Now there was a Pharisee 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 do these signs that you are doing unless God is with him." Jesus answered and said to him, "Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above." Nicodemus said to him, "How can a person once grown old be born again? Surely he cannot reenter his mother's womb and be born again, can he?" Jesus answered, "Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of flesh is flesh and what is born of spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I told you, 'You must be born from above.' The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." (Jn 3:1-8)
Jesus chose his disciples and taught them the values of the kingdom. There were also disciples who wanted to follow him as we see in the gospel of John. We also see in this gospel of John that there are persons who are of the members of the leading men of the society and still they want to be follower of Jesus. At least there were interested in knowing the teachings of Jesus.
‘Being born from above’ or ‘being born of water and spirit’ are the terms we find in today’s reading. Jesus goes to say that ordinary birth is not sufficient for the movement that he has begun. God is beginning a new family through Jesus. To be a member of this family one has to be born from above. This would mean that the initiative is from God.
‘Water and spirit’ would mean the double baptism: baptism in water, which brings people into the kingdom-movement begun by John the Baptist and continued by the disciples of Jesus, and the baptism in the spirit which Jesus offers. The two are closely linked. The early church did not see these two to be distinct from one another in stead both are interlinked. Both were required for the membership of the kingdom of God.
