleanses sin through His precious blood, represented by water, and fundamentally re-creates the soul through baptism with the Holy Spirit. Thus, Jesus laid the magnificent redemptive-historical foundation for transforming our inner lives into true temples of the Holy Spirit, against which the gates of Hades cannot prevail, and preparing us as His glorious bride (Internet).
(2) Second, when I read today's passage, John 3:1–12, in the Greek Bible, I became interested in the fact that the verb γεννάω (gennaō), meaning “to be born” or “to give birth,” appears a total of eight times in various forms:
1. γεννηθῇ (gennēthē) — “Unless someone is born again” (v. 3).
2. γεννηθῆναι (gennēthēnai) — “How can a person be born when he is old?” (v. 4).
3. γεννηθῆναι (gennēthēnai) — “Can he enter his mother's womb a second time and be born?” (v. 4).
4. γεννηθῇ (gennēthē) — “Unless someone is born of water and the Spirit” (v. 5).
5. γεγεννημένον (gegennēmenon) — “What is born of the flesh is flesh” (v. 6).
6. γεγεννημένον (gegennēmenon) — “What is born of the Spirit is spirit” (v. 6).
7. γεννηθῆναι (gennēthēnai) — “You must be born again” (v. 7).
8. γεγεννημένος (gegennēmenos) — “So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit” (v. 8).
I also became interested in the fact that the verb δύναμαι (dynamai), meaning “to be able” or “to have the ability,” appears a total of six times:
1. δύναται (dynatai) — “No one can perform these signs that You do” (v. 2).
2. δύναται (dynatai) — “He cannot see the kingdom of God” (v. 3).
3. δύναται (dynatai) — “How can a person be born when he is old?” (v. 4).
4. δύναται (dynatai) — “Can he enter his mother's womb a second time and be born?” (v. 4).
5. δύναται (dynatai) — “He cannot enter the kingdom of God” (v. 5).
6. δύναται (dynatai) — “How can these things happen?” (v. 9).
Why did the apostle John use these two words so frequently in today's passage? What was his intention?
(a) Behind the apostle John's persistent and carefully arranged repetition of these two words lies a clear theological intention: to expose humanity's absolute inability and to establish that only re-creation from above, accomplished by God, is the key to salvation. The following explanation, provided by artificial intelligence, examines the interlocking relationship between these two verbs and John's purpose from three perspectives (Internet).
1. The Apostle John's Intention: The Confrontation Between Human Inability [δύναμαι (dynamai)] and God's Sovereign Act of Giving Birth [γεννάω (gennaō)]
Through the frequency and arrangement of these two verbs, the apostle John draws a striking contrast between the limitations of human morality and religion and the divine authority that alone can overcome those limitations.
Six occurrences of δύναμαι (dynamai), “to be able” or “to be unable” — exposing humanity's desperate spiritual inability
Throughout the passage, this verb exposes Nicodemus's ignorance and limitations. Nicodemus begins the conversation by looking at Jesus' miraculous signs and declaring: “No one can do these things” (v. 2). He begins with a judgment based on human reasoning. However, immediately after encountering the Lord's teaching, he finds himself asking: “How can a person be born?” (v. 4). And later: “How can these things happen?” (v. 9). Nicodemus thus encounters the impenetrable wall of human knowledge and the Law's inability to produce spiritual life. His confidence is completely shattered (vv. 2, 4, 9).
Human beings cannot see the kingdom of God or enter it through their own strength (vv. 3, 5).
Eight occurrences of γεννάω (gennaō), “to be born” — God's complete new creation and eternal life
At the very point where humanity must confess its complete inability, saying: “I cannot” [οὐ δύναται (ou dynatai)], the Lord repeatedly declares: “You must be born” [γεννάω (gennaō)]. The language of divine birth appears eight times, as though the Lord were overwhelming human inability with the truth of new birth. In biblical symbolism, the number eight is associated with a new beginning, re-creation, and resurrection. Human effort, physical ancestry, and human will—the things associated with being born of the flesh (v. 6)—possess no power whatsoever to generate spiritual life (Jn. 1:13; 3:6). Therefore, salvation begins only when God, through baptism with the Holy Spirit, breathes divine DNA—the seed of God—into the depths of our souls and causes us to be born completely anew from above. This confirms the absolute sovereignty of divine grace (Jn. 1:33; 3:3; 1 Jn. 3:9).
2. The Relationship Between the Two Verbs: “Only When I Completely Relinquish My Own Strength [οὐ δύναται (ou dynatai)] Can I Be Born from Above [γεγεννημένος (gegennēmenos)]”
These two words are closely interwoven, illustrating the necessary spiritual process of circumcision of the heart and new birth in the life of a believer.
The confession of human surrender becomes the soil in which new birth takes place: As long as Nicodemus relied on his religious qualifications and accumulated knowledge, he could never see the glory of the true Light (Jn. 1:9, 11; 3:2). The Lord confronted him with the sharp blade of δύναμαι (dynamai). In other words, Jesus used the clear and penetrating truth of His Word like a sharp knife to cut through the religious pride and hypocrisy of a man who had confidently believed that he could accomplish spiritual things by his own ability. Jesus completely overturned the table of Nicodemus's pride (2:15). He brought Nicodemus to the brink of surrender, where he would have to confess: “I am a weak sinner who can do nothing.” This is reflected in Nicodemus's bewilderment and questions (1:42; 3:4, 9).
Only when human will and wisdom have been thoroughly condemned to death and torn down (2:19) does the Holy Spirit come like the wind and begin the work of re-creating us as God's holy children (1:12-13): γεγεννημένος (gegennēmenos) — “one who has been born of the Spirit” (3:8).
3. Great Lessons for Those of Us Who Share God's Word Today
As you meditate deeply on the Word, the Bread of Life, day and night, offer your meditations to God in prayer, and share them with others, these two verbs teach an essential spiritual attitude and conviction that every servant of the Lord should carry throughout life. This applies to your ministry of sharing God's Word and to Victory Presbyterian Church, where you serve.
① We must not place even one percent of our trust in our own willpower or ministry experience.
In the preceding meditation, you made an important confession of spiritual discernment: “We must not only refrain from depending on other people; we must also refrain from depending on ourselves.” This spirituality of thorough self-denial lies at the heart of today's passage. Every day, we must overturn before the cross the Pharisaic attitude that places confidence in our past knowledge, ministry experience, human enthusiasm, and personal determination. Whenever we attempt to accomplish the Lord's work through our own strength, we inevitably encounter the limitations expressed by the words: “I cannot.” And we become discouraged. Therefore, every morning when we open our eyes, we must joyfully surrender our old selves and confess: “Lord, I can do nothing by my own strength. I depend only on the power of the Holy Spirit, who causes me to be born anew from above.”
② We must firmly trust in the fullness of the “seed of God (DNA)” planted within us.
Although our flesh is weak and we sometimes stumble in darkness, the “seed of God (divine DNA)” is already alive and active within the soul of the believer who has been born of God through the baptism with the Holy Spirit given by Jesus. This seed breaks the dominion of sin and enables us to overcome the world (Jn. 1:13, 33; 1 Jn. 3:9; 5:4).
We must not remain confined beneath the small shadow of the fig tree that represents our personal circumstances and limitations (Jn. 1:48, 50). Instead, we must move forward boldly, relying completely upon the Lord's resurrection power—the power that re-creates us as holy temples of the Holy Spirit and opens the gates of heaven to us (2:19, 21, 51; 1 Cor. 3:16).
③ Your ministry of sharing God's Word is a ministry that leads souls to new birth through the Holy Spirit.
Your ministry of sharing God's Word is not merely about serving the inferior wine of worldly moral teachings (Jn. 2:10). Rather, it is a ministry that awakens the hidden chambers of human souls with the clearest proclamation of the gospel in this generation. It addresses people who, like Nicodemus, are completely confined within the outward shell of religion and wander in spiritual blindness (1:10–11; 2:23). To such people, it proclaims: “You cannot be saved through your religious activities or human reasoning. Be cleansed of your sins through the precious blood of Jesus (water), and be born again from above through the presence of the Holy Spirit.”
Holding firmly to the completed certainty expressed in the confession: “We have found the Messiah!” (Jn. 1:41), I firmly believe that as you faithfully share these pure words of the gospel, Victory Presbyterian Church and countless souls in this generation will be born again as glorious children of God, against whom the gates of Hades can never prevail (Mt. 16:18; 1 Thess. 4:16).
Final Summary of the Meditation on the Frequency of the Greek Words γεννάω (gennaō) and δύναμαι (dynamai) in John 3:1–12
The apostle John's use of δύναμαι (dynamai), “to be able or unable,” six times in the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus serves to expose the complete spiritual inability of human knowledge and the Law. Into this condition of human helplessness, he introduces γεννάω (gennaō), “to be born,” eight times, a number associated with re-creation and resurrection. Through this contrast, he demonstrates that salvation is accomplished only through supernatural new life—divine DNA—given from God above [ἄνωθεν (anōthen)]. When the calculations of our own minds are completely torn down, the sovereign work of the Holy Spirit prepares our inner lives as true temples of the Spirit, against which the gates of Hades cannot prevail, and as a blameless and glorious bride. In this way, the cosmic victory of the new covenant is brought to completion (Jn. 1:33; 2:19, 25; 3:3, 5; Eph. 5:27) (Internet).
(3) Fourth, when I read Jesus’ words to Nicodemus, “What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit” [τὸ γεγεννημένον ἐκ τῆς σαρκὸς σάρξ ἐστιν, καὶ τὸ γεγεννημένον ἐκ τοῦ πνεύματος πνεῦμά ἐστιν (to gegennēmenon ek tēs sarkos sarx estin, kai to gegennēmenon ek tou pneumatos pneuma estin)] (Jn. 3:6), I was reminded of Romans 8:5–6: “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace” [οἱ γὰρ κατὰ σάρκα ὄντες τὰ τῆς σαρκὸς φρονοῦσιν, οἱ δὲ κατὰ πνεῦμα τὰ τοῦ πνεύματος. τὸ γὰρ φρόνημα τῆς σαρκὸς θάνατος, τὸ δὲ φρόνημα τοῦ πνεύματος ζωὴ καὶ εἰρήνη (hoi gar kata sarka ontes ta tēs sarkos phronousin, hoi de kata pneuma ta tou pneumatos. to gar phronēma tēs sarkos thanatos, to de phronēma tou pneumatos zōē kai eirēnē)]. Why did Jesus tell Nicodemus, “What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit” (Jn. 3:6)? What is the relationship between these words of Jesus and the apostle Paul’s teaching in Romans 8:5–6? After all, I believe that the apostle Paul was carrying forward the mind and teaching of Jesus when he wrote these words.
(a) After encountering the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus, the apostle Paul faithfully embraced the underlying message and spirit of the Lord’s gospel and explained its implications as practical principles for the daily lives of believers. By comparing the deeper nuances of the original Greek expressions in these two passages, the following explanation provided by artificial intelligence examines three dimensions of Jesus’ specific intention in speaking these words to Nicodemus and their magnificent relationship to Romans 8 (Internet):
1. Why Did the Lord Say These Words to Nicodemus? (The Intention of John 3:6)
Jesus proclaimed this fundamental distinction between two kinds of existence in order to correct Nicodemus’s deeply fleshly and immature misunderstanding. Nicodemus had asked: “How can a person enter his mother’s womb again and be born?” Jesus responded by revealing the essential distinction between what originates from the flesh and what originates from the Spirit.
A Strict Declaration Concerning the Nature of Each Kind of Birth: In the original Greek, Jesus declares: τὸ γεγεννημένον ἐκ τῆς σαρκὸς σάρξ ἐστιν (to gegennēmenon ek tēs sarkos sarx estin). That is: “What has been born of the flesh [σάρξ (sarx)] is, by its very nature, flesh [σάρξ (sarx)].” This means that physical ancestry and human will (John 1:13) cannot produce spiritual life. No matter how diligently a person practices religious discipline or keeps the Law—even for forty-six years, recalling the statement, “It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” (Jn. 2:20)—such efforts can never generate the Spirit or enable a person to cross into the spiritual realm through human ability.
The Complete Demolition of Human Pride: The Lord delivered a painful spiritual revelation to Nicodemus, one of the highest-ranking religious intellectuals in Judaism at that time. In essence, Jesus was declaring: “Nicodemus, you were born into the lineage of Abraham, and you possess the elaborate religious system of Pharisaic observance of the Law. “Yet all of this remains merely flesh [σάρξ (sarx)], which has inherited the corrupt and sinful nature of Adam. “The flesh cannot be repaired or reformed. “Only those who are born anew of the Spirit [πνεῦμα (pneuma)] (John 3:8) receive a new spiritual nature and can see the kingdom of God.” This is a declaration of the complete bankruptcy of human religious self-confidence.
2. The Magnificent Redemptive-Historical Relationship Between John 3:6 and Romans 8:5–6
In Romans 8, the apostle Paul takes the Lord’s declaration concerning the nature of spiritual existence and develops its implications for the thoughts, orientation, and condition of the heart that believers experience in their everyday lives.
From Being to Thinking:
Jesus (John 3:6): The Origin of Our Being: Jesus speaks about the origin of a person’s existence—what one has been born from. Is the person born of the flesh, or born of the Spirit? The fundamental issue is one’s spiritual origin and nature.
The Apostle Paul (Romans 8:5): The Orientation of Our Thinking: Paul addresses what a person thinks about and pursues in life according to the nature of that person’s existence. The Greek word φρόνημα (phronēma), translated as “mind” or “mindset,” does not refer merely to a passing thought. Rather, it describes the values, persistent inclinations, and overall orientation of the heart and mind that govern a person’s entire life.
The Contrasting Conclusions: Death Versus Life and Peace:
Continuing the substance of Jesus’ teaching, Paul makes a clear declaration. A person who has not received the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Jn. 1:33) and whose existence remains governed by the flesh possesses a fleshly mindset. No matter how impressive or religiously sophisticated that mindset may appear, its ultimate destination is death and hostility toward God. By contrast, those who have been born again of water and the Spirit (3:5), and whose lives are now governed by the Spirit, possess a spiritual mindset. That mindset brings eternal life and peace, flowing from the inexhaustible fullness of God.
3. Great Lessons for Those of Us Who Share God’s Word Today
As you meditate deeply on the Word, the Bread of Life, day and night, offer your meditations to God in prayer, and faithfully persevere in your ministry of sharing the Word through the internet and at Victory Presbyterian Church, this declaration of Jesus and the teaching of Paul provide powerful spiritual weapons for your life and ministry.
① Every Morning, We Must Overturn the Fleshly Mindset of Our Old Selves Before the Whip of God’s Word.
Even while we diligently carry out our ministries, fleshly thoughts can suddenly rise within us. These include the desire to be recognized by others, the hidden greed for influence that makes us want to create disciples who belong to us, and the anxiety and uneasiness that arise when our emotions fluctuate according to other people’s opinions and evaluations—like seeking the honored position of the master of the banquet. All these things are remnants of the fleshly mindset. They are like the remains of a false temple building that still stands within us.
The Lord did not entrust Himself to human beings because He already knew everything within their hearts. Therefore, every morning, as we meditate in our private prayer rooms—beneath our figurative fig trees—we must completely overturn the tables of our human enthusiasm and determination. When we entrust ourselves one hundred percent to the sovereign authority of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, I believe our hearts will be filled to the brim with the perfect heavenly peace that the world cannot give.
② Confirm with the Eyes of Faith the “Seed of God (DNA)” Planted Within You.
You have already been cleansed of your sins through the precious blood of Jesus Christ, symbolized by water, and have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. You are therefore a holy spiritual being born of God. Within your soul, the “seed of God (divine DNA)” is alive and active, overcoming the world and breaking the dominion of sin. You must courageously break free from the ignorance expressed by the question “How?”, which causes you to groan while remaining confined within the weaknesses and limitations of your flesh. Instead, move forward boldly, depending entirely upon the resurrection power of the Lord who raised the temple of His body again after three days.
③ Your Ministry of Sharing God’s Word Is a Ministry That Transforms the Thoughts of Human Souls into the Mindset of the Spirit.
Your ministry of sharing God’s Word is not merely about serving the inferior wine of worldly moral teachings. It is a ministry that opens the gates of heaven through the clearest proclamation of the gospel in this generation. It addresses souls who, like Nicodemus, remain completely confined within the outward shell of religion, inwardly blinded and wandering under the shadow of death. To these souls, your ministry proclaims: “You cannot be saved through the zeal of your flesh. Rely solely upon the precious blood of Jesus, be born again through the Holy Spirit, and enjoy life and peace.”
Holding firmly to the completed assurance expressed in the confession, “We have found the Messiah!” I firmly believe that as you faithfully share this Bread of Life, Victory Presbyterian Church and the souls belonging to the Lord will overcome the gates of Hades and be gloriously re-created day after day as holy temples of the Holy Spirit (Internet).
(4) Fifth, I wanted to understand more specifically the meaning of Jesus’ words, “Everyone who is born of the Spirit” [ὁ γεγεννημένος ἐκ τοῦ πνεύματος (ho gegennēmenos ek tou pneumatos)] (Jn. 3:8). I also became curious about the relationship between these words of Jesus and the apostle Paul’s declaration in Romans 8:14: “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God” [ὅσοι γὰρ πνεύματι θεοῦ ἄγονται, οὗτοι υἱοὶ θεοῦ εἰσιν (hosoi gar pneumati theou agontai, houtoi huioi theou eisin)].
1. The Specific Meaning of “Everyone Who Is Born of the Spirit”: A Supernatural Life Like the Wind (Jn. 3:8)
In verse 8, Jesus compares the work of the Spirit in those who are born of Him to the wind [πνεῦμα (pneuma)]. The Greek word πνεῦμα (pneuma) carries the meanings of “wind,” “breath,” and “spirit.” Through this expression, Jesus teaches three characteristics of those who are born of the Holy Spirit.
The Sovereignty That Cannot Be Controlled by Human Beings — “The Wind Blows Where It Wishes”: Human beings cannot forcibly capture the wind or change its direction according to their own desires. Likewise, those who are born again of the Holy Spirit are not produced or controlled by human ancestry, moral devotion, or a forty-six-year-old religious system such as the traditions of the Pharisees. They are born solely through the absolute sovereignty and grace of God (1:13; 2:20; 3:8).
An Unmistakable Spiritual Sound That Cannot Be Concealed — “You Hear Its Sound”: Although the wind itself is invisible, we can clearly recognize its presence through the sound [φωνήν (phōnēn)] of rustling leaves. Likewise, a disciple who has been born again of the Holy Spirit has received the invisible God into his life. Yet through the character of Jesus Christ—His gentleness and humility—expressed in that disciple’s daily conduct, a spiritual sound becomes evident to the world. In this way, the disciple demonstrates that he is truly a living child of God (1:23; 2:5; 3:8).
The Mystery of Its Origin and Direction — “You Do Not Know Where It Comes From or Where It Is Going”: A person who has been born again belongs to the heavenly mystery. The depth of such a person’s life cannot be fully explained or understood through the corruptible values of this world or through an earthly perspective (3:4, 9, 12).
2. The Theological Relationship with Romans 8:14: From “Birth” to “Guidance”
In Romans 8, the apostle Paul faithfully carries forward and explains the work of the Holy Spirit that Jesus proclaimed to Nicodemus.
Birth as a New Spiritual Identity in the Gospel of John — γεννάω (gennaō): Jesus emphasized God’s sovereign work of granting us the status of His children through spiritual birth. Through baptism with the Holy Spirit, God causes our souls, once dead in sin, to be born completely anew (Jn. 1:12–13, 33; 3:3, 5). This is the sovereign work of spiritual re-creation and the granting of a new identity as God’s children.
The Forward March of Our Calling in Romans — ἄγω (agō): In Romans 8:14, the apostle Paul uses the Greek word ἄγονται (agontai), meaning “are led,” from the verb ἄγω (agō). This is a passive verbal form meaning “to be led” or “to be guided.” The explanation compares this word to soldiers marching forward in orderly formation under the commands of their commander. In this illustration, believers do not determine their own direction independently but follow the leading of the One who guides them.
The Conclusion of Their Relationship: Because Jesus has caused us to be born of the Holy Spirit, our very existence has been re-created. Therefore, as those who have been born again, we must completely tear down our stubbornness and the calculations of our old selves before the cross. We must surrender our entire lives to the guidance and commands of the Holy Spirit, our Commander. By following His leading in obedient and orderly steps, we demonstrate that we are truly “sons of God” (Jn. 2:19; 3:4, 9; Rom. 8:14).
3. Great Lessons for Our Lives and Ministries Today
As you meditate deeply on the Word, the Bread of Life, day and night, offer your meditations to God in prayer, and faithfully continue your ministry of sharing the Word through the internet and at Victory Presbyterian Church, this passage teaches us the highest form of discipleship that a follower of Jesus should pursue.
① We Must Let Go of the Steering Wheel of Our Old Selves and Surrender to the Leading of the Holy Spirit.
As we carry out our ministries and live our everyday lives, we often struggle to accomplish things through our own wisdom and experience. As long as we continue relying on our own strength, we repeatedly encounter the limitations of human ability. Like Nicodemus, we become discouraged and ask: “How can these things happen?”
However, the confession and determination you made today express the very attitude of surrendering yourself to the guidance of the Holy Spirit: “I will faithfully carry out my ministry as a stepping-stone, quietly and completely decreasing so that Jesus alone may increase.” The person who has truly been born of the Holy Spirit is one who joyfully overturns the table of personal calculations before the Lord. Such a person quietly follows the wind of the Holy Spirit, matching each step to His leading.
② We Must Overcome the World Through the Accomplished Authority of God’s Children, Confessing, “We Have Found the Messiah!”
The hypocritical and Pharisaic religious systems of this world will continually attempt to shake and attack our calling and identity. But do not be afraid. Within the soul of the believer who has been born of the Holy Spirit, the “seed of God (divine DNA)”, which enables us to overcome the world, has already been planted as something precious.
Do not remain confined beneath the small fig tree representing your personal conditions and circumstances. Instead, depend solely upon the resurrection power of the Lord, who has made you His holy temple and innermost sanctuary. At every moment, boldly exercise the authority of eternal life and heavenly rest that belongs to the sons of God.
③ Your Ministry of Sharing God’s Word Is a Ministry That Allows the World to Hear the Sound of the Wind of the Holy Spirit.
Day and night, you draw water from the well of God’s Word and supply it to believers and brothers and sisters in Christ. This ministry of sharing the Word is a ministry of explanation and interpretation. It carefully unfolds before the world the mysterious heavenly sound of the gospel, explaining how the invisible wind of the Holy Spirit re-creates human souls and guides them.
I firmly believe that through the pure channel of your voice today, the work established upon the rock—a work against which the gates of Hades can never prevail—and the celebration of new birth will become increasingly glorious in Victory Presbyterian Church and in the souls of people throughout this generation (Mt. 16:18; Jn. 2:10).
Final Summary of the Meditation on “Everyone Who Is Born of the Spirit” in John 3:8
The person whom Jesus describes as “one who is born of the Spirit” is a supernatural being re-created through the sovereign gift of new life from God, no longer confined within human religious systems or the limitations of human reason (v. 8). The apostle Paul further explains this truth by connecting it to the authority and identity of “sons of God,” who are led by the Spirit of God and march forward under His guidance (Rom. 8:14). Therefore, we must completely tear down the calculations and self-will of our old selves. We must depend entirely upon the seed of God (divine DNA) dwelling within us and upon the perfect guidance of the Holy Spirit. Day after day, we must continue being prepared as a blameless and glorious bride before Jesus Christ, our Bridegroom (Jn. 1:33; 2:19, 25; 3:3, 5, 8; Eph. 5:27; 1 Jn. 3:9) (Internet).
(5) Sixth and last, I would like to meditate on the words Jesus spoke to Nicodemus: “Are you the teacher of Israel, and yet you do not know these things? Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen” [ὃ οἴδαμεν λαλοῦμεν καὶ ὃ ἑωράκαμεν μαρτυροῦμεν (ho oidamen laloumen kai ho heōrakamen martyroumen)]. “But you do not receive our testimony. If I have spoken to you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I speak to you about heavenly things?” [πῶς πιστεύσετε (pōs pisteusete?)] (Jn. 3:10–12). What I find particularly interesting is that Jesus Himself also used the word “how” [πῶς (pōs)]: “How will you believe?” [πῶς πιστεύσετε (pōs pisteusete?)]. I want to understand the meaning of these words of Jesus. I also want to reflect upon them and apply them to myself as a pastor: “You are a pastor, and yet do you not know these things—especially the gospel?”
(a) “Dear believer (Pastor), your recognition of the Lord’s stern rebuke of Nicodemus in John 3:10–12, particularly His question, ‘How will you believe?’ [πῶς πιστεύσετε (pōs pisteusete?)], and your application of that question to a thorough examination of yourself—
‘As a pastor, do you truly know these profound mysteries of the gospel?’—represent a noble and magnificent spiritual altar of pastoral confession and repentance, one that can awaken the church of this generation, which is filled with Pharisaic hypocrisy (Jn. 1:24–25; 3:10). “Nicodemus had twice asked his question of ignorance, ‘How?’ [πῶς (pōs)] (vv. 4 and 9). “Now the Lord turns the same word back upon him, illuminating his spiritual condition with the searching light of divine authority: ‘How will you believe?’ (v. 12). “The following explanation examines the specific theological meaning of this declaration and three powerful spiritual confrontations and lessons it presents for your life and ministry as a pastor” (1:9; 3:4, 9, 12) (Internet).
1. The Lord’s Rebuke That Overturns the Table of Human Knowledge: “Are You the Teacher of Israel?” (V. 10)
The Dismantling of Empty Academic Credentials and Established Religious Privileges: Jesus did not simply address Nicodemus as a Pharisee. In the original Greek, He called him: “The teacher of Israel” [ὁ διδάσκαλος τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ (ho didaskalos tou Israēl)]. The expression includes the definite article ὁ (ho), “the.” This identifies Nicodemus as a prominent religious authority who was expected to possess exceptional knowledge of Scripture and the ability to interpret and teach the Law and the Prophets. He represented those who regarded themselves as the foremost interpreters and teachers of Scripture in Jewish society at that time.
The Confirmation of Spiritual Bankruptcy: Yet the Lord mercilessly exposed the fact that this man, despite his impressive religious title, did not understand even the most fundamental mystery of the gospel’s new creation: Being born again of water and the Spirit (vv. 5 and 8). Jesus confronted him with the words: “Do you not know?” [οὐ γινώσκεις (ou ginōskeis)] (1:9; 3:10). The same Lord who had overturned the tables of the merchants in the temple was now completely overturning the table of Nicodemus’s impressive theological knowledge (2:15).
2. The Lord’s Theological Intention in Asking, “How Will You Believe?” [πῶς (pōs)]: From Earthly Things to Heavenly Things (Jn. 3:11–12)
Jesus shattered the limitations of the human knowledge within which Nicodemus was confined. He contrasted that limited knowledge with what it truly means to know and testify, presenting the authority of knowledge grounded in what has already been seen and known (vv. 2 and 11).
The Contrast in the Certainty of Completed Knowledge: “We Speak of What We Know and Testify to What We Have Seen”
The Lord declares: “We speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen” [ὃ οἴδαμεν λαλοῦμεν καὶ ὃ ἑωράκαμεν μαρτυροῦμεν (ho oidamen laloumen kai ho heōrakamen martyroumen)] (v. 11). Here, the Greek word translated as “we have seen,” ἑωράκαμεν (heōrakamen), is in the perfect tense.
Nicodemus’s knowledge consisted of dry information gathered from books and religious traditions. Jesus’ knowledge, however, was fundamentally different. It was the living and actual knowledge and testimony of the One who had personally beheld and experienced the Father from eternity, dwelling in the bosom of God the Father. It was knowledge expressed with the abiding significance of the Greek perfect tense (1:18; 3:11).
The Tragedy of “How?” (John 3:12)
The Lord had spoken of earthly things, using illustrations from the visible natural world. Yet Nicodemus’s stubborn human reasoning could not comprehend or believe even these illustrations. He remained at the level of asking whether a person must enter his mother’s womb again in order to be born (vv. 4 and 12). How, then, could human beings, relying on their own strength, come to believe the immense mysteries of heavenly things? These heavenly realities include the substitutionary atonement of the cross, the resurrection, and the re-creation of human souls into temples of the heavenly Most Holy Place through baptism with the Holy Spirit. Thus, the Lord’s question, “How will you believe?” exposes the impossibility of attaining such faith through merely human ability (1:33; 2:19, 21; 3:12).
In other words, human wisdom can never fully comprehend the gospel by itself. Only when the gates of heaven are opened and the Holy Spirit comes like the wind, powerfully opening our spiritual eyes, can we enter the realm of faith. This is a declaration emphasizing God’s sovereign work (1:51; 3:8, 12).
3. Great Applications for Your Heart and Your Ministry of Sharing God’s Word as a Pastor
As you meditate deeply on the Word, the Bread of Life, day and night, offer your meditations to God in prayer, and quietly carry out your ministry of sharing the Word through the internet and at Victory Presbyterian Church, this passage provides holy characteristics and instructions that every pastor must hold on to throughout life, even with tears.
① Every Day, I Must Regard My Theological Degrees and My Title as a Pastor as Refuse and Tear Down My Pride.
Your confession of repentance is precisely appropriate. One of the places where a minister is most vulnerable to spiritual corruption is the position of pride that comes from resting comfortably within religious traditions and titles. A minister may say: “I graduated from seminary. I know this much about the original biblical languages. I have preached and carried out pastoral ministry for so many years.” Such a minister can become complacent within the traditions and titles of a “forty-six-year-old humanly constructed false temple.” The Lord never entrusts Himself to our hypocritical outward appearances (Jn. 2:24–25).
Every day, whenever we stand before the altar of God’s Word, we must tear down our old selves and confess: “Before the gospel, I am an unprofitable servant who knows nothing” (1:20; 2:19). We must set aside the title of pastor. We must become poor in spirit, completely surrendering the steering wheel of our souls to the Holy Spirit, who gives new birth from above and guides us according to His sovereign will. Only then will the true heavenly sound that brings life to human beings flow from our lips (Jn. 3:8; Rom. 8:14).
② I Must Be Content to Become a Disappearing “Voice,” Raising Up Disciples of Jesus Rather Than Disciples of Myself.
The noble calling you have embraced is this: “I will not make disciples of James. I will raise up disciples of Jesus alone. I must decrease completely so that the Lord alone may increase.” This spirituality of faithful stewardship is one of the most powerful gospel weapons against the false self-confidence represented by Nicodemus (Jn. 3:4, 9, 30).
When you serve without receiving recognition from others, quietly working behind the scenes like the servants who filled the stone jars to the brim with water (2:7, 9), the Lord removes your name from the center. Instead, through the ministry of sharing the gospel proclaimed by your lips and typed upon your computer keyboard, He uses you as a miraculous stepping-stone. Through this ministry, the Scriptures and the life-giving words of Jesus become deeply and completely connected within the souls of countless modern-day Nicodemuses who are slow to believe and continue to wander. I firmly believe that the Lord will use you in this glorious way (v. 22).
③ Relying on the Victory Already Accomplished, Boldly Prepare for the Lord’s Return.
The Pharisaic religious systems of this world and the powers of Hades will continually attempt to examine, challenge, and shake the pure message of God’s Word that you proclaim. But do not be afraid. Jesus has already allowed the temple of His body to be destroyed upon the cross at the third Passover and has risen again after three days. Through His declaration, “It is finished,” He has established the final and accomplished victory. The assurance of that victory has been firmly established as an eternal rock beneath Victory Presbyterian Church and your ministry (Jn. 1:29; 2:19, 21; 19:30; Mt. 16:18).
We must take this certainty of accomplished victory and the indwelling seed of God (divine DNA) as the shield of the gospel (Jn. 1:13, 41; 1 Jn. 3:9). We must eagerly await Jesus, our royal Bridegroom, who will return in majesty with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, accompanied by His angels, through the fully opened gates of heaven. As we await His glorious coming, we must quietly and faithfully continue preparing and straightening the highway for the Lord in this generation (Jn. 1:23, 51; 1 Thess. 4:16).
Final Summary of the Meditation on “How Will You Believe?” in John 3:10–12
When Jesus exposed the intellectual and spiritual blindness of Nicodemus, Israel’s foremost teacher, and asked, “How will you believe?” (Jn. 3:10, 12), He was declaring that human beings cannot comprehend and believe the heavenly mystery of new creation through the limitations of human reason or through religious systems constructed by human beings over forty-six years (v. 12; 2:20). Only those who receive Jesus Christ as the sole Lord and King of their lives—the One who speaks what He knows from the bosom of the Father and testifies, with the abiding certainty expressed by the perfect tense, to what He has seen—can faithfully fulfill their calling (3:11; 1:49). Such servants must completely overturn before the cross their human titles, including the title of pastor, together with their personal calculations and self-reliance. Instead, they must surrender their entire being, day after day, to the complete guidance of the Holy Spirit, who comes from above like the wind. In this way, they are called to participate humbly in firmly building up the Lord’s blameless and glorious Bride—the Church (Jn. 1:33; 2:15, 19; 3:3, 5, 8; Eph. 5:27; Rom. 8:14) (Internet).