What in You Has to Die So You Can Live?

Another look at Resurrection

We talk about the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, but do we really understand what took place? Oh we communicate that He was whipped, hung on a cross and died — and that on the third day He rose with all power in His hand. We even manage to shed tears about it. We confess how thankful we are for what He did, BUT do we truly understand what He did?

John, Chapter 3 is a very familiar passage of scripture. It is most known for the conversation that Nicodemus had with Jesus and also the well versed John 3:16 — for God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Let’s start at the beginning of this Chapter.

1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:

2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?

5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into 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 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?

10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?

11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.

12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?

We have been taught that Pharisees is a ‘type’ of people; however, we have failed to realize what that means. In this scenario Pharisees does not fit as a ‘race or ethnic group of people’. To emphasize it is not the same as saying African-Americans or Native-Americans. The meaning here refers to a social movement or a school of thought. To emphasize it would be the same as saying Democrats or Republicans.

So there was a man of a social movement named Nicodemus. Here it gets quite interesting. Nicodemus means ‘victory of the people’ and his name is Greek in origin and this victory of the people (Greek) is a ruler of the Jews. Jews are Hebrews and following Judaism practices. Okay? Stay with me.

Verse two continues — this same came to Jesus by night. I want to stop right here and explain something to you. We have been taught that because Nicodemus came at night that he was either afraid for his life or that he was embarrassed and ashamed to let those of the Pharisees or ‘social movement’ know what he was doing. This is plausible if you are looking at this situation with natural vision. If you view this thing from the Spiritual aspect; however, Nicodemus did exactly what he was supposed to do. How can I prove that? The Bible says in Genesis that the evening and the morning were the first day. Nicodemus was supposed to go at night because night was the beginning of a new day. So Nicodemus came at the beginning of the new day.

Verse two goes on to state that Nicodemus tells Jesus that he (and the others because he says ‘we’) know that God has to be with him (Jesus) because of the miracles he has performed which could only be performed if God was with the person. It is almost as if Jesus does not even notice the accolade because His response is “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God”. Now I would have asked what is the Kingdom of God, but the people’s victory was interested in knowing how a man can be born once he is old. Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born? Jesus responds with “Except a man be born of water and Spirit that he can not see the kingdom of God”. Again, I would want to know what is the Kingdom of God. Okay, I digressed. Continuing. Jesus continues to explain that what is flesh is flesh and what is born of the Spirit is spirit and that he should not marvel that He said he must be born again.

So what is going on in the conversation and what was Jesus trying to tell people’s victory?

Nicodemus wants to know about being born after already being birthed. He wants to know can he go back to his mother’s womb and come out a second time. A womb is an opening or a matrix. The books of Exodus and Numbers talks about the matrix. The Lord says that the first of everything coming out of the matrix is His. Keep this in mind as we move forward.

Jesus, after telling him not to marvel goes on to say that the wind blows where it will, that you hear the sound, but you don’t know where it comes from nor where it is going and He tells people’s victory that it is the same way with everyone born of the Spirit. Nicodemus is trying to wrap his head around this and asks “How can this be?” Jesus’ reply is a question to Nicodemus in saying how is it that you are a master (teacher) of Israel (means will/can struggle/rule with God) and you don’t know. Jesus then goes on to emphasize His point and asks another question by saying to Nicodemus “we tell you of the things that we know and have seen and you do not accept it — how is it then that you are going to believe if I tell you of Spiritual things?”

He wants to know ‘what is the point?’ Now He has Nicodemus’ full attention and He drives it home:

13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

In other words Jesus tells Nicodemus no one goes up without coming down. He tells him that even He has to be lifted as Moses lifted the serpent in the wilderness so that others who believe won’t have to suffer complete destruction and ruin but that by Him being lifted up and buried and rising from that sequence of events that they will in exchange have eternal (unending) life. He shares that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten (fathered) Son so that these would then have everlasting (unfaltering) life. He shares that God did not send His Son to condemn the world but that through His Son the world might be saved (delivered from sudden destruction). He said those that believe are not condemned and those that do not believe are condemned already because that one does not believe on the name of the Son of God. What was the condemnation? The condemnation was this: that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. Everyone that does evil hates the light and does not come to the light so that his deeds can be reprimanded. This is real truth here. He stated that those who come to the light do so to be found wrought (dealt with and made righteous) in God.

He made it clear. We were taught that condemnation is this awful, reprehensible state of being for sinners and that once we were no longer a sinner that there is now no condemnation because we got ‘saved’. We believed we escaped condemnation because we got ‘saved’. The Bible says in John 3:20 that EVERY ONE WHO DOES EVIL hates the light and if you go back to the verse before it — it says the condemnation is that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. When we do evil we step back into the world or the way people do things. The Bible also says very clearly that God so LOVED THE WORLD... When you give your life to Christ you translate into a new creation. What that actually means is that you become something else. We in turn are supposed to become LOVE. Becoming love means we give to the world (people) Jesus (love) that it might be saved and yet too many of us are ridiculing people.

So let’s make this make sense.

As people of social movements, who are called as the people’s victory: champions, warriors and leaders who come to the Savior at the beginning of a new day and tell the Savior and the Word of God that we know who He is. In this instance or in Nicodemus’ case Jesus not being moved by his much speaking reminds him that accept we are birthed of His Spirit we cannot enter into righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost which is the Kingdom of God. This is the same message He presents to us.

Lacking understanding we ask how can we be born again if we are old. In other words, if we have been doing this thing so long how do we begin again. Do we go back to our origin and try again? To which The word says to us that unless we allow the Word and Presence and breathe of God to mold us we cannot have a vision for righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. we can not even see it. The things we do from our own ways are just that and lead nowhere. Yet the things we are led by the Word to do is life for us. He says don’t be amazed or ponder this. Think of it like this: the wind blows where it will. You hear the sound of the wind but you don’t know where it came from or where it is going. It is this way of one who is born of the Spirit. How is it that you don’t understand what I am saying since you call yourselves learners and leaders of people? Your questioning is baffling. When I tell you about the things I know and that I have seen as it pertains to natural things and you have not accepted them how is it that you think you will believe Me if I tell you about the deeper Spiritual things? How is it that you are going to understand deeper matters? No one has been to heaven except the one who has come down and that is who I AM and I am still in Heaven even as I am here. Just like Moses held the serpent in the wilderness for those to look upon so they would stop dying, so must I be lifted so that whosoever will believe on me will not have to be completely destroyed and instead experience unending life.

God so loved those who have known nothing about Him and He sent Me, the one he birthed/fathered so that through my dying others would not have to die the wrong death. He did not send me to condemn the world because they are already condemned. He sent me so that through me they too can live an unfaltering life.

Those who believe me are not condemned but those who don’t are condemned already because they do not believe in my name as the Son of God. The condemnation is this; that light is come and there are those who prefer the darkness and their evil. EVERYONE who does evil hates the light and does not come to the light to be reprimanded. Those who come to the light are doers of truth because they are found and disciplined and made righteous in the light and this is how you know they are of God.

Beloved in the turmoil of these times, we must continually come to the mirror and make sure our reflection is that of the Father and representing love. Too many are ridiculing those who are afraid and uncertain about what is going on around them. We are to be the light not the judge, not the jury, not the executioner, BUT we are to be love and light giving direction toward the ONE that can be looked upon for healing, deliverance, freedom — righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.

Resurrection can only happen after death and burial. What are the things that need to die so that you can live? What things in your life need to die so that you can be born again or so that you can bare fruit (results) and replenish (give to) others? Your resurrection is a new birth and with each birthing comes newness. Each newness is the first fruit and that is what belongs to God.

When Easter approaches we go through a period that we call Lent. We give up things — mostly food items. Lent is actually supposed to be the time of death and burial, meaning the things we put away we are never to pick up again so that what resurrects on the third day is God’s and will produce much fruit (results).