Prepare
As a Pharisee, Nicodemus would have been respected and educated, one you would go to with questions and hope for answers. And yet, he came to Jesus under the cover of night, confused about the teachings he’s heard and wanting some answers.
Jesus tells him he must be “born from above.” The Greek word anōthen means both “again” and “from above.” Nicodemus hears it literally, but Jesus is pointing to something deeper—a spiritual rebirth initiated by God.
Being “born from above” isn’t being morally superior or getting everything right. It’s about the identity we receive that is rooted in the Divine Spirit. It is something God does, not dependent on anything we can do or achieve.
Jesus compares the Spirit to wind—moving freely, unpredictably, beyond human control. That image reminds us that faith is not something we manage or master. The Spirit is active in ways we may not fully understand.
Then there’s John 3:16, one of the most quoted verses in all the Bible. Often, when it’s quoted or memorized, the emphasis lies on “whoever believes…will have eternal life.” However, there are two things one can easily miss. First, God’s love precedes our belief. It’s important to note that God’s love reaches the whole world—not just the church, our country, the people who look like us, the ones who believe as we do—but the whole world. Secondly, verse 17 reminds us that God sent God’s Son into the world to save it, not condemn it. The two verses should be read and understood together.
FORMAT
This passage invites you and your students to reflect on identity, grace, and freedom. In a culture that pressures us to prove ourselves and draws sharp lines between who belongs and who doesn’t, Jesus points us back to God’s expansive love for the whole world. To be born from above is to see your identity from God—identity that is not built on division, status, or superiority, but on grace. From that grounding, we can see the Spirit at work—moving freely, sometimes wildly and unpredictably, toward life and unity in a world insisting on separation.
Opening Exercise
You know your context best – so choose based on your students (and even the vibe of the day).
Either have students split into pairs or small groups OR give them something to write on to reflect independently.
Ask:
- When have you felt like you needed to prove yourself? Maybe this is a grade to make your parents proud, doing something to feel belonging in a group of friends, wearing or doing something to impress a person you’re interested in.
- What did that feel like?
After a few minutes, invite volunteers to share themes they noticed – or even just answer the second question: What did that feel like?
Connect this / Transition to today’s scripture:
- Today, we’re exploring whether our identity is something we do/prove or something we receive.
Text Read Aloud
- Read it twice. During the first reading, ask them to focus on anything that stands out or confuses them. Then on the second, focus on anything that comforts them.
Born from Above, Already Loved
Nicodemus is a religious leader, a Pharisee formed in Scripture and familiar with the ways God moves, acts, and breathes. He’s supposed to know the answers, yet Jesus says something he can’t quite understand.
So Nicodemus comes to Jesus at night.
We don’t really know why, only that he’s confused by what he’s heard Jesus teaching. Maybe he comes so no one will see him wondering. Or maybe because night feels safer for asking hard questions.
Jesus says, “You must be born from above.”
I think when a lot of us hear this, we’re thinking, “A restart sounds nice.” This is what Nicodemus hears – a chance to do things over, right the world, improve himself. But Jesus is talking about our identity, not simply a re-do.
In our world, we’re constantly asked to prove who we are. We feel like we have to curate a specific image, defend the things we like or spend time on, market ourselves to look like who we want others to see. Jesus reminds us that being born from above (or born again) isn’t about climbing higher or being more impressive. It’s not something we choose (just like we didn’t choose our first birth). It’s about receiving life rooted in the Spirit of God.
FORMAT
Jesus compares this Spirit of God to the wind – it can’t be contained, predicted, or managed.
That can feel unsettling, right? We like control. We like certainty, especially now when there is so much chaos going on and our world feels divided, loud, and even fragile. In the midst of that, we are constantly told to pick a side.
But then we hear the words in verse 16 – “For God so loved the world…” Not just the polished, faithful parts. Not just the parts I agree with. The WHOLE world. Before any of us believed, before we have anything figured out, even when we don’t agree – God loves. God did not send Jesus here to condemn us, but to love and save us.
So if that’s our identity, if we are born into love and to love, that means a couple of things. First, we are freed from the work of proving ourselves – because God has already told us who we are. Second, we are called to love others, helping them see that freedom.
Being born again (born from above) is not an escape from the world but a deep participation in it. It is seeing ourselves and others as already claimed by God. It is trusting that even when the Spirit is quiet, she is still moving toward life and renewal.
Nicodemus shows up again later in the Gospel of John, reminding us that this work isn’t done overnight. But today we can step into life and courage.
Today, you can start to trust that you, as you are, are already loved.
Reflection Questions
- What confuses Nicodemus? How does Jesus explain being “born from above”?
- Why do you think Jesus compares the Spirit to wind?
- What difference does verse 17 make? How does including it change the way we understand God, compared to reading John 3:16 on its own?
- If your identity begins with being loved by God, how might that change the way you live this week? What pressure might be relieved?
Closing Activity – Breath Prayer Practice
A breath prayer is a short, simple prayer you pray in rhythm with your breathing; slowly inhale while silently praying one phrase, then exhale with the second phrase, letting the words settle in your body as you rest in God’s presence. Invite participants to sit comfortably.
- On the inhale:
“Born from Above” - On the exhale:
“Already Loved”
Repeat slowly for 1–2 minutes. Encourage them to carry this breath prayer into moments of stress this week.
Other breath prayer options that may work better for your context:
- Inhale: God loves the world
- Exhale: That Includes me
- Inhale: Spirit, breathe in me
- Exhale: Move me towards life
- Inhale: Loved by God
- Exhale: Loving the World
Final Prayer
Loving God,
You loved the world before we ever knew how to love you back.
Breathe your Spirit into us again and again.
Free us from the need to prove ourselves.
Root our identity in your grace.
Send us into the world, not in fear, but in love.
Amen
Bio of Author
Liz Dinkins (she/her) is the Director for Youth and Campus Ministries at Lutheran Church of the Epiphany in Winston-Salem, NC. She’s in her final semester of an MDiv and preparing for a call as a Minister of Word and Sacrament (Pastor) in the ELCA. Liz is passionate about helping people discover their identity in God’s grace and live it out in whimsical, courageous, and hopeful ways. When she’s not working, she’s probably discovering new crafting hobbies or hanging out with her four cats, dog, and/or husband, Andrew.
