This was the question Nicodemus asked Jesus. Jesus told Nicodemus, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3) Nicodemus was skeptical of this. He asks, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?” (John 3:4) Jesus explained that we cannot enter the kingdom of God unless we are born of water and of the Spirit. (verses 5 & 6) Jesus continues to explain that a spiritual birth cannot be seen. It is like the wind. We can only see the effects of it. Nicodemus could not understand this. Jesus tells him that the reason he can’t understand this is because he does not believe what Jesus says. (verses 10-12) Jesus then refers to the Old Testament story in Numbers 21:8-9 where people were bit by snakes. They were healed only if they believed what God told them through Moses, that if they looked up at the brass snake that Moses had made they would be healed. So we too must look to and believe what God says about Jesus being lifted up on the cross. “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3:14-18)
