WHY Jewish Rulers Hated Message
The Jewish rulers of Jesus' day, also, thought He was proclaiming a government to be set up immediately — to overthrow the Roman Empire, then ruling Judea as a vassal state.
One of these rulers of the Jews was a man named Nicodemus. He was a Pharisee, and the Pharisees were hostile to Jesus, because of this new Gospel. Nicodemus, however, wanted to meet this astonishing Messenger and discuss it with him. To avoid criticism from his colleagues, he came to Jesus by night.
"We know," he said, "that you are a teacher come from God."
The "we" implies that the divine identity of the Messenger and the source of His message was known to the Pharisees.
Judea was a vassal state, under the rule of the Romans. The Romans were shrewd enough to force leaders among the Jews to administer most of the details of government, under higher Roman officials. Of course, the Roman rule was protected by occupying military forces. This system made life for the Jewish sub-rulers very desirable — a status worth maintaining.
At once Jesus perceived the import of Nicodemus' first words. His Message was the good news of the coming WORLD GOVERNMENT of GOD — that is, the KINGDOM OF GOD — the GOVERNMENT of God.
These Jewish rulers feared that Message. Jesus was of their race — a Jew. If they did not oppose Him, they feared being shorn of their power, and perhaps put to death as subversives threatening the overthrow of the Roman government. And the Pharisees thought Jesus proclaimed the immediate takeover of that rule!
Not of This Age
Therefore Jesus did not waste words. He struck straight through to the crux point — the Kingdom of God is not of this world — this time — this age — but of the WORLD TO-MORROW — a different and a following AGE. Not composed of humans, but of immortals — the GOD FAMILY!
So Jesus said, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3).
Notice carefully, please — being "born again" has a vital connection with the Kingdom of God — with THE FACT that it is not of this time — this age. And — I repeat — Jesus' Gospel — His Message — was the Kingdom of God.
But Jesus' abrupt opening statement left Nicodemus confused. The religious leaders, and the hundreds of denominations and sects professing Christianity today are confused and deceived! Today's religionists put a different twist on it than did Nicodemus, however.
Nicodemus did understand clearly what is meant by being born. He knew it meant being delivered from his mother's womb. It meant being delivered into the WORLD! Today's religious leaders read into it a different meaning! What Nicodemus could not understand was how — in what manner — anyone could be born AGAIN! And of course, being carnal-minded, he could only conceive of a second physical birth. But he knew what being born meant!
Born Human a Second Time?
Puzzled, he asked: "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?" He was not confused about what is meant by being BORN. What Nicodemus could not understand was a second birth. He thought Jesus was talking about a second human birth.
He was unable to conceive of any but a second physical birth — his mind could not grasp spiritual things.
Now Jesus had made clear that the Kingdom of God is something that can be seen — but not until of UNLESS one is "born again." Not during this physical lifetime! Also. verse 5, the Kingdom of God is something a man may enter into — but not until after he is born AGAIN — another and entirely different birth.
Then Jesus came quickly to the)0int — that the Kingdom of God is lot of this present human LIFE in his present WORLD — it is not of his TIME — this present life-TIME age — it is the succeeding age — and the life to come.
Here is the crux point that explains it all: Jesus said:
"That which is born of the flesh is flesh: and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."
Man is now flesh — human. He is MATERIAL SUBSTANCE.”Dust thou art," said God to Adam, "and unto dust shalt thou return." Again, "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul" (Gen. 3:19 and 2:7).
Those Born Again To BE Spirit
But, said Jesus plainly, when one is born of the Spirit HE WILL BE SPIRIT! Look at it! Read it in your own Bible.
The Kingdom of God will be composed of SPIRIT BEINGS — not of humans!
At birth of human flesh, one is delivered from his mother's womb into this world. When born of the Spirit one will be delivered from the CHURCH of God (physical) into the KINGDOM of God (a Kingdom of SPIRIT BEINGS!).
Man is now COMPOSED of flesh — material substance — matter.
When BORN AGAIN he will BE spirit — a SPIRIT BEING, no longer human. He will be COMPOSED of spirit — of spirit composition — with life inherent — with self-containing life — not then existing by the breath of air and the circulation of blood.
Of the next age when the Kingdom of God will rule the world — the next LIFE — Jesus-said "they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God . . ." (Matt. 22:30). Marriage is a physical, fleshly union. In the age of God's Kingdom — when "born again" — we shall BE spirit, not flesh. Born of God as SPIRIT BEINGS, no longer human. Angels are spirits — composed of spirit (Heb. 1:7). Jesus did not say we shall then be angels — but AS the angels — sexless and composed of SPIRIT. Angels are spirit beings — created as such — but not begotten and BORN of God as God's own born children. We therefore shall be much higher than angels!
Jesus explained this further to Nicodemus:
"The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou Nearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is everyone that is born of the Spirit" (John 3:8).
You cannot see wind. Wind is compared to spirit. It is INVISIBLE. That's why mortal FLESH, as we now are, cannot SEE the Kingdom of God. Those who inherit it will be spirit — normally invisible to eyes still human.
Energy of an A-Bomb?
Jesus was comparing also the POWER of one born of the Spirit to that of wind. A scientist of the U.S. Weather Bureau, Dr. J. Murray Mitchell, Jr., Research Climatologist, said that the energy of one average hurricane is much greater than an A-bomb such as destroyed Hiroshima. I am quite certain that no human claiming to have been "born again" in his human life is capable of exerting a tiny fraction of that kind of energy. But — as I shall show in this article, one when he becomes spirit will have that kind of POWER!
Not While Flesh and Blood
The apostle Paul made clear that the Kingdom of God is something a human may INHERIT, but not in THIS AGE — not while he is composed of material flesh. He may, now, become only an HEIR, not YET an inheritor!
"Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption" (I Cor. 15:50).
Leading up to this verse, Paul had made it very clear.
"The first man is of the earth, earthy [human]: the second man is the Lord from heaven [a divine GOD Being]" (I Cor. 15:47).
This is what Jesus was saying to Nicodemus. He was of the earth, earthy — human — he was flesh, not spirit. He was born of the flesh, so that's what he was — FLESH. When one is born of the Spirit, he will BE SPIRIT.
BUT WE CANNOT BE Spirit in this present age.
THERE IS A TIME ELEMENT CONCERNED WITH BEING BORN AGAIN!
Continue, now, in I Corinthians 15:
"As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy" (verse 48). That is precisely what Jesus was explaining to Nicodemus. He was born of the flesh — he WAS flesh. He was born of the earth — he was earthy. And so are we all! And, same verse, ". . . and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly." But for us humans, WHEN? Not in this life!
Next verse: "And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall [future — resurrection] also bear the image of the heavenly" (verse 49). As we are now flesh, we shall be SPIRIT — at the resurrection. That is when we shall be "BORN AGAIN" — when we shall see, enter into, the Kingdom of God — when we are spirit — at the resurrection!
"Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep [be dead], but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we [the then living] shall be changed" (verses 50-52). There is the TIME when we may be born again — when we may see, enter into, inherit the Kingdom — when "BORN AGAIN" — and NOT BEFORE!