Born from Above John 3:3 June 7, 2009 Jesus said to Nicodemus, 'Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without from Above John 3:3 June 7, 2009 Jesus said to Nicodemus, 'Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.'" The debate continues among Bible scholars which is the more correct translation of John 3:3; "you must be born again" or "you must be born from above." Virtually without exception the one not chosen as the primary translation for the verse will be footnoted on the bottom of that Bible page as an alternate reading. The focus is usually on the Greek word which can be translated either "anew" or "above" -how it is best translated and what that means for the Christian life. What goes largely ignored in this debate is the other Greek word in this phrase .Everyone agrees that it means "you must be born". But rarely are the implications of being born from above, or being born again discussed. Whether it is being born from above, or being born again, the understanding is that God is intimately involved somehow in the "borning", or birthing. When we Lutherans read Jesus' clarification to Nicodemus in John 3:5 "Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit", we see there a clear reference to baptism, the sacrament by which we receive birth as God's very own children and there are profound implications in our baptismal identities if God is involved in that new birth. Children of earthly parents carry in them and, to varying degrees, are shaped by the chromosomes they received from each parent. Sometimes these are physical characteristics like: "He sure has his mother's eyes", or "She certainly has her father's chin", or whatever. Other tendencies can also be passed to children from parents: "He's great at sports, just like his dad," or "She's as determined as her mother." The nature/nurture debates in these areas continue. Are they characteristics passed on 1 genetically, or are they passed from parent to child in early childhood? No matter. Somehow the seed of that characteristic is planted, either by nature or nurture, and experiences later determine how much that characteristic will develop. that characteristic is planted, either by nature or nurture, and experiences later determine how much that characteristic will develop. You and I were made children of God in our baptisms, born by water and the spirit, born from above, from God who is revealed to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, or as Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier. What might our lives look like if they come to resemble that heavenly parent who gives us life? This is Trinity Sunday. We are baptized in the name of the Trinity. It should therefore come as no surprise that our baptisms have Trinitarian consequences. If, in holy baptism, we receive the seed of God the creator, what might our life look like if that seed grows and bears fruit? Way back in the beginning, back there in the first chapter of Genesis, God invited humankind to share with him the work of creation. Gen 1:28 reads: "God blessed them (Adam and Eve), and God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.'" God's invitation to be partners with him in creation was a three-fold command: fill the earth, subdue the earth, and have dominion over earth's creatures. Tragically, in every case, humankind has perverted those commands. We have heard the command "fill the earth" and have used this as an excuse to over-populate the world. God's intention in sharing with us this creative process was not literally to fill earth to overflowing, but rather to give the earth a sufficient population to work earth's resources for the benefit of all. We have heard the command to subdue the earth and have used it as an excuse to rape the land. To subdue the earth means to work the land, something like a baker works the dough, kneading it, so 2 that it produces the best loaf of bread possible. To subdue the earth is to work the land and seas carefully, responsibly, conscious that these are not products we may consume, but rather resources we are allowed only to use, and to preserve for use by generations which will follow us. The earth is not given to us to abuse; it is loaned to us to use. it produces the best loaf of bread possible. To subdue the earth is to work the land and seas carefully, responsibly, conscious that these are not products we may consume, but rather resources we are allowed only to use, and to preserve for use by generations which will follow us. The earth is not given to us to abuse; it is loaned to us to use. We have heard the command to have dominion over all that swims, and flies, and walks the land and have interpreted that to mean dominate them. We have perverted this command to excuse the crudest treatment of birds and animals. Don't misunderstand. I'm no vegetarian. I enjoy a steak as much as the next person. But I see no justification in causing an animal to suffer on its way to my table. To have dominion is not to dominate, but to domesticate, to take what is wild and tame it for human use. If in holy baptism we receive the seed of God the creator, what might our life look like if that seed grows and bears fruit? It grows into a life that is responsible with procreation, a life that treats the land as a caretaker and not an owner, and a life that treats with respect the gifts God gives to sustain life. If, in holy baptism we receive the seed of Jesus, the redeemer, what might our life look like if it grows and bears fruit? In general, it will look like Jesus' earthly life, one who loves God with heart, soul, mind, and strength, and our neighbor as ourselves. But more specifically it will be a life that exhibits a sacrificial, and even suffering love. If our lives are to resemble Jesus' life, they must bear the marks of the cross. I was watching a program recently called "World's Most Exciting Rescues". You might recall the airplane crash several years ago of an Air Florida flight into the icy Potomac River just outside Washington, D.C.. The program showed a video tape of a heroic rescue by a helicopter pilot who made six separate trips to rescue six victims hanging on wreckage in the middle of that ice water. You could plainly see, as each time the rope was let down from the helicopter, a hand grab the rope and give it to another to be rescued. Five times this happened. But before the helicopter could complete its sixth trip, 3 the wreckage shifted and the one man left, the one who had passed the rope to safety to five other people, drowned. And Jesus said, "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." her people, drowned. And Jesus said, "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." If, in holy baptism we receive the seed of Jesus, the redeemer, what might our life look like if that seed grows and bears fruit? It will look something like this, a life that sacrifices for another. If, in holy baptism, we receive the seed of the Holy Spirit, what might our life look like if that seed grows and bears fruit? In the Apostles' Creed, the Holy Spirit is closely associated with the church. Martin Luther, describing the work of the Holy Spirit, said: "The Holy Spirit calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church and keeps it united with Jesus Christ in the one true faith." The work of the Holy Spirit was to continue Jesus' ministry after Jesus ascended to heaven. One of my favorite stories is of Giacomo Puccini who composed the operas La Boheme and Madame Butterfly. It was during his battle with cancer m 1922 that he began to write Turandot, which many consider his best. He worked on the score day and night, despite friends' advice to rest and to save his energy. When his sickness worsened, Puccini said to his students, "If I don't finish Turandot, I want you to finish it." He died in 1924, leaving his work unfinished. His students gathered all that was written of Turandot, studied it in great detail, and then proceeded to write the remainder of the opera. The world premier was performed in the La Scala Opera House in Milan in 1926, conducted by Toscanini, Puccini's favorite student. The opera went beautifully until Toscanini came to the end of the part written by Puccini. He stopped the music, put down the baton, turned to the audience, and announced, "Thus far the master wrote, until he died." 4 There was a long pause; no one moved. Then Toscanini picked up the baton, turned to his audience, and with tears in his eyes, announced, "But his disciples finished his work." The opera closed to thunderous applause, and to a permanent place in the annals of great works. ong pause; no one moved. Then Toscanini picked up the baton, turned to his audience, and with tears in his eyes, announced, "But his disciples finished his work." The opera closed to thunderous applause, and to a permanent place in the annals of great works. If, in holy baptism, we receive the seed of the Holy Spirit, what might our life look like if that seed grows and bears fruit? A life, bearing the imprint of the Holy Spirit will continue and complete the work of the Master. A life, bearing the imprint of the Holy Spirit, will find its fullest spiritual expression within a worshiping, witnessing community called a church. That person will worship regularly, will witness tirelessly, will share generously gifts of time, talent, and treasure, so that, through the church, the work of the master might be finished. Amen. May me peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in and through Christ Jesus. Amen. 4 5