Many Bible readers have thought Jesus’s language “born again” was something new. For, we read in the New Testament that Jesus told a man named Nicodemus, “Unless a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3 NIV).
This language “born again” in the form of whatever Aramaic words Jesus used (for those Jews native tongue was Aramaic)—which is gennethe anothen in the Greek text and also can be translated “born from above”—may have been unfamiliar. But its concept should have been known to Jews who knew the scriptures as Nicodemus did.
For, in v. 4 Nicodemus replied by indicating he did not understand what Jesus meant by “born again.” Jesus then said to him, “You should not be surprised at my saying, “You must be born again” (v. 7). Even though Jesus then gave more explanation of the new birth, Nicodemus replied, “How can this be?” (v. 9). We next read, “‘You are Israel’s teacher,” Jesus said, “and you do not understand these things?'” (v. 10). So, Jesus recognized Nicodemus as a scripture teacher.
Why did Jesus say Nicodemus should “understand these things”? He meant that it was in the Jewish scriptures, which Jews call the Tanakh and Christians call the Old Testament. It is in their scriptures that say they every Jew needs to get a “new heart” or “spirit.” Thus, it does not suffice for a Jewish man to be circumcised to enter the kingdom of God, as many Jews thought. Spiritually speaking, it was their heart that needed to be circumcised.
Moses says it first by saying, “Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer” (Deuteronomy 10:16). Moses later adds concerning the world to come, and thus I believe the resurrection, “The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul” (30:6).
Jeremiah likewise wrote, “Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, circumcise your hearts” (Jeremiah 4:4). And Jeremiah later explained that God will finish this work in the future by saying on behalf of God, “I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. … I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people” (31:31, 33).
Ezekiel also says to his people on behalf of God, “Repent and turn from all your transgressions that you have committed against me, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit” (Ezekiel 18:31). Ezekiel later says on behalf of God concerning the world to come, and thus the resurrection, “A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my spirit within you, and make you follow my statues and be careful to observe my ordinances” (36:26-27 cf. 11:19).
To conclude, this circumcising of the heart is what Jesus called “born again.”
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