‘Jesus answered and said to him, “In very truth I tell you except a man be born from above (or anew) he cannot see the Kingly Rule of God”.'
Jesus cut short his preamble and came emphatically to the point, (although of course John may well have abbreviated the discussion). “Unless a man is born from above (Gk. anothen) he cannot appreciate or experience the Kingly Rule of God.” Nicodemus was learning that an understanding of God's spiritual rule over men, which Jesus had come to bring, required spiritual understanding. The implication appears to be that He saw Nicodemus as lacking that spiritual understanding.
The phrase ‘the kingdom/kingly rule (basileia - kingship) of God', mentioned only here in John (although see for the idea John 18:35-37), needs to be understood. In Jesus' day a kingdom was not a piece of land with boundaries, but a sphere over which a king ruled, a place where he exercised his kingship. Where there were people who came under his rule there was his kingdom, even though the boundaries kept changing. Desert sheikhs own no land but they rule over their ‘kingdom', for where their tribe is at any time, there is their kingdom. It rides about with them. So God's kingdom is composed of those who admit and acknowledge His rule wherever they are.
Note on The Kingly Rule of God.
The Kingly Rule of God (or Heaven) was a central part of Jesus' teaching in the Synoptics (Matthew, Mark and Luke which can be ‘seen together' (sun opsis) because they follow a common pattern). It was a Kingly Rule which was present in Jesus and into which men then entered by responding to Him, but which would finally be revealed in greater manifestation in Heaven. It had both a past, a present and a future aspect. It had been intended that Israel would be under the Kingly Rule of God (Deuteronomy 33:5; 1 Samuel 8:7), but they had rejected His kingship As Christians we are under the Kingly Rule of God, and are called on to be responsive to His kingship. And in future those who are His will enter under the eternal Kingly Rule of God.
God's kingship, His rule over His people, had been established at Sinai (Deuteronomy 33:5) but it had finally been rejected (1 Samuel 8:7), and the history of the Old Testament, bore witness to the fact that it had never become a practical reality. Right from the beginning they had fought against the idea. Indeed that was why they had sought an earthly king over them (1 Samuel 10:17-19). They had wanted a king whom they could see and rely on. And throughout their history they had constantly rebelled, so that it became apparent that God's rule could not be established because of their disobedience. In the words of Isaiah 63:19, ‘we are become as those over whom you never bore rule, as those who were not called by your name'.
Thus the prophets declared that their wretched condition, so unlike what had been promised, was due to this failure. The prophets then began to look forward to a day when God would change the hearts of His people by the pouring out of His Spirit and would at that stage establish His rule (Isaiah 44:3-6; Ezekiel 36:26-28; Jeremiah 33:3-4), and this was linked with the coming of a great king (Isaiah 11:1-5; Jeremiah 30:9) and the coming of a great prophet (Isaiah 42:1-4; Isaiah 49:1-6; Isaiah 52:13 to Isaiah 53:12; Isaiah 61:1-3). These would reintroduce God's rule over men. Now, says Jesus, that time has come. God is going to act to establish His rule.
The Kingly Rule of God was to be both within them (the acceptance of His rule in their hearts) and among them (because Jesus the king and His true people were there) (Matthew 6:33; Matthew 12:28; Matthew 21:31; Matthew 21:43; Mark 4:26; Mark 4:30; Mark 9:1; Mark 10:14-15; Mark 12:34; Luke 7:28; Luke 9:27; Luke 10:9; Luke 11:20; Luke 16:16; Luke 17:21; Luke 18:17; Acts 8:12; Acts 14:22; Acts 20:25; Acts 28:23; Acts 28:31; Romans 14:17; 1 Corinthians 4:20). To follow Jesus, and to truly believe in Him, was to respond to the Kingly Rule of God and come under His rule, and this was something that Jesus wanted Nicodemus to appreciate.
There are no grounds for saying that the Kingly Rule of God was postponed. What actually happened was that it bypassed many of the Jews, who rejected Jesus' view of it. But it continued its expansion into the world. Paul and others continued to call men under the Kingly Rule of God (Acts 8:12; Acts 14:22; Acts 20:25; Acts 28:23; Acts 28:31; Romans 14:17; 1 Corinthians 4:20). As will be clear from the references above it was the constant message of the early church.
But it has, of course its vital future aspect, for God's rule will never be fully established over all men until that day when all that is contrary to Him is done away, and those who are His enter into His everlasting kingdom (Isaiah 24:23; Obadiah 1:21; Zephaniah 3:15; Zechariah 14:9; Mark 14:25; Luke 13:29; Luke 22:16-18; Luke 19:11; Luke 21:31; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; 1 Corinthians 15:50; Galatians 5:21; Colossians 4:11; 2 Thessalonians 1:5). The one is preparatory to the other.
Interestingly this is the only passage in John where the Kingly Rule of God is spoken of, although the idea is not totally ignored, for a parallel idea produces before Pilate a statement of great significance (John 18:36). Thus the teaching of Jesus in the Gospel begins with an emphasis on the Kingly Rule of God, and ends with an emphasis on the Kingly Rule of Christ. The writer hardly therefore saw it as insignificant.
But in John, in between these firm statements about the Kingly Rule of God/Christ (John 3:3 & John 18:36), the same idea is more often spoken of from the point of view of possession of ‘eternal life' (three times in chapter 3, twice in chapter 4, twice in chapter 5, five times in chapter 6, once in chapter 10, twice in chapter 12, twice in chapter 17). To be under the Kingly Rule of God now is to possess eternal life. To enter in future into the Kingly Rule of God will be to enjoy eternal life. Both represent the same idea from a different viewpoint and have the same twofold aspect, both present (it is ours to enjoy now) and future (one day it will be ours).
This difference of expression in John is largely due to John's deliberate selectivity and the fact that much in John's Gospel was spoken to Pharisees who, unlike the people, thought in terms of ‘the life of the age to come' (eternal life). They believed firmly in the resurrection to come. The people on the other hand thought more in terms of coming under the Kingly Rule of God (although in their view that meant a kingdom on earth established by a war-like Messiah). Thus to the Pharisees Jesus mainly spoke of eternal life, both present and future, whilst to the people He mainly spoke of coming under the Kingly Rule of God, again something to be experienced both now and in the future. To the disciples He proclaimed both (Matthew 19:29; John 6:65; Matthew 6:33).
It also reflects John's preference for the aspects of Jesus' teaching that used the phrase ‘eternal life', which had tended not to be emphasised by the sources of the Synoptic Gospels. They chose rather to think in terms of coming under God's kingly rule, which probably seemed more substantial. But they did speak of eternal life when dealing with the conversations of people in Jerusalem, such as the rich young ruler and a certain Pharisee. See Luke 10:25; Luke 18:18; Luke 18:30 and parallels; Matthew 25:46. It will be noted that in Luke 18:18; Luke 18:24-25; Luke 18:30 the two ideas are put side by side. To have eternal life is to be under the Kingly Rule of God. Note also Matthew 18:8-9; Matthew 19:17; Mark 9:43; Mark 9:45 where ‘life' is the equivalent of ‘eternal life'.
We must ever remember that during His ministry Jesus taught and did a huge amount which was never recorded (compare John 21:25). Only a comparatively small amount of selective teaching was memorised and passed on. And John, the favoured disciple, appears to have heard and memorised teaching which the others either had not heard, had not understood, or did not fully appreciate, teaching given in Judea among the Judaisers. This passage in itself, however, demonstrates that he knew the importance that Jesus placed on the Kingly Rule of God.
End of note.
‘Born from above.' In John 3:31; John 8:23; John 19:11 the word ‘anothen' unquestionably means ‘from above' referring to the One Who comes ‘from above' and power given ‘from above'. Thus birth ‘from above' fits the overall picture. This probably has Isaiah 45:8 in mind. ‘Drop down, you heavens from above (in LXX we discover anothen as here), and let the skies pour down righteousness.' The idea there is of rain falling in abundance and producing new life, the crops and fruit which are evidence of the righteousness of those so blessed, an idea which is then applied to the pouring out of the Spirit on God's true people producing righteousness (Isaiah 44:1-4 - see further on John 3:5).
‘Not see the kingly rule of God'. This could mean ‘not understanding the Kingly Rule of God', but compare John 3:36; John 8:51 where to ‘see' means to experience life or death. In that case it would mean here that they would not experience the Kingly Rule of God. In fact both ideas may be in mind for John loves the double meaning. The thought is important. It is stressing that, without the Spirit's work, entry under God's direct rule is not possible. For it depends on a spiritual transformation.