God Talk – a conversation with a theologian
Message: Apart from Jesus you cannot live in God’s
kingdom
There is lots of talk about God or gods today, some
purposefully, some inadvertently, but God comes up in a lot of conversations. People are willing to talk about God and
nearly everyone has some take on God, who he is and what He is about.
Nicodemus was a leading man in the Jewish community in
his day and he came to talk to Jesus about who Jesus was and who God was.
This story must begin where we left of last Sunday
John 2:23-3:1
Now while he was in Jerusalem at
the Passover Feast, many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and
believed in his name. 24 But Jesus would
not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men. 25 He did not need man's
testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man.
3 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the
Jewish ruling council.
Nicodemus was one of these ‘believers’ who sincerely
desired to learn more. Nicodemus was one
of the people Jesus would not trust himself to (2:24)
And while he believes enough to want to inquirer further,
he also comes to Jesus “by night”
This is an understandable precaution…
Profile of Nicodemus –
·
He comes from “Jerusalem” instead of Galilee; educated & cultured
·
Pharisee;
a ruler of the Jews”. Nicodemus would have been a member of the Sanhedrin, the distinguished group of
leaders of the Jewish culture, responsible to interpret and judge according to
the Mosaic Law.
·
Pharisees were the more popular party to the Saducees by the general public, considered
more democratic. As a leading Parisee,
Nicodemus would have had a large popular following by the people and he would
have been very interested in what the people were interested in.
·
He was a theologian
– one who studies to know God
·
He was a theological insider; adept at spiritual things; famous for his skill at
teaching.
·
Between his theological education and training
and his popularity among the people he would have had a lot at stake to come to
Jesus.
He would have been
an expert at walking the theological, political and popular tight-ropes. One
could wonder if his theological education and skill and public reputation
becomes an impediment to his ability to become a disciple.
Should Nicodemus serve as a mirror for some
of us to see ourselves?
2 He came to Jesus at night
Jesus speaks to
Nicodemus at night – Jesus’ work extends to those in darkness even though
he is “the light”. Jesus must step into
the darkness itself inorder to redeem those captivated to it. The only other character who comes to Jesus
at night is Judas Iscariot and he departs into the night to betray Jesus.
Jesus mission is to enter the darkness and find us.
Nicodemus comes to the light
of Jesus to ask three questions
1 – “Who are you?” His first question shows admirable respect, acknowledging Jesus as a
teacher. This is his ‘opener’ launched
by one theologian to another.
He is hoping to “open Jesus up” to reveal more about who he is – where
he came from – who was his teacher
2 He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a
teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs
you are doing if God were not with him."
Nicodemus flatters
Jesus and expected Him to begin talking about himself – personally – and how he
is able to perform such miraculous signs.
Nicodemus is
hoping to have a serious theological conversation among equals, man to man; by addressing him as Rabbi. Nicodemus is building him up by talking about
miraculous signs and some ‘connection’ with God. Jesus diverts the conversation and does not
respond as Nicodemus expected – If anyone knows anything about what comes
down from God – it’s him - and he is not going to allow Nicodemus the
conjecture about His Father or his mission.
Jesus is not interested in talking about himself or the
divine authentication of signs but He wants to talk about the reality of
someone’s relationship with God.
3 In reply Jesus declared, "I
tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born
again."
Jesus used a phrase that is quite unusual for theological
conversations – “born again”
John 3:3 Gennhqh= | a&nwqen =
genneetheé ánoothen
a&nwqen anothen (an'-o-then); from above; by
analogy, from the first; by implication, anew:
KJV - from above, again, from the beginning (very first),
the top.
born again is also understood as “born anew from above”
There are two
important points that Jesus makes regarding signs and a relationship with God –
Being Born Again is…
1.
an act of God himself.
a. It
is always a miracle, a mystery and action “from above” – God “breaks in and
acts”
b. It
can never be the direct result of the
reasoning of a theologian or the technique of a successful teacher
2.
a matter of revelation, but it is a matter of regeneration.
a. God
is making himself know to us for the purpose of changing us and making us new
b.
It is not a matter of “seeing” a new way of
living - but living as a new being, a
new person
Jesus is getting at something that is completely
different than Nicodemus expected or had ever experienced before. Where
someone (like Nicodemus) is interested in what God can do for them - Jesus was
looking to make the person new; the complete renewal of the whole person.
Nicodemus is bewildered by
Jesus and asks his second question…
2 – “How can a person really
change?”
Nicodemus understands Jesus to say “born again” because he says
4 "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked.
"Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be
born!"
Perhaps Nicodemus
was asking…
wistfully - “Can human nature
really be changed? Can we really start
over?”
Or maybe more cynically – “And I should return to my mothers womb? I don’t think so”
Nicodemus reduces Jesus
point to the physical absurd. Birth
cannot be repeated.
“I am the person who was born on
a certain day and has grown up in a certain way. All of that cannot be cancelled. It is as this person that I am that I want to
see the Kingdom of God.”
“I have experienced this environment;
I have been shaped by the experiences of my life. How can I God? I can’t crawl back to my mother, I can’t go
back in time”
Nicodemus reveals by his answer that he is outside the
Kingdom of God, and doesn’t understand the deeper truths of what Jesus was
taking about
Jesus responds to explain
that this “Divine birth” is a birth of water and Spirit.
5 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the
kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth
to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised
at my saying, 'You must be born again.' 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases.
You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is
going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."
Nicodemus has shown his mind is moving in a ‘flatland’
world, but the world is actually round.
Jesus said “you must be born anew / from above” and he
begins to unpack that for Nicademus…
He clearly says “No one is coming to God unless he is…“Born of water and the Spirit”
There are a couple of ways to understand
what Jesus was saying about being born of water & Spirit
1.
Physical birth –
As if to say, “your half way there, you are physically
born, now lets get you spiritually born.”
Some have said that born of water meant to be born
physically, a birth of the flesh; then to have a spiritual birth. That the amniotic fluid was the ‘water’ of
birthing process.
That can work for a western mind thought, but Nicodemus
would not have thought like that. If
Jesus was referring to the physical birth, in ancient greek literature, semen
from the man was called water.
Regardless, John
refers in 1:13 that this new life that Jesus was to bring was not about a
physical birth at all – to Jesus, the fact that a person is here, physically
born, is not part of the issue of being part of God’s family and being born
spiritually
2.
Baptism -
Some have said that “born of water” refers to Christian baptism – a faith in Jesus that is accompanied by
spiritual regeneration. John, our
author, certainly would know that his readers would have the background of the
fuller story of Jesus death, but Nicodemus – at this point in the story – would
not.
A more likely view would be Jesus was referring to John the Baptist’s baptism. We have already seen the important role of
John’s baptism in the life and ministry of Jesus. John
was calling Jews to a baptism of repentance and a new & completely
different way of encountering God.
It was the inauguration of Jesus earthly ministry that as he came up
from the depths of the water there was a voice from above and the Spirit of God
descended upon Him.
What Jesus was offering was the opportunity to become a
child of God from above and the flesh does not evolve into the spirit. Flesh is one thing and the Spirit is another
all together. God is Spirit and to be
born of God is to be born spiritually.
However to experience this spiritual birth we cannot ignore our physical
lives. The Word that was spirit and with
God eternally became flesh.
Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist was a way of saying “there is a new way of living life and it is
found only through me” You are going
to have to enter the waters of repentance
and let that experience change you,
and then you will have to live trusting
me – alone – to lead you to the kingdom of God.
Baptism of
repentance becomes the doorway to the Kingdom of God – the experience of
repentance - turning my life from the
ways I used to think and live, and the
ways of this world, and walking out in a
relationship with Jesus who is making me into a new person who is living very
differently than from before, where I am experiencing God’s blessing and the
Spirit coming into me and empowering my life.
Nicodemus is now baffled and
asks his third question
3 – Can change really
Happen? 9 "How can this be?"
Nicodemus is baffled, disturbed and confused. His commitment to the Torah – the ways of his culture, his obedience
to prayer and sacrifice – his ‘good
works’ that he believed would make him acceptable to God; , his role of
responsibility and priviledge – that God
will be ‘good to him’ because of who he is
- have all been challenged.
Jesus responds…
10 "You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus, "and do you
not understand these things? 11 I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know,
and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our
testimony. 12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe;
how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13 No one has ever
gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven — the Son of Man. 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the
desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes in
him may have eternal life.
Jesus first response is a sharp charge – “you are
supposed to know these things and be leading your people to know them – but you
aren’t”
You have been
listening to the wrong people and the wrong ideas about who God is and what is
important to him. The testimony of God by
God’s children are the keys to God’s Kingdom.
The realities of God can only be known by those who are
born “from above”, in fact there is really only one way to know the realities
of a spiritual life from God and that is to attend to the “earthly things” that
he has provided – the Son of Man - ME – Jesus
says “I am the only one who has born of him, been with him and come from him to
provide you a way to know and be with Him.”
You cannot go to heaven on your own , you will have to listen to and follow the only one who has come from
there –and your sin has to be dealt with
Moses lifted up a bronze snake in the desert. The serpent expressed in symbol the very
character of that which was destroying the people. Jesus, the son of Man, must be made sin on
our behalf. He must share the place of
sinful – God-forsaken humanity, so the righteousness of God can become
ours. Apart from this we could not grasp
it because our understanding is distorted.
For the Son of Man to be “lifted up” he goes to the
depths of a death on the cross and only those who embrace who Jesus is and what
he accomplishes for them are the ones who will ever see God.
Nicodemus came wanting to talk about theology – knowledge
and ideas about who God is and how he works – but Jesus says theology is about
living, and dying, not ideas.
Nicodemus was a man who is
drawn to the light but not yet able to leave the darkness.
Nicodemus portrays a person whose life has not been
completely penetrated by Christ, who asks questions but does not become a
disciple, who listens but does not believe.
Disciples confess
Jesus identity, remain with him and tell others – Nicodemus does none of
these. He comes to Jesus in the dark
and leaves in the dark.
The Point: Apart from Jesus you cannot live in God’s
kingdom
New life comes as
we work in partnership with God
We – willfully choose to follow Jesus, in his baptism of
repentance; choosing a new way of living, trusting in him
God – lovingly and graciously offering us the gift of new
life that we must receive.
Today, have
you experienced those waters of repentance –
being baptized into Jesus where his death destroys your sin and you are
born anew – from above – living a new life in a new way. You will have to trust him and look to him to
do that – it is miraculous, mysterious and real.
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