We are Born from Above

April 26, 2022, Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter

Gospel: Jn 3:7b-15

Through our baptism, we are not born again; we are born from above.

Under the cover of darkness, Nicodemus came to Jesus to protect his standing as a reputable Pharisee and ruler of the Jews (a member of the Jewish council, the Sanhedrin). He, himself, was in the darkness of his beliefs. And Jesus welcomed him in that state and cast upon him the light of the truth.

During our Easter Vigil, we were in darkness, and Jesus came to us as the Light. Like what He did to Nicodemus, God enlightened us with the truth, instructing us with His Words. Yet, unlike Nicodemus, we received this Light at our baptism, which we all renewed that Easter night or Easter day. 

Our Gospel today started with verse 7b of Chapter 3 of St. John’s. In the verses that precede this, Jesus tells Nicodemus, "Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above." He replied, "How can a person once grown old be born again? Surely he cannot reenter his mother’s womb and be born again, can he?" Clearly, Nicodemus misunderstood Jesus.

The Greek adverb anōthen means both "from above" and "again." Jesus means "from above" (see Jn 3:31) but Nicodemus misunderstands it as "again." He never mentioned being "born again," and this is not what He meant by "being born from above." And so, Jesus explained what he meant and repeated to him several times the terms, "born of water and Spirit" and "born from above." Jesus said, "‘You must be born from above.’ The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."

When we were baptized with water and the Spirit (which we renewed on Easter), we were incorporated into Jesus, who is from above. Our baptism, then, was our birth from above. We were regenerated into Christ’s glorified body, the Holy Eucharist we receive at every Mass. Let us then live our being born from above by remaining in the Body of Christ, by being attuned to God’s purpose and by walking in this life towards our one and only destiny, the Eternal Banquet in heaven. 

Through our baptism, we are not born again; we are born from above.

Fr. Joel R. Lasutaz, SSS

Image credit: ncregister.com