Jesus was speaking about two kinds of BIRTHS.
When the flesh gives birth? The mother "breaks water."
That speaks of being born of the flesh, not water baptism.
I think a better explanation is the water IS the Holy Spirit. Because there is only one birth in question.....born again.Nicodemus was the 'teacher of Israel' and should have known what Jesus was saying.
Numbers 19:17–19
17 ‘Then for the unclean person they shall take some of the ashes of the burnt purification from sin and flowing water shall be added to them in a vessel.
18 ‘A clean person shall take hyssop and dip it in the water, and sprinkle it on the tent and on all the furnishings and
Ezekiel 36:25–27:
I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.
Zechariah 13:1
1 “In that day a fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for impurity.
John 7~~ 37 Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying,If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.
38 “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’ ”
39 But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
John 3:5
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water
and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
kai: and, even, also
Original Word: καί
Part of Speech: Conjunction
Transliteration: kai
Phonetic Spelling: (kahee)
Definition: and, even, also
Usage: and,
even, also,
namely.