“Born Again” From a Hebrew Perspective
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Note: All Old Testament references are taken from The Israel Bible; all New Testament references are from The Scriptures Bible.
“And there was a man of the Pharisees named Nakdimon [Nicodemus] was his name, a ruler of the Yehudim [Jews]. This one came to Yeshua by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from Elohim, for no one is able to do these signs that You do if Elohim is not with him.” Yeshua answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born from above, he is unable to see the reign of Elohim.” Nakdimon said to Him, “How is a man able to be born when he is old? Is he able to enter into his mother’s womb a second time and be born?” Yeshua answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he is unable to enter the reign of Elohim. That which has been born of the flesh is flesh, and that which has been born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You have to be born from above.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it , but do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So is everyone who has been born of the Spirit.” Nakdimon answered and said to Him, “How is it possible for this to take place?” Yeshua answered and said to him, ‘Are you the teacher of Israel, and you do not know this?’” (John 3:1-10).
Understanding how the Apostolic Scriptures (New Testament) uses the Tanakh (Old Testament) is one of the most challenging issues in Bible interpretation. Even the most skilled New Testament scholars are frequently bewildered by Messiah’s scolding of Nicodemus in John 3. They ardently seek to comprehend the true intention behind Messiah’s rebuke, and why He chose to address Nicodemus’ lack of knowledge.
In the passage above, Messiah discusses the concept of the “new birth”. He explains to Nicodemus that a person must be “born from above” in order to enter the Kingdom of HaShem. Nicodemus, eager to challenge the traditional Jewish leadership and follow the Messiah, finds himself perplexed by the Messiah’s teachings. He truly believes that the Messiah’s words imply that we should go through the birth canal on two separate occasions. He responds with a seemingly valid question to Messiah’s confusing and, apparently, radical statement: “How is this possible for this to take place?”
The Messiah doesn’t hesitate to expose Nicodemus’ ignorance. “Are you the teacher of Israel and you do not know this?” Nicodemus, in essence, held the esteemed position of a theology professor during his time. As a prominent leader within the congregation of Israel, one would expect him to possess a comprehensive understanding of such matters. How could he provide guidance and lead others without being aware of this fundamental truth?
Since Messiah realizes that He is wasting His time and efforts trying to educate such an arrogant individual, He opts to confront him with firmness and seriousness. These types of individuals will undoubtedly never understand, until their arrogant and wicked overconfidence is stripped away. Despite his magisterial haughtiness, Nicodemus makes himself vulnerable to ridicule with his excessively childish hesitation regarding the fundamental principles. Such hesitation, certainly, is base and shameful. Without believing that humanity is renewed by the Spirit of HaShem, what grounds do we have for our faith, our understanding of HaShem, our moral compass, and our prospect of everlasting life?
How was Nicodemus expected to possess this knowledge? Why does the Messiah criticize him so strongly? Was the concept of rebirth mentioned in the Old Testament? If yes, where can it be found? One possible approach is to seek parallels with such teachings that are explicitly found in the Old Testament:
“But such is the covenant I will make with the House of Yisrael after these days—declares Hashem: I will put My Teaching into their inmost being and inscribe it upon their hearts. Then I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No longer will they need to teach one another and say to one another, “Heed Hashem”; for all of them, from the least of them to the greatest, shall heed Me—declares Hashem. For I will forgive their iniquities, And remember their sins no more” (Jer 31:32-33).
“I will give them one heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove the heart of stone from their bodies and give them a heart of flesh, that they may follow My laws and faithfully observe My rules. Then they shall be My people and I will be their God” (Ezek. 11:19-20).
If these passages are the ones that the Messiah was referring to, then the concept of being “born from above” would indeed imply a powerful new beginning. Although I acknowledge the presence of the redemptive theme in both passages, I believe that the radical concept of being “birthed” again is not clearly articulated to prompt the Messiah’s rebuke. (Other passages proposed by scholars include Isaiah 29:10, Deuteronomy 30:6, Psalm 51: 6, and Psalm 51:10.)
I believe it may be a bit ambitious to try to find a direct mention of the new birth in any specific Old Testament passage. However, I do not oppose Yeshua. Nicodemus ought to have been aware of the concept of rebirth. Nicodemus should not have been caught off guard. His hope and teaching should have been firmly grounded as the “teacher of Israel.”
Where in the Old Testament can we discover the concept of new birth? Although there is no specific Scripture passage that directly supports my point, I firmly believe that there is a consistent theological theme present throughout the entire Old Testament, which ultimately leads us to the indispensability of the Messiah’s “new birth” theology. The concept of death traces back to the very beginning, to the Fall. The Bible first speaks of death in Genesis 2:17 when HaShem cautions Adam against consuming the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge: “…but as for the tree of knowledge of good and bad, you must not eat of it; for as soon as you eat of it, you shall die.” Eating from the tree was supposed to bring death, but despite this, Adam and Eve both ate from it in the next chapter and did not physically die. Adam lived for an impressive 930 years! It’s fascinating to think about how he died the day he ate from the forbidden fruit.
For quite some time, theologians have grappled with this profound inquiry. It appears that the most compelling response we can provide is that, on that fateful day, death found its way into the human experience through two distinct avenues:
- Humanity was compelled to exit the Garden, thus losing access to the Tree of Life (Gen. 3:22-23). Hence, on that particular day, their access to eternal life was denied, marking the beginning of death
- What is most crucial for our purpose here is that when they ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, they experienced spiritual death. In the Scriptures, it is evident that spiritual death stands in direct contrast to spiritual life. This profound truth unveils the natural state of humanity as being spiritually lifeless. “But Elohim who is rich in compassion, because of His great love with which He loved us even when we were dead in trespasses, made us sit together in the heavenlies in Messiah Yeshua” (Eph. 2:3-4). Ever since the spiritual death of the first man, Adam, every person born has been spiritually stillborn. Theologians commonly refer to this as “imputed sin.” As a result of our connection with Adam’s sin and death, we have also inherited sin and death (Rom. 5:17-19)
To be born again is not just a mere revival of spiritual existence, but a profound renewal of life. Every single person was originally disconnected from the Divine in the Garden of Eden. Through the cross, that separation was bridged. Through Adam, we bear the burden of sin and the consequence of death. However, through the Messiah, we receive the gift of righteousness and the blessing of eternal life. We are either found dead in Adam or alive in Messiah.
Nicodemus’s rebuke didn’t stem from missing a specific passage in the Old Testament, but rather from his lack of awareness of humanity’s spiritual condition since Genesis 3. Nicodemus should have been aware that in order to inherit eternal life and enter the Kingdom, people must be born again, since he should have known that they were spiritually dead. The only hope for a dead man is resurrection. Spiritually dead individuals can only find hope through a process of being born again, or “from above.”
Although Messiah’s criticism of Nicodemus was strong, it serves as a powerful reminder of the dire state of helplessness that all of humanity faces without acknowledging the role of the Messiah. The new birth was just as essential for people in the Old Testament as it is for all people.
If my interpretation is correct and Messiah’s critique of Nicodemus is a result of his lack of theological understanding, then this should be a strong cautionary tale for those who believe that aligning with Adam can be readily dismissed. Imputed sin is the reason why we are dead. Our dead-ness is the reason why we need to be born again. It is disheartening to think that many important church leaders today would likely question the possibility of these things happening, due to their failure to acknowledge the grim reality of humanity’s dire state.
