John chapter 3 and verse 10: Jesus answers Nicodemus and says Are you a teacher of Israel? And yet you do not understand these things?

Understanding the Holy Spirit, and what He is all about, is at the heart of the passage.

Indeed, at the heart of the gospel is a battle royal. It is a battle to understand spiritual things, and not sacrifice that to an earthly understanding.

In other words, will we be blinded by the things of this earth, and all the temporary benefits it seems to offer? Or will we be open to eternal realities, revealed to us in Jesus Christ, such realities bringing salvation and eternal life?

The choice for us and for everyone, is as black and white as that.

Literal versus spiritual. Flesh versus spirit. Is it this world, or the next, that we truly live for?

And beneath that spiritual understanding, so it seems to me, is the issue of control.

If we try to hang on to control over our own lives, we may only see the literal, the earthly.

And the disastrous results of people being in control of their own destiny can be seen in our newspapers every day.

If, however, we are open to the message and meaning of the salvation offered by Jesus Christ, then we have to accept that a spiritual understanding is needed. Part of which is that we are not in control of our own lives.

We have to start to see with our mind’s eye, and understand spiritual realities.

And it is precisely that battle, between literal or spiritual, between flesh and spirit, that is played out in the dialogue of our passage.

In one corner we have Nicodemus.

In an earthly sense, it could have been Nicodemus who is in control of the conversation. He is a Pharisee, a member of the Church elite, and he is also a Sanhedrin member. He is therefore a leader and a teacher of the people at the very highest church and political level.

But he is very far from being in control, and he knows it. And so, he comes to Christ – good move, good start.

And what a contrast. Jesus Christ. Wandering, itinerant preacher, not yet 50 years old, And from humble Northern origins. At least, so it would seem…

As far as the church leaders and elite of society are concerned, a nobody.

And yet He carries such a weight of spiritual authority, that He has just cleansed the temple from its corrupt moneylenders in the previous chapter, and got away with it.

It might well be that this is the sign that Nicodemus is referring to when he says, ‘…we know you can only do these signs, because you have God with you.’

But let's go back a step.

Why does he come at night?

Presumably because it won't do his standing with the First Century Palestine Bishop’s council any good if he comes by day!

Hobnobbing with an unlicensed Northerner?!

And yet, the signs and miracles Jesus does are so undeniable…

And Jesus says, “Thank you for your acknowledgement, that I do indeed have the presence of God.

But rather more to the point, do you?”

Because you will never see the Kingdom of God without being born from above.

By the way: the phrase ‘being born again’ is a misnomer. It’s too literal. The workings of the Holy Spirit are far more varied and nuanced that that.

The original Greek word more properly translates as from above. And more accurate Bible translations, including the NRSV, do say that.

You must be born from above, not born again.

Strictly, we don't have to be born again.

We have to be born from above. From where the Holy Spirit comes.

We need to be born of the Spirit.

But never let anyone prescribe to you, or to me, exactly how that happens, or when it happens. That is down to God.

And a prescriptive approach is exactly what Christ cautions against Here.

The wind blows where it wills, He says.

The wind of the Spirit is not under our control, God forbid that we should ever presume such a wicked thing.

God is in control.

All we have to do is allow the Holy Spirit to enter our lives and work in in us, in His way, and in His time.

Note the two different opening propositions of Christ about the Kingdom of Heaven:

Second, Jesus says no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the spirit.

First, Nicodemus can’t see it, second he can’t enter it. Not without the Holy Spirit anyway.

The Greek word there, to enter, has two meanings:

It could simply mean to physically enter.

But more usually, it is used to experience something, body, mind, spirit. To enter into a full person experience.

Nicodemus, you not only can’t yet see the Kingdom of heaven, but you have not yet experienced it either.

The action of the Holy Spirit inside us brings the Kingdom to life. Nothing else will do.

Well, clearly Nicodemus just isn't getting any of this.

So once again, by the extraordinary grace and kindness of Christ, Jesus provides one more attempt to come down to our level, to make it understandable:

So, Jesus says, “Do you remember the snake, the serpent on the pole, being lifted up in the wilderness? In Numbers Chapter 21? And all who saw it were saved?

Well, so it will be with me, says Christ.

When I am lifted up from the earth, you will see me in the same way. And if you believe in me, you will not perish, but have eternal life.

If I were writing John’s Gospel, I would add, ‘So Nicodemus, do you get it now?’ And he would answer, ‘No, not really!’

But that – I emphasise – that last bit is pure mischievous speculation from me!

To summarise:

This passage is crucial to our understanding of the Holy Spirit, and His work and operation in our lives.

We are not in control.

Our job is to lay ourselves open to His working.

To the workings of the Spirit in our hearts and our minds. And to see where that leads us.

Because He will give us gifts and abilities, to further the Kingdom of God, abilities that we never thought possible.

But we have to surrender control first.

And be open to what God is saying and doing with us, and in us, today.

Let's pray.

Heavenly Father, forgive us for trying to be in control of our lives.

When we clearly make such a very bad job of it.

Help us rather to lay ourselves open to Christ, and to the leading of His Holy Spirit, that we may truly see and enter the gentle, and beautiful, and wonderful spiritual realities you have in store for us, both in this life and the next. Amen.