How Could Nicodemus Have Known?

Q. In John 3:1-15, Jesus is speaking to Nicodemus about the need for a person to be “born again”. When Nicodemus ask Jesus, “How could these things be?” Jesus basically said, “You are a teacher in Israel and still you don’t know this?” Since The Mosaic / Levitical laws emphasise obedience to the 10 Commandments and their derivatives, what could Nicodemus have studied that would help him understand spiritual rebirth?

Also, are there any Old Testament prophecies that point to the Church age and the unique characteristic of believers being permanently indwelt by the Holy Spirit?

A. It’s important to remember that the Lord could not have rebuked Nicodemus unjustly.  There had to be a way he could have known. The two most prominent places would have been Jeremiah 31:31-34 where the phrase New Covenant originates, and Ezekiel 36:25-27 where the Lord promised to take out their old heart, give them a new one, and put His Spirit in them.  This would logically require dying and being born again.

While we can look back and see places where the prophets spoke of the church, it’s doubtful anyone understood it as such.  Isaiah 49:6 is a good example.