Feast of the Holy Trinity (John 3:1-15)
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, approached Jesus one night to learn the gospel from Him. Jesus begins at the beginning. “ U nless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God .” There must be a rebirth, a second birth, for anyone who who wants experience God’s kingdom. It isn’t enough to be a child of Abraham, a ruler of the Jews, or a righteous man in the eyes of others. Rebirth is required. But Nicodemus doesn’t understand. “ How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born? ” he asks. He’s stuck in fleshly thinking that can’t understand the things of God. While Jesus speaks of a rebirth, a second birth, He describes this birth as being one from heaven. The word translated again can also be translated from above , and Jesus uses the word with both meanings in mind. To see the kingdom of God, one must be born a second time, yes, but that seco...