The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit. John 3:8 NLT
God breathes and His Spirit is released in the form of a wind. Wherever it blows, the eternal touches temporal. Adam, fashioned out made the dust of the ground, became a man when God breathed over him.
Job also knew the wind of the Spirit. He said, “The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.” Job 33:4
Ezekiel saw the effects of the Spirit. “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may life.” Ezekiel 37:9 In a vision, nearly dead bodies came to life, stood on their feet, and became a great army.
The world at the end of the tribulation will see the effects of the wind when the two witnesses, the prophets Satan kills, come back to life with a breath. “But after three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them.” Revelation 11:11
And, oh, how the disciples were transformed by it. When their souls were despondent after the crucifixion of Jesus, He appeared, told them to be at peace, and then breathed on them. “Receive the Holy Spirit.” John 20:21 They went from there to burn brightly from then on.
We’ve experienced it too at the time of salvation. God breathed over us and our spiritual blindness was cured. We looked up and saw a Savior; we looked inside and saw our sin.
The wind of the Spirit continues to be a source of spiritual renewal. Our spiritual fathers knew it as they made breathing prayer a way of life. As they inhaled, they prayed ~ “O Lord Jesus,” and as they exhaled, “Have mercy on me.” In difficult periods, I’ve made this breathing prayer a part of my life.
The Spirit of God, the breath of God, is within us. He longs to rise up and infuse us with eternal life. The outgrowth is calmness and spiritual power. He also longs to rise up and infuse us with spiritual understanding. The outgrowth is a truth-thud, that moment when a spiritual mystery registers deeply within us and there is miraculous clarity.
Breathe on me again, Holy Spirit, as I digest this devotional. Amen
Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. John 3:6 NLT
What did Jesus mean when He talked about flesh and spirit with respect to the new birth?
To be born physically, the union of a man and a woman are necessary. Coming from them, I resemble them. I have their DNA in my bones. I have my grandmother’s nose, my aunt’s musical ability, my father’s gentle spirit, my mother’s gift of compassion, and a combination of their gestures and facial movements. That’s why Jesus said, ‘That which is born of the flesh is flesh.’
To be born spiritually, there is also a birth by a parent. A new Father calls me His child. He touches my dead spirit and brings it to life. I’m given a new nature, His nature. I’m given undeserved righteousness, His righteousness. Begotten of God, I become like the One who gave me a spiritual birth. That’s why Jesus said, ‘That which is born of the Spirit is spirit.’
But, am I more like my earthly parents or my Heavenly Father? If I’ve been born again, my second birth is to trump the first. The second birth is to re-define my whole identity. It is meant to re-shape whatever has been disfigured by formation inside my human family. My perfect Father intends to re-parent me. He’s eager to fix what was broken and mature what was stunted. He blesses the righteous seeds of my parents while challenging the sinful legacies. That creates friction ~ both in me and in my family. Yet, this is what spiritual growth involves.
I can pray the sinner’s prayer, call myself a child of God, but never engage in a Father/daughter relationship. I do not experience His endearing ways. From lack of intimacy, I don’t become like the One who gave me spiritual life. I cling to the patterns, habits, and beliefs of my earthly family. My history normalized their dysfunction and it feels uncomfortable to step out of line. My family might not like it if I honor Jesus before them. I will potentially lose favor.
Yet, this is the call. I am to leave father and mother to follow God. ‘The family way of doing things’ is to no longer bind me if ‘the family way’ is out of step with the kingdom.
I don’t like not fitting in. I am uncomfortable with criticism, especially from family. Your likeness is what I seek so give me grace for whatever friction my follow. Amen
Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. John 3:5 NLT
Jesus is answering Nicodemus’ questions about being born again. He reveals that it happens through two agents: water ~ which is the Word of God and the Spirit ~ the One who opens someone’s eyes to the Word so that they can understand it. Preaching of the Word alone is not sufficient for a new birth. It must be accompanied by the breath of the Spirit who moves over darkened minds.
These two change agents will always be what is necessary for a person’s eyes to be opened to their need for a Savior. If someone only reads the Word, it is a strange language which seems to have no value.
Think about your favorite scripture right now; the one you’ve cherished for years, the one you’ve typed out, highlighted and dated in your Bible, and perhaps even taped to your bathroom mirror. You could write out that verse for ten unbelievers and it would mean nothing. They would be puzzled by how life-giving it is to you. That’s because the wind of the Holy Spirit hasn’t opened their eyes yet.
The Word and the Spirit bring about new birth but they continue to be change agents in my sanctification. There have been lies about God that held me hostage. There have been areas where despair ruled and faith was absent. I couldn’t understand why I didn’t have victory. I memorized many verses in an attempt to bring the change I was seeking but the truth of them didn’t impact me. I was confused but was too embarrassed to admit it. My disappointment in my faith festered in secret. If only I’d understood then what Jesus was telling John. It is the scriptures plus the wind of the Spirit that brings new life.
Each of us faces one stronghold after another. It can easily be overwhelming without the assurance that the spiritual power of the Word, and the Spirit, combine to offer deliverance and a change to a captive way of life. We can not only know the truth but feel the truth.
Whenever you and I have an ‘a-ha’ spiritual moment, we know that the Holy Spirit is giving us understanding of the scriptures. The Word becomes precious to us and the Spirit writes a new message on the pillars on our life’s foundation.
Jesus replied,“I tell you the truth, unless you are born again,you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” “What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?” John 3:3-4 NLT
The kingdom-related things that take place between people and God are invisible. The new birth is invisible. The washing away of sins is invisible. The cleansing of our conscience is invisible. God is invisible. The Spirit is invisible. And Jesus, once visible, is invisible once again.
The new birth is no small thing. Whomever I am ‘born of’ determines who I am like. Children inherit the attributes of their parents. I was ‘of my father the devil’ until the new birth. I was in his clutches and, like him, my own flesh drove my decision making. Now, I could be on good behavior but it was only because it was self-serving. My heart was alive to sin and dead to God. This captivity was invisible.
But oh, there was a day when God said ‘let there be light’ to my own spiritual eyes. Jesus came into view (though invisible) and nothing has ever been the same. I was born of heaven and my entire nature changed. I was no longer like my father the devil. God touched my spirit and I was born of Him. My likeness was transformed to resemble my new Father. I had new spiritual DNA. (Invisible) Whenever there is birth, the one who gives birth bears pain. My birth into God’s kingdom cost me nothing. The pain was borne by Jesus.
What can be seen by physical eyes todays is least important. Real life happens behind the veil. God’s promises are at work in my life. Invisible. Jesus is praying for me. Invisible. I am being sanctified. Invisible. Jesus is preparing a home for me. Invisible. Every prayer I pray is being answered. Invisible.
My faith is in One unseen and in a kingdom yet unseen. Do kingdom things become visible in this life? Oh yes! We know that. We see people change, provisions appear, diseases healed, seasons perpetuate, and God is everywhere if we look for His fingerprints. In Sunday School a few days ago, our teacher mentioned an Elizabeth Barrett Browning quote.
Nicodemus said, “We know that you are a teacher come from God.” John 3:2
Jesus said, “You are a teacher from Israel and yet you do not know these things.” John 3:10
It’s safe to generalize. “We all think you should do this or that.” Or, “We all believe this is a problem.” The person speaking feels it’s safer to do this than share his own opinion. To personalize is so much more vulnerable.
John tells the story of Nicodemus coming to Jesus at night. The ruler of the Jews begins with a generalization. “We know that you are a teacher…” He must be speaking on behalf of a group. Other teachers? Other Pharisees? Who is ‘we’? Jesus quickly moves the topic to metaphors without pinning Nicodemus down. Eventually however, the moment comes. Jesus has spoken of new birth, the wind of the Holy Spirit, the contrast between things of the flesh and things of the Spirit, and all the while Nicodemus has been under the spotlight gaze of the Savior.
“You are a teacher from Israel, Nicodemus, and yet you do not know these things.”
Nicodemus began with ‘we know’. Jesus exposes his spiritually bankrupt understanding by telling him that he ‘doesn’t know.’
When it comes to the kingdom, what I believe I understand best may be the very thing I understand least. I’ve cut myself off to learn wisdom and understanding. I’m no longer asking questions. The most dangerous thing is to believe that the things of heaven work like the things of earth. Earthly comparisons rarely prove relevant. If I could have a talk with Nicodemus today, he might give this advice. “Christine, believe me. What you think you know, you probably don’t.”
What I do know is this ~ “I know whom I have believed.”
I am Your student who seeks understanding. I begin on my knees. Amen
There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. John 3:1-2 NLT
It was 2009. My daughter, Jaime, had been asked to speak to a group of women several hundred miles away. I offered to go with her, to be her companion and to give prayer support, something she has done for me hundreds of times. She and I sat near the front and the program was about to start. Jaime was quiet, prayerfully reviewing her notes and getting her spiritual focus. At that moment, the committee chairman came and whispered something in my ear. She told me that some notable people with influence had arrived. Excited, I turned to tell Jaime the news. “Guess who is here!” I said. I began to tell her but Jaime held up her hand for me to stop. She said, with such sadness, “Mom, why do you bring me so great a temptation right before I speak?” An arrow of conviction pierced my soul. Now, she would feel the pressure to perform well. Now, she would be aware that her presentation was getting graded by a few people who came to be impressed. I had delivered all of these pressures to her on a silver platter. Later that day, I asked her to forgive me.
I’ve spent much of my life wrestling with Christian Babylon, the world I’ve come to know from a lifetime of engagement in American church ministry. It’s much about who hears you speak or sing. It’s about looking your best before taking the stage. It’s about having a sold-out concert or conference. It’s about the size of the church that invited you. It’s about dressing in a way where others know you’re the speaker or singer when you walk into the room. The rule of thumb is to be a little bit more dressed up than they are. Make a statement with your choice of clothing and accessories. All of this co-exists with the weight of wanting to magnify Jesus and reach people with the Gospel. Oh, motives are messy and nothing is altruistic.
Covid has been a course corrector. With so much time to reflect, I’ve re-evaluated everything. In the process, I’ve gone through my closet and donated almost all of my ‘speaking clothes and statement jewelry.’ I don’t have the stomach for it anymore. God has done this new thing. My new litmus test has become this ~ Would Corrie Ten Boom wear this to speak? It seems that in every picture, she looked the same. So in every way, I’ve simplified. I’ve cast off some weights that so easily beset me.
What does all of this have to do with Nicodemus and John 3? Nicodemus was a ruler of the Jews, a notable person, the equivalent of one of our supreme court justices. He came to speak with Jesus but here’s the thing. Jesus felt no pressure. He didn’t sit up straighter because of who it was that paid him a visit. He didn’t try to elevate His illustrations to impress. He went the other direction. He spoke of spiritually infantile things, the stuff of wombs and being born again.
It’s the middle of the night and while pondering all of this on my bed, a vision came to me. I was half-awake. I was in a gladiator arena. I was the lone believer in the center, about to become a meal for the lions who were being released at any moment. The roar of the crowd was out of my radar. It didn’t matter to me if there were ten people in the stands or several hundred thousand. My focus was the faith test in front of me and how I would face the large cats. They would see me as prey; I would see them as predators.
Then, the Spirit of God spoke to me. “In the kingdom, they will not consume you. They will dwell with you as companions for your enjoyment.” And so, I stood and awaited their arrival. They circled me and I began to turn and look at each of them. I extoled their power, the beauty of their features, all given to them by Creator God. I asked if I could pet them. I approached the first, petted the top of his head, and scratched him behind his ears. His eyes closed and I began to hear him purr. I was in the kingdom and context had been transformed. I was not their meal; I was their friend. The audience were spectators of the power and glory of God.
God promises to tame the lions. We can exist in Babylon but not be consumed. The need to perform, to be accepted, to excel, to impress, to compete and win, will no longer be lions of prey. Nicodemus may grace our stage but so will the nameless widow who brought her mite to the temple. King Saul may summon us to calm oppressive spirits but so will the notorious demoniac who lives among the tombs. None of these, famous or infamous, will need a statesman. They will need a Savior and we will be the beggars who bring them to the One who saves.
Lord, I hear it again ~ your great commission. I will travel lighter, trading in my heavy robes for a simple tunic. I’m laying aside such weights and temptations. Amen
Jesus didn’t trust them, because he knew all about people. No one needed to tell him about human nature, for he knew what was in each person’s heart. John 2:24-25
Jesus knows people’s hearts and how fickle they are. He knows not to depend on them for what only His Father can give. Jesus also knows the hearts of the people we love and on whom we depend. Even at best, they are fickle compared to Him. While He would never tell us not to be in community, to love and to express our needs to each other, He would also assure us that He is available, and He is enough, when someone’s best falls short.
Are you disillusioned with people today? Perhaps you live in a relationship where you bare your soul and make your needs known, only to have them ignored. For the other person to love you well, it would require expensive personal change and perhaps they won’t risk stretching out of their comfort zone. Disillusionment happens on many levels and it is present in the most beautiful of relationships. Humanness collides with humanness and Jesus is there to pick up the pieces in our disappointment, and even heartbreak.
Perhaps in proportion to your need today, the love offered you feels like crumbs. Insatiable needs simply cannot be filled by anyone who stands nearby. Satan loves to point out the deficits, then finger-point, then discredit God’s inability to make up for what is lacking. He enhances the reality of our aching needs on a daily basis. Paul, whose past could have haunted him and caused him to doubt the love of God, told us to be rooted and grounded in it. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. Ephesians 3:17
Our roots in His love keep us strong. How does that look? Jesus didn’t stop telling those close to Him what he needed. When others reached out, He accepted their love with openness. He lived, at peace, with others’ limitations, even their failures. When His disciples fell asleep, leaving Him alone on the worst night of His life, His faith in His Father did not waver. When Peter denied Him, He still extended the hand of friendship to him ~ even to the end of Peter’s life.
Meaningful relationships here on earth are the icing on the cake, but I cannot make them the ‘cake’. If I put my hope in them, my moods will rise and fall with their performance, I will live with disappointment and disillusionment until the love of God seizes my soul and I learn to rest.
I’m so glad my heart is safely with You so I am safe to need others. Amen
But the Jewish leaders demanded, “What are you doing? If God gave you authority to do this, show us a miraculous sign to prove it.” “All right,” Jesus replied. “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” John 2:18-19
Jesus upends the crooked commerce taking place in the temple. The innocent temple goers look on with fear. The guilty see what Jesus has just done and feel anger rising up out of their bowels. Jewish leaders instantly demand an answer. “What are you doing and show us a sign to prove that God gave you the authority to do it.”
The verb tense is in the present. “What are you doing?”
Jesus’ answer to them is spoken in a future tense. “Destroy this temple and I will raise it up.”
They are upset by what they are experiencing in the present, but His answer will take place in future revelation. They demand an answer with utter disrespect, yet Jesus is gracious to answer their question. He doesn’t have to. He is not accountable to them but to His Father.
Questioning God is part of life but because God’s answers are often promised in future tenses, my pain blinds me to the perfection of His providence. It does not yet appear that He orders all things well even; I am only seeing disorder. It does not yet appear that every travesty will be redeemed; I am only seeing senselessness. Future tenses in the form of God’s promises bring great comfort but only if I am willing to look beyond what I am presently experiencing. Maturity teaches me to ask questions through submissive tears, not with raised fists.
Jesus’ answers to the Jewish leaders are loaded. He refers to a temple but they do not know that He refers to Himself. He speaks of raising the temple back up after destruction, but they do not know that it has nothing to do with re-ordering the chaos in front of them. He has no intention of restoring the business of Passover. Perhaps that is why God gives promises instead of answers. People picture one thing while He means something entirely different.
This one thing I know. “Why Lord?” always has an answer. Always. As a beloved child of God, my greatest hopes and dreams lie in future tenses.
You will have to help me see the ‘now’ with eyes of faith. Amen
It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration, so Jesus went to Jerusalem. In the Temple area he saw merchants selling cattle, sheep, and doves for sacrifices; he also saw dealers at tables exchanging foreign money. Jesus made a whip from some ropes and chased them all out of the Temple.John 2:13-15
Each of us have things that are almost sacred to us. We might display them on a wall, under glass, or in a shadow box. If it’s a document, like a commendation or award, we might laminate it or frame it. We also put important papers in a file folder and wouldn’t think of folding them in half, lest we crease them. And then there’s love letters. We fasten them with a ribbon and tuck them away somewhere safe. Admittedly, to have someone trample on things sacred evokes strong emotions. I will erupt if something dear to me is damaged or destroyed.
My mother, the year before she died of cancer, made a quilt for Ron and for me. There was no sewing machine involved. Every inch of it was hand stitched. I often told her that it looked like she used a machine – so precise was her hem stitch. About ten years ago, I took it out of my cedar chest to discover that there were rips along the corners of more than a few patchwork squares. Years of tugging at it during the night had taken a toll. “Oh no, I’ve just got to fix it!” was my response. The first chance I got, out came my needle and thread.
If unraveling on my torn quilt could make me feel so deeply, can you imagine what Jesus felt when he entered the Temple area and saw what was happening on holy ground? This was the temple where His Father’s glory dwelt. This was the place where atonement was made for sin. This was the place where the rich and the poor alike could bring their best sacrifice and know that there would be no respecter of persons. But on this day, everything holy got trampled on. The business of the day was about extorting people, making exorbitant profits from the everyday Jew who had just traveled long distances.
But even more importantly, if the priests were crooked, the very ones who represented God’s likeness, then God would be considered crooked as well. He would be perceived as one who just wanted people for their money; valuable only if they funded the enterprise of everything related to the temple. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? The face of God is always marred by crooked religion. God still gets angry when there is misrepresentation of His character. He is jealous for His own glory but there is another reason. The very people He created, the ones He loves and sacrificed His Son for, will be the ones who don’t trust Him. For this, Jesus made whips and disrupted commerce. Woe to the shepherds who cause the sheep to stumble over the God who loves them.
This miraculous sign at Cana in Galilee was the first time Jesus revealed his glory. And his disciples believed in him. After the wedding he went to Capernaum for a few days with his mother, his brothers, and his disciples. John 2:11-12 NLT
Before Jesus performed his first miracle at the wedding in Cana, family and friends had only related to Him one way. But after the wedding feast, after drinking the finest wine that had been fashioned out of water, the dynamics changed. Worship, the ideal human response to seeing a miracle happen, was born. John says that this is the first time Jesus revealed His glory. To see that happen, in person, had huge effects on Jesus’ personal relationships.
Mary saw her Son turn 180 gallons of water into 180 gallons of wine. She knew He could do it. She had suggested it. But knowing someone can do something and seeing them do it are two different things. As she and the others went back to Capernaum, something new must have been born in her heart. A new kind of worship. Could her other grown children feel it? Undoubtedly. Was it alienating? Most likely. This wasn’t the first time they struggled with their Brother.
The siblings of Jesus experienced His perfection all throughout their childhood. Holiness certainly caused friction. As toddlers, they felt it, as Jesus was praised for His obedience. As teenagers, they felt it, as the sparks that His divinity caused intensified greatly. Whether they felt convicted, or jealous, His holiness was polarizing. When Jesus went back to Capernaum after His first miracle, His fame came back with Him. Whatever issues His brothers had with Him probably grew to giant-sized. Especially as they saw their mother look at the Son of God with worship in her eyes.
The disciples were changed because of the miracle. John says that they believed. They were stunned by what had happened. Their hearts were on fire but they were only in the honeymoon stage of their relationship with Jesus and couldn’t imagine how their love and loyalty would be tested in the days ahead. Loving Jesus hadn’t cost them anything yet. Their worship was immature. They were like the Israelites having just crossed the Red Sea. They were like those who first ate manna that came from heaven. But they hadn’t been in a boat with Jesus during the worst storm of their career only to wonder why He wasn’t doing anything. They hadn’t seen Him arrested yet, only to fight the disillusionment that broken dreams bring. They hadn’t faced the stigma of following someone who had grown unpopular, who was in fact, despised.
The miracle of Cana was wonderful but it also ushered in a period of great change. For any of us who have seen God’s glory, we can testify that it changes up things in our lives. Some for the good. Oh, but not always.
You are the Lord of Glory, the giver of Grace. To live as one stunned by Your glory, bathe me with grace for the after affects. You felt them first-hand and know. Amen
Daughters of promise 