Most of my Ames friends are at Encounter this weekend, which I had to miss in order to finish preparing for the imminent birth of our second child. Can't wait to hear all about it. I have a question for you all though:

Consider the following scene.

John 3:1-10

Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him."

Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."

Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"

Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, 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 its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."

Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?"

Jesus answered him, "Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?..."

Nicodemus, a member of the Sanhedrin, one of the most religious and studied Jews alive at the time didn't seem to understand what Jesus was talking about.

What does Jesus mean by being "born of water and the Spirit", and why can't you enter the "kingdom of God" until you are?

The fact that he was surprised (that or asking an ironic question to slam Nic, which could be the case) that a teach of Israel didn't catch his meaning, leads me to think he was referring to something... do you know what he was referring to?