Jesus Puns

The Cambridge Dictionary defines the word “pun” as meaning, “an amusing use of a word or phrase that has several meanings or that sounds like another word”.

I doubt that Jesus employed puns for comic relief, but they certainly were used a lot, as evidenced in the Bible. The reality of the situation is that words with several meanings are usually what is discovered as you peel back the layers from the natural to the supernatural. In short, in the Bible there often is a surface level meaning of a message with a spiritual meaning underneath it. Discovering these things are part of the process of spiritual growth and revelation.  

A man named Nicodemus learned this from Jesus.

“There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:1-3).

Being born again greatly confused Nicodemus. He had a difficult time understanding how “can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?” (John 3:4)

On the surface level Jesus said, “Except a man be born again”. But the word “again” comes from the Greek, “anothen” which means from above, from a higher place.

So, on the spiritual level Jesus said, “Except a man be born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Now that makes a lot more sense, right?

Jesus rounds off that statement to Nicodemus with the following.

“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. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.” (John 3:5-7)

Jesus finishes by repeating to Nicodemus, “You must be born from above”. This sets up the second pun.

“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)

This is a universal truth about wind. You can’t see it or see where it goes, but you can hear it and you certainly can witness the effects of it! But that isn’t what Jesus is telling Nicodemus. Jesus is talking to him about the Holy Ghost.

Let’s break that verse down and show the spiritual meanings of what Jesus said. The word “wind” comes from the Greek, “pneuma”. It is also means spirit, more specifically, pneuma is generally used in reference to the Holy Ghost. The word, “sound” comes from the Greek word, “phone” and means, “voice”.  And finally the word, “tell” comes from the Greek “eido” meaning to “perceive”.

So instead of talking to Nicodemus about invisible wind that comes and goes as it please, Jesus is in fact, talking to him about the operation of the Holy Ghost and how the Spirit effectually works within.

As Solomon said, “As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit….even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.” (Ecclesiastes 11:5).

Nicodemus doesn’t believe Jesus and asks, “How can these things be?” (John 3:9)

“Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?” (John 3:10-12)

Now we understand Jesus’s usage of puns. It wasn’t for any type of comedic effect. Jesus was expressing divine things to Nicodemus in an earthly way and Nicodemus wasn’t getting it. The real kicker is when Jesus tells him, “If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?”

Not only did Nicodemus not understand the spiritually obvious, he didn’t believe what Jesus had told him. Belief and obedience to that belief is essential to our relationship with God. We don’t have to understand it all, because we won’t and we can’t. But we do have to obey it all explicitly, implicitly, and without question.

Zacharias didn’t believe Gabriel and was made mute as a result.

God told Saul, “Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.” (1 Samuel 15:3)

Saul didn’t. He, “spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God.” (1 Samuel 15:15).

Saul disobeyed a direct command from God., Samuel then informs Saul, “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.” (1 Samuel 15:23)

Not understanding is one thing. Mary didn’t understand being a virgin and yet bringing forth the child Jesus. She inquired to Gabriel about. Nothing bad happened to her. In fact, she became the mother of Christ our Lord.

Not understanding is one thing. Disobedience is quite another. Nicodemus didn’t believe what Christ had told him.

Bill Hitchcock