Son Of Man

You Must Be Born Again

3:1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You  must be born again.’ 8 The wind  blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

9 Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

The title of “Son of Man” that Jesus sometimes uses for himself has confused me for quite some time.  This changed at church this morning.

In this story, Nicodemus comes to Jesus in the dark of night to talk about spiritual things.  We know from the text that Nicodemus is a Pharisee, a ruler of the Jews.  He is a leader of the people and lives his life teaching people about the kingdom of God.  He obviously recognizes Jesus as somebody quite different than the other Pharisees.  I think he is then astonished when Jesus immediately confronts him:  “Unless someone is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”  I’m sure Nicodemus was quite confused about this charge both anatomically and spiritually.

From my understanding, the greek for “born again” translates into “born from above”.  Jesus was speaking in spiritual language that Nicodemus was missing.  Traditionally when someone like Nicodemus contemplates the kingdom of God, they tend to think in political terms.  The Jews were waiting for a Messiah who would oust Rome and restore the Jewish people to a place of power.  In this thinking Nicodemus is focusing on what the kingdom should like and is waiting for God to simply fix things, rather than focusing on the spiritual implications of Jesus’ words.

Jesus also mentions being born of water and the spirit.  Jesus is specifically talking about baptism, but our thinking becomes fatalistic if we believe He is merely talking about a sacrament.  This entire passage is about being born, which is is why Jesus refers to himself as the Son of Man.

I believe Jesus is quoting Daniel when He refers to himself as the Son of Man

13 “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.”

I immediately identify with the title of “Son of Man” because I am one.  So are you.  We are human; sons and daughters of men.  We have flesh and bone.  The Messiah came like a Son of Man, in flesh and bone.  I believe Jesus is telling Nicodemus, that just as he was God and born like a man, we are to be born like him (spiritually speaking).  This can only be accomplished in and through baptism.

Nicodemus comes with his presuppositions that he misses the point.  It’s all about Jesus!  Unfortunately, this is not a trend that ended two-thousand years ago.  Earlier in the book of John, Jesus yells at the Pharisees for seeking eternal life in the scriptures and missing that it’s about Jesus.  Therefore, even in baptism it’s not about the sacrament, but about Jesus.  Through baptism we are united with Him in death and born from the grave into eternal life.  It’s all about being born.  Jesus is the Son of Man.  He is one of us, so that we might be like Him as sons of God, and heirs to eternal life.

Will You Join Me?

One voice.

I have one.

You have one.

We have one.  Together.

The idea for this blog came from a song shared with me by my sister over the Thanksgiving holiday.  It is entitled “One Voice” and sung by The Wailin’ Jenny’s.

This is the sound of one voice
One spirit, one voice
The sound of one who makes a choice
This is the sound of one voice

This is the sound of voices two
The sound of me singing with you
Helping each other to make it through
This is the sound of voices two

This is the sound of voices three
Singing together in harmony
Surrendering to the mystery
This is the sound of voices three

This is the sound of all of us
Singing with love and the will to trust
Leave the rest behind it will turn to dust
This is the sound of all of us

This is the sound of one voice
One people, one voice
A song for every one of us
This is the sound of one voice
This is the sound of one voice

Although this is not a spiritual song by any means, the Holy Spirit used it to stir my heart into action.

I have a voice.  “The sound of one who makes a choice” takes my heart to the words of Isaiah:

3 A voice cries:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” (Is. 40:3-5)

Like John the Baptist, of whom this text speaks, I too am a voice declaring the presence of God’s Kingdom on Earth, waiting for the day that Jesus’ glory is fully revealed.

“The sound of voices two…helping each other to make it through.”  How beautiful.  This kingdom melody of which I sing and declare is fine by itself, but with two voices, the weight of our declaration is borne more easily.

“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. 10 For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow.” (Ecc. 4:9-10a)

“The sound of three…harmony…surrendering to mystery.”  We, being rooted and grounded together in love and in perfect unity through Christ Jesus, our mediator, now resound.

2 Above him stood the seraphim…3 And one called to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory!”

Like the angels in Isaiah’s vision of the heavenly throne, our praise grows exponentially as we sing to and with one another.  We surrender to the sweet mystery that is unity in Christ as the song of the kingdom resounds in our hearts.

“The sound of all of us…”  I can’t help but envision heaven as John depicts in Revelation:

11 Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” 13 And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”

I can hardly wait…

The last verse of this song is such a beautiful summary of the whole song.  This also is where I felt the most conviction.

“This is the sound of one voice/ One people, one voice/ A song for every one of us/ This is the sound of one voice.”

This is the sound of a voice than can give freedom in love or bind with judgement.  This is the sound of a song that is for the redeemed and the lost, the rich and poor, the complacent and the faithful, the broken, the strong; a song for all of us.  We are the Church.  The song we choose becomes the sound of OUR voice.  What song are you singing?  How will you use your voice?

You have one.

I have one.

We have one voice, together.