Devotions this week are based on Week 2: Temptation to Triumph: Transformation (WATCH HERE)
John 3:4–8 “How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!”
5 Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
Nicodemus was not ignorant. He was educated, disciplined, and deeply religious. Yet when Jesus spoke of being born again, he responded with confusion. “How can a man be born when he is old?” He interpreted Jesus’ spiritual truth through a purely natural lens. He was looking directly at the Son of God and still could not see what stood before him.
Spiritual blindness is not about intelligence. It is about perception. The apostle Paul explains in 2 Corinthians 4:4 that “the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ.” A person may see the words of Scripture and hear the message of salvation, yet miss its beauty and necessity. Blindness reduces Jesus to a teacher, a moral example, or a spiritual option rather than the only Savior.
Jesus explains that flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. Natural effort cannot produce spiritual life. Religion cannot manufacture rebirth. Moral reform cannot create a new heart. Only the Spirit of God can awaken sight.
The wind illustration is striking. You cannot control it, predict it, or generate it. You only see its effects. So it is with the Spirit. When He opens blind eyes, pride softens. When He brings sight, Christ becomes clear. What once seems confusing, now brings deep understanding.
Spiritual blindness today often looks subtle. It can appear as distraction, self-sufficiency, or overconfidence in knowledge. We may assume that because we understand doctrine, we possess transformation. We may trust Christian routines rather than Christ Himself. Jesus is not asking Nicodemus for better effort but inviting him into a new life.
The prayer of David in Psalm 119:18 is fitting here: “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.” Sight is a gift. Clarity is grace. The Spirit delights to reveal the glory of Christ to humble hearts.
Today, ask the Lord not merely for information, but illumination. When you open Scripture, pause before you read. Ask the Spirit to help you see Jesus clearly. As you go about your responsibilities, watch for where you instinctively rely on your own understanding. When conviction comes, receive it as evidence that your spiritual sight is growing.
Blindness keeps Christ at a distance. Sight draws you toward Him in trust and worship.
Reflect: Where might I be needing more clarity from the Spirit’s work? Am I priding myself simply in my knowledge about Jesus or in the transforming work of the Spirit to trust in Jesus?
Prayer: Holy Spirit, open my eyes. Remove the subtle blindness that keeps me from seeing Christ as my only hope. Let me not settle for information without transformation. Give me clear sight of the beauty, authority, and sufficiency of Jesus today. Amen.