John 3: 1-8
Nicodemus Visits Jesus
3 Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. 2 He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. 6 What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’ 8 The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
The water as redemption and purification is mentioned many times in the Bible, already in the story of creation: “The spirit of God hovered over the water”.
The deluge is the doom, the purification of sins.
Whoever is not born again, purified by the water of baptism, will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus himself was baptized in the water of the Jordan.
Through water baptism in Christ we can rise to eternal life.
We ask the Lord to send us his spirit so that we can be born again in the spirit.