Wisdom Wednesday: Wisdom in John’s Gospel Part 3 (of 8)
Wisdom of Spiritual Truth
Submitted by Debbie’s Dad
Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3 (NASB 95)
In this series, we examine God’s wisdom as presented in the message of the Gospel according to John.
In part 2 of this series, we saw the emphasis on Who Jesus was in chapters 1-3–He was the Word and the Light. In this part, we see the emphasis in chapters 3 and 4 is on spiritual truth. In chapter 1, John explained that while Moses brought the law (to understand God’s way and our sin), Jesus brought grace and truth. (John 1: 14,17) The word truth (aletheia in the Greek) refers to something that exists in reality. Just as physical things exist, Jesus introduced spiritual things and principles that exist, too.
We often speak of Jesus’ use of metaphors to describe spiritual truths–to help us understand the things we do not see with our eyes. A careful look at passages in chapters 3 and 4 shows how Jesus immediately and eagerly introduced a spiritual truth, but the human listener applied a (wrong) physical interpretation. This caught the listener’s attention and then Jesus raised their sights to the spiritual level to explain the spiritual truth He was introducing. Jesus carefully distinguished between earthily things and heavenly things (3:12).
Look at the metaphors He used in these two chapters to introduce him spiritual truth:
- Birth and Rebirth–Jesus described spiritual regeneration–passing from death to life by faith as a rebirth. Nicodemus did not understand the concept of a changed life when on places faith in God, and Jesus explained the transformation as a spiritual rebirth to a new life. (3:1-7)
- Wind and Spirit–Further, Jesus explained to Nicodemus, even as you cannot see the physical wind (Greek pneuma) but you see its physical effects, the spiritual work of God’s Spirit (Greek pneuma) also works and we see the results. (3:8) The same Greek work is used in both cases for wind and Spirit, but the physical-spiritual distinction is clear.
- Water and Living Water–In chapter 4, Jesus encountered the woman at the well in Sychar, Samaria and offered to her “living water” that will remove her thirst and will produce a well within her that will spring up to eternal life. (4:7-14) Jesus described this water and a “gift of God” (4:10) and revealed to her that God is Sprit (4; 24) and that He was the Christ (Messiah) (4:26).
- Food and Spiritual Work–Jesus also explained to his hungry disciples that even as they sought food to eat, His hunger was to do the work of His Father and to gather spiritual fruit for a spiritual eternal life. (4:31-36)
Throughout this Gospel, John recounted how Jesus used these physical-spiritual metaphors to capture the attention of His listeners and explain spiritual truth to those who would hear.
Paul encouraged us to think about spiritual things and not to focus on the physical things of this earth. Let us follow his wise instruction:
Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. Col 3:1–2.