John 3:7-8, Born of the Spirit, Part II

7 “Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” 

Jesus reiterates coming to faith (being born again) is the work of the Spirit. The wind—a common Old Testament description of the Spirit which is also felt and heard later by the disciples at Pentecost—describes the enigmatic timing and origin of the Spirit, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit is mysterious to us, but theologians have described it as the bond of love between the Father and the Son. We humans cannot calculate the work of the Spirit, but Jesus tells us that when we come to faith we do so through the Spirit’s work.  

Later in this gospel Jesus will command Lazarus to come out of his tomb, where he lay dead for four days. This new life comes not at Lazarus’ bidding, but at the command of Jesus. Lazarus could not respond to the command because he was stone cold dead! It is the same with the Spirit bringing new life in us—a new life of deep faith in Jesus. Before we were dead in our sins; now we are alive in Jesus! 

This idea of the divine initiative of faith can seem disconcerting; we want to come to faith in Jesus of our own initiative! Yet as Jesus has already mentioned, sin is in us and keeps us from faith in Jesus. Our sin separates us from God. Therefore, God takes the initiative through his Spirit, fulfilling what he told Jeremiah and Ezekiel– that he would cleanse us with water, put his Spirit in us, and give us new life. 

In prayer, thank God the Holy Spirit for the work he has done in you.