John 3:1-15
There were
hundreds of Pharisees in Judea when Jesus lived there. While we usually have trouble thinking of
anything good to say about these super-committed Jews, the few Pharisees we
know by name in the New Testament are intriguing characters. The best-known, of course, is Paul, who
probably needs no introduction. Then there’s
Joseph of Arimethea, the man who provided a tomb so Jesus could have a decent
burial. This text introduces us to Nicodemus,
a Pharisee who was curious about Jesus. Curious,
not simply because Jesus was interesting but because Nicodemus almost certainly
felt something was missing spiritually. That
curiosity prompted him to go see Jesus late one night.
Jesus “cut
to the chase,” as we say. He did not
give the Pharisee time to begin a formal theological discussion. Instead, Jesus declared, “I tell you for
certain that you must be born again before you can see God’s kingdom!”
Of course,
Nicodemus didn’t understand, so Jesus had to explain further. Being “born again” is God’s work.
Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth
to spiritual life.
So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’
The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but
can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how
people are born of the Spirit.”
Still,
Nicodemus struggled. This was hard to
take. Jews reserved the term “reborn”
for the Gentiles who chose to embrace Judaism.
Nicodemus would have heard Jesus saying, “You—a ruler of Israel and a
proud Pharisee—must first regard yourself as one outside God’s Kingdom if you
would enter God’s Kingdom.”
The thought
of giving up his cherished beliefs—that he didn’t need to be reborn and that
his good life would win God’s favor—was so difficult that Nicodemus is unable
to grasp Jesus’ words. So, Nicodemus
again asks, "How can this be?"
This puzzles
us too. It troubles us. We so very much want to believe that our
going to heaven is about what we do. Jesus
says, No, it’s about what God does.
Once again
Jesus pulls no punches to challenge Nicodemus to look beyond his limited
understanding, but this time he uses a Biblical example to illustrate how the
people poisoned by their own sinful rebellion had to depend upon God for
rescue. An ardent student of what we now
call the Old Testament, Nicodemus would have been very familiar with this
story.
JN 3:14 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.
As
punishment for their sins, God sent snakes to bite the people of Israel. In response to their cries for help, God told
Moses to make a bronze snake which he was to place on a pole and hold it up
where it could be seen. God then
promised that whoever looked at the snake would be healed.
Now, I admit
that may seem like a strange story if you’re hearing if for the first time but
it has three important points to keep in mind:
1. There was a
God-appointed means of salvation—the Bronze Snake.
2. There was a God-appointed means of accepting
that salvation—looking at the Bronze Snake.
3. The consequence of not accepting the
God-appointed means of salvation was death.
Now, there
is nothing particularly significant about a bronze sculpture of a snake to make
it a life-saving remedy. Yet, when the
stricken Israelites looked at that bronze snake, they were cured. Looking at that snake healed them, because God
had said it would.
It’s far too
early for Nicodemus to appreciate all that Jesus is saying but the words point
ahead to the cross.
For nearly
two-thousand years Christian thinkers have tried to explain why the death of Jesus
makes possible our salvation. Some of
the explanations see better than others, yet none of them seem to fully explain
the significance of Jesus’ death. The best
we can say is, trusting the crucified Savior brings salvation because God says
it does.
The story of
Nicodemus’ late-night encounter with Jesus ends at this point, ends with words
which are some of the best-known in the Bible.
"For
God so loved the world
that he gave
his one and only Son,
that whoever
believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Scholars don’t
know if those words were spoken by Jesus or were John’s comment on the episode.
It doesn’t matter. The beautiful words of John 3:16 remind us of
what was going on when Jesus died on the cross.
He was dying for us, dying to pay the penalty for our sins, dying to
make it possible for us to live.
The
beautiful words of John 3:16 explain why Jesus reminded Nicodemus of that
Bronze Snake.
1. There is a God-appointed means of
salvation: The cross.
2. There is a God-appointed means of accepting
that salvation: Faith in Christ.
3. The consequence of not accepting the
God-appointed means of salvation is death.
Did you see
how Jesus defined the consequences of faith in him; whoever believes in him
will have ‘eternal life.’
That’s the
possession of those who have been “born again”. They possess eternal life. And that fact has the greatest spiritual
significance.
The thought
that four out of ten people could regularly sit in our pews and be indifferent
to the need to be born again is beyond sad, it is a spiritual tragedy.
Those words,
“You must be born again,” echo down the centuries.
Jesus’ words
reflect a heavenly imperative. Jesus did
not say to the man who would have been considered a spiritual giant among the
Jews, “You should consider being born again.”
He said, “You must be born again.” It was nonnegotiable. In light of this we can’t say, “Six out of
ten people who attend church will go to heaven because they have been born
again, the other four will go to heaven some other way.” We don’t have that option. Whether they go to church or not, everyone
who hopes for salvation must be born again.
Jesus’ words
reflect a human impossibility. Jesus was
not speaking of some psychological game in which I “rebirth” myself. The spiritual miracle known as being born
again is accomplished by totally by the power of God. Oh, if you sit in a church long enough, I
suppose some of the church culture will rub off. Your language may change. You may begin to behave differently. But the real question remains, Have you been
born again? Have you put your faith in
the one who gives eternal life?
Jesus said,
“You must be born again.” Jesus said
that yet four out of every ten churchgoers can’t say they are born again.
I’m not
reminding you of what Jesus said because I’d like to be able to say, “In our
church only three out of ten aren’t born again.”
The
statistics are only a reminder of how we can’t forget to echo the message of
Jesus, “You must be born again.”
If only one
of you has never put your faith in Christ, we want you to hear and heed the
message of Jesus, “You must be born again.”
In a moment
we will sing a song of invitation. In
less time than it takes to play the opening bars of that song, you can put your
faith in Christ, you can be born again.
I don’t know
how it can happen so quickly except that it is a miracle linked to the very
throne of God.
Stop trying
to reform yourself, redeem yourself, renew yourself.
Put your
faith in Christ; let him give you new life.
And, if you
have put your faith in Christ for the first time, if you have accepted the new
life he offers, then declare that new faith by coming forward during our final
song.
[If you're reading this sermon and have placed your faith in Christ--either after reading the sermon or at some other time--and have never told the pastor of the church you attend or a church in your neighborhood, please consider doing so. It's important.]
