The story of Nicodemus going to Jesus is one of the most popular in the New Testament. In the Gospel of John - Chapter 3 - we read about the discussion that this religious leaders had with the Messiah. This past Sunday, I shared with our congregation an interesting find in their conversation. After studying the words of Jesus for myself, I felt confident in sharing the interpretation. I want to expand the teaching to you.
John 3:8 (most translations reads similar to this), "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."
You might notice that I put certain words in bold letters above. These are the words that I want to focus on.
#1 "Wind" - the word used for wind in most of the NT is ἄνεμος "anemos". You will find a couple of different words especially when the Bible speaks of the "south wind" and in James when he speaks of being driven by the wind. Outside of those few verses the word for wind is always the same. However, in verse 8 of John 3, the word that was translated "wind" should be translated "Spirit". The word here is πνεῦμα "pneuma" and it is always translated "Spirit". If you look up verse 6 of John 3 in the original language you find that Jesus said, "...that which is born of Spirit (pneuma) is spirit (pneuma). The idea of the Spirit always carries the thought of the wind but it is clear to me that Jesus was speaking of the work of the Holy Spirit. {It's all about context}
#2 "Blows" - This comes from the Greek word πνέω "pneō" and it means to breathe hard. You may notice that it comes from the same root as Spirit. One could say that the Spirit spirits but I believe that this text is teaching that the Spirit breathes where He chooses.
#3 "Hear" - ἀκούω "akouō" - This is where we get our word acoustics. It's all about hearing.
#4 "Sound" - φωνή "phōnē" - Ever hear of phonetics? This word denotes more than just a sound. Most of us don't just pick up a phone to hear sounds but rather to hear a voice! In Revelation 1:10, John said that he was in the Spirit on the Lord's day and he heard a loud "phōnē" - a loud voice.
Why is this important? This is important because it give us greater understanding about being born again and the work of the Spirit of God in our lives. In the Hebrew you will find that the word for "wind" and "spirit" are the same רוּח"rûach" but it's not so in the Greek. If I am being true to the original text rather than religious tradition, I must interpret the words of Jesus much like what we see in the Literal Bible Translation: "The Spirit breathes where He desires, and you hear His voice; but you do not know from where He comes, and where He goes; so is everyone having been generated from the Spirit."
For every person that is "born again" (accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior of their life) the Spirit of God has breathed upon them and they are able to hear His voice!
This ought to change your life. This should change your approach to how you read and hear the Word of God. This truth can change your "Christian" experience into a living reality.
I pray that you hear the Voice of the Spirit of God today. The good news: You Can!
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