1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 The same 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, “Most certainly, I tell you, unless one is born anew, he can’t see God’s Kingdom.”

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, “Most certainly I tell you, unless one is born of water and spirit, he can’t enter into God’s Kingdom! 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Don’t marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born anew.’ 8 The wind blows where it wants to, and you hear its sound, but don’t know where it comes from and where it is going. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

John 3:1-8 - World English Bible

These verses began the encounter of Nicodemus with Jesus. According to John's gospel, the Pharisee held high office and, with it, high esteem among his peers. He came to the Lord with an opinion shared by many people; Jesus and his teaching came from God because of the signs he performed. The Lord shifted the conversation, however, from a statement of origin to one of destiny. Nicodemus may have believed Jesus came from God, due to his miracles but, now, the Jewish leader was confronted by the question of the Kingdom. If he wanted to experience God's reign ("see the Kingdom" in 3:3), he must, like the Lord, come from God (be "born anew").

How was this possible? Nicodemus answered with an absurd, almost rhetorical question. How can a grown man re-enter his mother's womb and experience birth again? Of course, Jesus answered, not in physical terms, but in terms of faith and lifestyle. A person was born anew when he entered the Christian community, when he was baptized in water and lived a life in the Spirit. Within the Church, the disciple led a new type of existence, preparing for the Kingdom. In typical Johannine language, the Lord drew a clear line of separation between the non-believers ("born in the flesh") and the believers ("born of the Spirit"). He ended by speaking of the disciple in metaphorical ways. People don't know the origin or destination of the wind (a word that could also be translated "Spirit"); those outside the community just didn't understand the mindset of the Christian, for the Spirit led the faithful in ways foreign to general culture.

How are "different" from your non-believing family members, friends or co-workers?