Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”

“How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

John 3:1-8

This is an argument. This is not, contrary to popular opinion, a discussion where a seeker comes and wants to know more.  This is an annoyed Pharisee who wants to put Jesus straight on some things.

Nicodemus is seeing Jesus reaching out to people – even Gentiles and Samaritans – and is appalled.  Yahweh is for the Jews, and only the Jews.  You have to be born a Jew to inherit the promise that Yahweh offers and yet, here is this upstart Rabbi running round inviting everyone in.  Nick needs to put a stop to it, so he goes to confront Jesus.  He starts with some flattery but quickly moves on to his issue.

Jesus sees it coming and heads him off by saying that “no one can see the kingdom unless they are born-again”.

What on EARTH does that mean?

Nick makes his point, “how can someone be born when they are old?”  What he is actually saying here is, “these people are not born Jewish and so unless they can go back into the womb be born to a Jewish mother, they’re not getting in!”

Jesus counters by saying you have to be “born of the Spirit” to enter God’s kingdom.  “In other words, Beardy, this is not about who your mum is, this is about God inviting everyone…”

Let’s take a few steps back. I have mentioned this on a Sunday but it bears repeating.  Jesus calls Abram.  He is a seemingly random guy who was happily living his life in his tribe in the Middle East.  Then Yahweh calls him and tells him to leave his family (tribe) and go to another place (to be revealed) and start a new tribe, the purpose of which was to bless all other tribes.

Ok, this is easy to miss.

Tribes were about protection and guarding what you had and family and above all, about self-preservation.  Maybe you made an alliance to gain more or to protect yourself but otherwise it was a closed door.  No one got in and no one left.

You never left your tribe. That was madness.  Blood is thicker than water and all that.

Then Yahweh tells him that his tribe is to exist to bless others.  More madness. No tribe ever did that. Not ever.

So, right from the outset, God’s people were called to invite others in, to serve them, to love them and to bless them.  The laws in the Torah contain clear instructions on how to integrate others into God’s people.  In Zechariah, written during the exile, God says that Jerusalem is to be a city without walls so that all nations can come into her.  Notice how the first thing that happens upon return to Jerusalem is that the walls are built.

The temple itself was built with a Court of the Gentiles (anyone who was not Jewish). The purpose of the court of the Gentiles was to enable Gentiles access to come in a find out about Yahweh.  The reason that Jesus was so cross in the temple courts was because they were deliberately and systematically preventing this from happening.

So, the tribe is started to bless other and invite them in.  But they don’t.

We come to Jesus – who is the fulfilment of all that Israel should be – and he is having an argument with a teacher of religious law who is trying to make sure that the tribal exclusion zone remains totally intact.  Jesus is putting him straight.

According to Alexander Shaia, no records exist, that he has been able to find, of any people/tribe/religion who existed to invite others in.  If there was, no record is known about. What Jesus started in first century Palestine was unique in human history and remains so to this day.

It does not matter what class you were born into. It does not matter what colour your skin is. It does not matter what country you came from.  It does not matter what your language is.

The doors are flung open. The walls are knocked down.  Come as you are.  Come and meet the creator of all things.  He wants to meet you. Come and find real life.  All are welcome.  Go and tell your friends that they are welcome, whoever they are!

This tribe is here for every other tribe. Not to protect ourselves.