10E MUST BE BORN AGAIN TRANSCRIPT
0:00:13.2 S1: Welcome to Crazy Good God!
0:00:16.9 S2: I'm Nancy Teague, and thank you for listening. To know more about me, the Crazy Good God podcast, and all the podcasts platforms I'm on - go to wwwcrazygoodgod.org. The previous podcast number nine explored who is Nicodemus, the one who came to Jesus by night. Have you ever thought ‘We are just like Nicodemus’? Knowing Nicodemus is quite the eye-opener. Episode 10, we are going to find out what born again means according to Jesus, not according to tradition. I used to think Jesus ignored Nicodemus’ initial statement about Jesus's signs and being from God and then Jesus went a totally different direction. But recently, I found one word that explains Jesus's response. And that word is ‘if’. Yes, i f. We need to see and understand the ‘if’, the i f. Nicodemus, the one who came to Jesus by night, made an ‘if’ statement on how he knew who Jesus was. But Nic’s statement opened the door for Jesus to give his if statement. And Jesus’s if shook Nicodemus to the core. Here's the story, John 3 v.2 - Nicodemus, a Pharisee, a ruler of the Jews, came to Jesus by night – “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher from God, for no one can do these signs that you do, unless God is with him.”
0:02:23.7 S2: So here's the big if, it's translated, unless. Nothing can happen, unless God is with him, the one who does these miracles. In the Greek, it's the word E-A-N, and it's the word if. Many translate it ‘unless’. This Greek word ‘if’ ean E-A-N, refers to a condition extending to its spin-off possibilities. That is the spin-offs happen if the condition is actualized or valid. So here's Nicodemus’ ‘if’. His condition, I saw signs. Spin off, you are from God and God is with you. Jesus didn't deny Nic’s if, unless statement. And could it be internally, Jesus was thinking, Oh good, Nic kinda gets that I am from God. Just wait until I tell him where he's from, and everyone else. Boy, is he in for a surprise! Now, I'm just conjecturing there, but it's fun to think about. So, here's Jesus's response to Nicodemus’ ‘unless’ statement about Jesus. Verse three, Jesus says, Most assuredly( in the Greek truly truly, for certain), I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God. Born is the Greek word gennao. It means from the womb. Again, is a different Greek word, anouthen, that means from above. Two locations - from the womb, from above. And the spin-off of that condition of being gennao anouthen - born again - is you can't see the Kingdom unless you have those two conditions. And Jesus says he cannot,
0:04:43.8 S2: there is no dunamai, in the Greek means power. We get our word dynamite from, there's no way he can see the kingdom. In other words, Nic, I know you're all about God's kingdom and wanting to please and obey God, but the kingdom is naturally accessible to all, because you all are made in My image, being part of the kingdom has nothing to do with rituals, laws, tradition, certain prayers. Now, Nicodemus is incredulous, and he says to Jesus, “How can you be born gennao when old, can you go back into your mother's womb and be born gennao? Nic only heard gennao. He didn't hear anouthen! You know what, we hear what we want to hear, and a lot of times we hear what we're programmed to hear. So, Jesus says it another way to Nicodemus, and in that he's going to make an even bigger point. Verse 5, Jesus says, “Truly, most assuredly, unless you are born gennao of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. Condition -unless born of the womb and spirit, Jesus uses just the word gennao, spin-off is enter the kingdom. Jesus continues, verse 6, that which is born gennao of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born gennao of the Spirit is spirit.”!
0:06:46.0 S2: This is crazy. In other words, the Spirit from above has everything to do with our gennao, being born in the womb, our being a human being. So don't you wonder what Nic’s face looked like, his body language, his non-verbals. Okay, then to fully understand the next verse though, we have to read The King James Version. Jesus says, verse seven, “Do not marvel, Don't be amazed, don't be astonished out of your senses, don't be awestruck that I said unto thee (and this is the King James version for singular you) that I said unto thee, Nicodemus, you all (plural) must be absolutely necessary, inevitable, must happen. Born Again, gennao anouthen. Isn’t that crazy? In other words, you have... all of you have no choice in the matter. Jesus sees Nicodemus’ religious brain exploding. So Jesus goes on, Nic, do you know who you are like? The wind. So here's Verse 8, “The wind blows wherever it wants, and you hear the sound. But you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So is everyone who is born gennao of the spirit.” It's like Jesus is saying to Nicodemus, You don't know where you come from, and you don't know where you go.
0:08:41.2 S2: But it's all wrapped up in above - the Spirit and birth. Then Nicodemus says, bless his heart - “How can these things be?” And Jesus says to Nicodemus, verse 10, “Are you the teacher of Israel? And do not know these things?” It's like, whoa, what a comeback from Jesus? I wonder if that seeming put down offended Nicodemus? If you were pretty sure of your beliefs, would you be offended if someone challenged your beliefs? Would you be willing to dig deeper to see if this is so? You know what, Nicodemus did! And John shows us that as we talked about in the previous episode, episode 9. Truly, what a guy! So Nic’s life is all about works. But, Jesus is wanting Nicodemus to see this truth - your value and wondrous self is about your origin, where you first begin, where you initially came from. So according to Jesus's words, born again has nothing to do with getting saved and going to heaven. That's tradition! Born again is all about being a human being who originates from above, in God,We are from above and the womb, and what that does it gives us kingdom entrance. Maybe can all do a Nicism. How can that be? That can't be it!
0:10:34.4 S2: It’s just like, it’s like, this is so crazy good! So, let's take a deep breath. Sigh. Okay, here's the deal. We have nothing to do with seeing the kingdom, let alone entering the kingdom. We have absolutely no dunamai, no power, to be in the womb or from above. Now, Jesus used three most assuredly in the Greek for certain necessary three times in his conversation with Nicodemus. Verses 3 and 5 were the first two. The third one was verse 11, which we're gonna look at. “Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what we have seen, and you all do not receive Our witness. Now, the King James points out that it’s pronouns of We an Our, and the second You is plural. So he's talking to Nicodemus,” I say to you, we speak what we know and what we've seen. But you all, all of you do not receive our witness.” So here it is Jesus is talking by himself, but he's using the We and the Our. Does Nic know who the We are? No. I'm sure he's getting a little uncomfortable. Then in Verse 12, Jesus says, “If I have told you (singular), Nicodemus earthly things, and you all do not believe, how will you all believe
0:12:13.7 S2: if I tell you, Nicodemus, heavenly things? So, remember when He said earlier, Nicodemus, you're a teacher of the law, you don't know these things? So, it's like - Nicodemus, if you don't believe what I'm saying, if you don't believe Our witness, how are you going to tell anybody else? So, Nicodemus, I've been trying to get across to you the elementary earthly of being born gennao of water and the Spirit - it's all about all of yous origin, but you all do not believe our witness, so how will you all be open to even more wonder of heavenly things? And then Jesus has something else to say to Nicodemus, that's even more crazy. In Verse 13, “No one has ascended to heaven, but he who came down from heaven, the Son of Man, who is in Heaven.” Now did Nicodemus know Jesus was the Son of Man? No., But we know that this side of the cross, many believe that. But Nic didn't have that understanding during their conversation, So here's Jesus, the Incarnate Word, came down to ultimately ascend back to where He came from. He couldn't ascend unless He had descended. Consider this, Jesus is even talking prophetically about his death and resurrection.
0:13:45.1 S2: He descended into death, and He ascended into heaven. Jesus fills all things for all time. He's always present - Past Present Future! Jesus is called the last Adam and became the first Adam to redeem all of us to his original design and intention. All mankind died with Him on the cross and were buried with him and rose with Him. In Romans 6. So, here's Jesus, He's always present, and He said, “It is finished.” This is all mind-boggling and tradition challenging, to say the least. So. just thinking about these things that I've shared - do you wonder why the true meaning of born again has not been preached? The best answer that I can come up with is man's tradition of teaching, man's wisdom, and to realize that religiosity, it's all about transactions. Man has to do something to get saved. So, I know that's a lot to take in. And if you're saying, How can this be!? I understand. So may I encourage you to ponder Jesus's words of gennao and anouthen, the two Greek words for the womb/from the womb and from above. Re-listen to this podcast and read John 3 1 through 13 in your Bible, and then ask Jesus, “Is this so?”
Until next Wednesday, Bliss to you and never forget, God is absolutely crazy about you!