Charles Spurgeon Commentary John 3:8

"The wind bloweth where it will, and thou hearest the voice thereof, but knowest not whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit." — John 3:8 (ASV)

The wind blows—

That is, the Spirit blows—

Where it pleases, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell from where it comes, and to where it goes: so is everyone that is born of the Spirit.

This is a great mystery, and our Saviour connected it with the most mysterious thing in the whole realm of nature, – the wind, – a thing which has never been seen, and which must remain a mystery to us, at least while we are upon the earth. Christ uses this mysterious force as an emblem of the Holy Spirit, and of those who are "born of the Spirit."

The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

It is a mystery. You can never fully understand it, but you can enjoy it. If you are born again, you will know what it is; but you can no more discover your second birth than your first birth, except by its results and effects.

May God give you to know what it is to be born again! There are many doctors of divinity and men of great learning who know nothing about this new birth, and there are many who are mere babes in Christ who nevertheless enjoy the fruit of this blessed regeneration by the Holy Spirit.

But canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth:

Where it begins, where it goes, or where it comes to an end, you cannot tell.

So is every one that is born of the Spirit.

You do not know where the spirit-life begins, and you cannot tell to what it will lead. There are heights to which the spirit-life can carry you, of which you have never dreamed; this is a mystery beyond your understanding.

The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. (John 3:8)

He is a mysterious person, not to be understood by carnal man. You see his outward life, but you cannot see the hidden spring by which that life is moved and controlled, for that mysterious inner life is only discerned by those who possess it.