Study further Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus. It reveals how the Holy Spirit desires to speak to us. Rethink John 3:8. Jesus says to Nicodemus: “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” He gives natural examples to explain things of the Spirit.
Nicodemus’ reply: “How can these things be?” He’s first stumped by the concept of being ‘born again’. Jesus compares the move of the wind to the move of the Holy Spirit. Then He confronts Nicodemus’ confusion in verses 10-12: “Are you a teacher of Israel and do not know these things? Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things”.
The Holy Spirit teaches us of both natural things and spiritual things. As in Jesus’ parables, He often used natural things to illustrate spiritual truths. Why did Nicodemus struggle to understand the connection between the wind and the Spirit? His education had been in the traditional Jewish thought without the power of the Holy Spirit. Nicodemus’ understanding was limited. In his conversation with Jesus, Nicodemus was forced to think in a different dimension. His understanding had been two dimensional. Jesus spoke from a third dimension the Spirit Realm! We need the Holy Spirit to teach us, lead us, and father us throughout life.
Traditional or natural thinking is limited. Today the Holy Spirit may use a comparison of natural things to explain spiritual things, but the end goal is to understand life from God’s perspective. It is imperative in our relationship with Jesus to give the Holy Spirit free reign to open our hearts so we come to understand spiritual things. We struggle as Nicodemus did.
Jesus in verses 14-15 reminds Nicodemus of the familiar story of Moses lifting up a serpent in the wilderness and having people look at it to receive their healing and deliverance. This story was well known by Nicodemus. Jesus unraveled a familiar story to show Nicodemus that it foreshadowed that “the Son of Man will be lifted up so that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.” Overwhelmed, Nicodemus seems speechless. So today, the Holy Spirit draws us to Jesus and to spiritual truths and revelations of the ways of Jesus!
First: Be born again. Secondly: Allow the Holy Spirit to teach you for the rest of your life.
Jesus tells us in Luke 11:13 that our heavenly Father gives the Holy Spirit to those who ask. We need to be in a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit. He teaches us the Word and He leads us and fathers us in the things of God throughout our lives. There is no spiritual life without the fathering nature of the Holy Spirit.
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