SIX WAYS TO BE BORN AGAIN AS A JEW



　

1. Gentile conversion to Judaism--Nicodemus was already a Jew.

2. To be crowned as a king. Only Davidic kings qualified. There were no kings at this time.

3. Bar Mitzvah--not a term in those days but rather become “A son of the Commandment.” The boy would take on the responsibility of the Mosaic law. There had to be ten adults present at ceremony. Boy became an adult afterwards.

4. To marry--Declared born again at the marriage ceremony under the canopy. Nicodemus was married. He was a Master of Israel, a teacher at a school of the Sanhedrin, so he would have been married.

5. To be ordained as a Rabbi (took place at the age of 30).

6. To become a Rosh Yeshiva--head of a Rabbinic school, which Nicodemus was.

These were all the ways to be “born again” in that day. There were no other ways. “How can I be born again as an old man?”--I can’t qualify any other way. Jesus tells him a man must be born of both water and the spirit to see, and then enter the kingdom. Jesus was telling him he didn’t qualify on the basis of being a Jew (baptized) only, but that there was more.

Merely being born a Jew, Jesus was saying, did not qualify one for the kingdom. One must be born again both physically and spiritually. To be born of the flesh, verse 6, is not enough. Flesh and blood does not inherit the kingdom of God--there must be spiritual regeneration--this is what Nicodemus lacked. How is one born spiritually? In verse 14 we see. The first step God does--the atonement for sin. The second step man must do--accept, believe, and receive what God has provided by and through His Son. This is the two parts of John 3.16.

Until Nicodemus accepts Jesus as the Messiah King he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. This was opposite of his Pharisee fundamentalism. He had to wrestle with this until he understood. This is a giant struggle for all Jews even today.

Rabbi’s of the day had to have a profession other than teaching so they could share the scriptures free of charge. In Rabbinic writings it is said that Nicodemus was a wealthy well digger and most righteous of men. When he became a believer in Jesus he became poor and his daughter had to beg for food. This was probably written to keep other Rabbi’s from following Jesus--we don’t know if it is really true.

This is Jesus’ first contact with the Pharisees, but not His last. He will continue to dispute their fundamentalism as His ministry progresses.

Notes from: The Life of Messiah from a Jewish Perspective by Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum