You Must Be Born From Above

Gospel Reading for Tuesday, April 29th, 2025 - John 3:7-15

“You must be born from above.”

These are the words that Jesus speaks through the night air as Nicodemus must have leaned in, curious and confused. He asks again “How can this happen?”

Here Jesus is not speaking of human striving, or of having a second chance to do better on our own. Instead, He is speaking of a new life breathed into us by the Holy spirit. A life that is as unpredictable as the wind. A life that we cannot fully control, that cannot be forced to do our will.

All we can do is surrender ourselves to this Spirit, receive it humbly, and quietly. For this Spirit moves where it wills, and we are invited along on the journey.

And in being born of the Spirit we are invited into healing and into life.

Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness as a sign of healing to the Israelites who had turned from God¹, so too is the Son of man lifted up, for the healing of our souls, for our ills, for our brokenness.

That all who lift their eyes to Him, might be saved.

Friends, in this Easter season where we celebrate victory over death, rejoicing in the conquering of sin in our lives, let’s reflect on how the Holy Spirit is moving within us.

Will you allow the Spirit to breathe new life into you, where you have grown weary? Will you lift your gaze from your wounds, to His wounds? Will you choose to believe that Jesus’ mercy is real and that He is offering it to you, today, right now?

Jesus said to Nicodemus:
“‘You must be born from above.’

The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes,
but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes;
so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Nicodemus answered and said to him,
‘How can this happen?”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“You are the teacher of Israel and you do not understand this?
Amen, amen, I say to you,
we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen,
but you people do not accept our testimony.

If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe,
how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?
No one has gone up to heaven
except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.
And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”

1. Numbers 21:6-9