John 3:5-15
Jesus Talks to Nicodemus about the Spirit
5Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' 8The 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."
9"How can this be?" Nicodemus asked.
10"You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus, "and do you not understand these things? 11I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. 14Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
Nicodemus was a Pharisee...He would have been a teacher of the Old Testament...Jesus tries to teach Nicodemus about being reborn...He also tries to teach him about heavenly things... Nicodemus is struggling (as I am) with what Jesus is teaching about the Spirit...
Jesus teaches us that the wind blows wherever it wants...It blows at whatever time it wants...We hear it but we don't know where it comes from or where it is going...Jesus says "So it is with everyone born of the Spirit"...
Jesus says "you people" in reference to us earthly people...He also mentions "we speak of what we know" referring to someone or ones other than people of earth...
Man speaks of what we know and these are of earthly things... Jesus tells Nicodemus, even though He has talked to him about earthly things and he (Nicodemus) doesn't understand these, how can He teach him about heavenly things...Humanity cannot grasp these things...Jesus could have given Nicodemus many more comparisons or analogies about the Spirit and heavenly things and we would trouble to understand them, if at all...And Nicodemus was well versed in scripture...I doubt now matter how much time and detail of the Spirit and heaven, Jesus might have given to Nicodemus, we would only understand a little, if that...Our understanding of these things are limited to what we know...
Job says in 42:3, "surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things to wonderful for me to know"...Isaiah sums it up in verse 40:28 "His understanding no one can fathom"...