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Jesus seems to be referring to something in Jewish scriptures or Oral Tradition that Nicodemus should be able to immediately identify. Anyone have an idea about what it might be?
JER 31:31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
JER 31:32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:
JER 31:33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
JER 31:34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
You just give up like that, stay on the battlefield. Look at all the things Jesus himself had to endure in his short life on earth, but he never gave up. Put on the whole armor of God and stay in the fight.
JER 31:31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
JER 31:32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:
JER 31:33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
JER 31:34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
Yes, I was familiar with Jeremiah's new covenant passage, which is referenced as the cup of the new covenant in the Last Supper passages in the Gospels. But I do not see how Nicodemus could be expected to figure out that born again (or from above) referred to Jeremiah. I do not see the connection.
Jesus explained that being born from above was being born of water and spirit. In the book of John there is a passage describing the One who comes from above.
"The one who comes from above is above all. The one who comes from heaven testifies to what he has seen and heard but no one believes him. If anyone does believe him they render the truth of God. The one who is sent by God he speaks the words of God His gift of the spirit is not measured"
Water and spirit, I would say implies repentance and belief...
So, what was Yeshua stating then?...In reference to what?...
10“You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things?" Clearly, Jesus was talking about the fact that Nicodemus was supposed to be one of the teachers and leaders of Israel, but he did not understand what it means to be "reborn" or to have a changed life because of that encounter with the Spirit. Nicodemus was not alone in failing to understand the change and the commitment to that concern for the well-being of everyone that IS "agape."
10“You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things?" Clearly, Jesus was talking about the fact that Nicodemus was supposed to be one of the teachers and leaders of Israel, but he did not understand what it means to be "reborn" or to have a changed life because of that encounter with the Spirit. Nicodemus was not alone in failing to understand the change and the commitment to that concern for the well-being of everyone that IS "agape."
Why did Jesus expect Nicodemus (Israel's teacher) to understand? What reference was Jesus making that he would expect an expert in Written and Oral tradition to get? Of course he would not understand the idea of being reborn. As far as I know it was unprecedented in Jewish thought. What was the allusion he should have understood?
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