Meditations on According to John. Herold Weiss

of fact, they are “born of God.” Such are no longer from below. They are born of the Spirit, born from above. In the same way in which a flag lifted up on its pole draws together a people and constitutes it a nation, the Son of Man lifted up on a cross draws toward himself all who believe and constitutes them “born of God.”

      Those who are born from above, even while in the realm below, are not confined to the realm below. Their faith makes them live in eternal life. Only those whose origin is from above can participate in the glory of the one who was lifted up and glorified. The cross that lifts up the Son offers the object on which faith must rest. The object of faith is not doctrinal knowledge. It is seeing the Son on the cross ascending to the Father who sent him. The Son who is lifted up is the way, the only means of access to the heavenly regions. As a means of transportation that makes possible the ascent to the Father who causes us to be born from above and gives us eternal life, Elijah’s chariot is no competition to the Son of Man who was glorified on a cross.