Not all Pharisee’s considered themselves as enemies of Jesus. John 3 introduces us to one Pharisee by the name of Nicodemus. He approached Jesus at night with a question on his mind. One must assume that he came to Jesus at night so that his position as a ruler and teacher of the Jews would not be compromised. Without being stated, Jesus knew the question on his heart. It is the same question that had been considered for centuries before and has been asked centuries since. “How can a man enter into the kingdom?” The Jews like so many today thought that the Messiah would establish a physical kingdom and sit on David’s throne in Jerusalem. Imagine his confusion when Jesus told him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” This ruler of the Jews still thinking materialistically asked, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” (vs. 3-4) The question of the kingdom has been greatly misunderstood. Jesus will clearly state, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here” Jn. 18:36. It would be hard to misunderstand this statement. The kingdom of God is not of this world but is of the spiritual realm. To Nicodemus He answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit” (vs. 5-8). In His explanation Jesus demonstrates that entrance into the kingdom is a spiritual process. Entrance does not require a fleshly birth, but a spiritual birth of water and Spirit. There are so many illegitimate interpretations to this passage, let us allow it to interpret itself. First water is involved. In the book of Acts, we see baptism in water as an action for entrance into the kingdom. (See Acts 2:41; 8:12, 38; 16:33, etc.). Water as stated by Jesus is a necessary component for the “new birth”. Second, Jesus mentions the Spirit. This brings up the question, “How does the Spirit operate in the New Birth?” Again, we search for a Bible explanation. “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish” Eph. 5:25-27. Notice verse 26, “He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word.” Paul explains in this context that the cleansing of the body of Christ, the church, which is the baptized believers, took place by the washing of water and the word. Washing of water represents baptism and the Spirit operates through the Word. Thus this passage also deals with the New Birth. Notice John’s triad of salvation, “And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one” 1 John 5:8. From this study we conclude that the Spirit operating through the Word by baptism and through the blood of Christ, work in perfect agreement in the New Birth.