In no way was Jesus' understanding of spiritual truth more apparent than in his steadfast recognition of man's original perfection as the offspring of God. This abiding conviction of his own immortal origin, and of God as the sole author of all true being, made possible his outstanding demonstrations of divine power. He proved unfailingly that "whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world."
In his dealings with his fellows, Jesus' clear perception of man's pure and uncontaminated being enabled him quickly to detect and correct any deviation from the flawless original. With his spiritual penetration he instantly uncovered the basic error in Nicodemus' thought, and with what simple directness he offered the remedy! "Ye must be born again," he quietly assured the astonished ruler. A new beginning must be made. Thought must start from an entirely different standpoint: it must acknowledge Spirit as the origin and ultimate of all that really exists. This was indeed a startling demand. To Nicodemus, steeped in the universally accepted theological belief that man is both material and spiritual, it was incomprehensible, impossible of accomplishment.
To Christ Jesus, however, the transcendent truth of man's real being as a son of God was the normal fact of being. This sublime truth, so conspicuous in his conception and birth, impressed itself more and more upon his conscious thought until he could hear the voice of God saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." From that moment of undoubted assurance of his divine origin and authority, Jesus entered upon his mission of teaching and of proving to mankind the inherent oneness with the infinite Spirit from which man springs.
