How Is New Birth Possible?
Psalm 121; John 3:1-17
Have you ever settled into your easy chair early in the evening, knowing your day is done, then your doorbell rings? You aren’t expecting anyone, but when you open the door, you see your smiling friend with a covered plate in their hands. They dropped by to share what they baked earlier in the day, so you invite them in. Your previous plans for a quiet evening just changed.
Jesus’ long day was done. He could relax and have some privacy. It was late enough in the evening that no one would drop by. But out of the shadows emerged a man named Nicodemus and Jesus’ plans for a quiet evening changed. He was a Pharisee, an expert in the law, one of the 70 men who belonged to the Sanhedrin, the powerful Jewish ruling council for Jews. Nicodemus would have spent many years studying the Torah. He knew each of the 613 commandments in Scripture, plus the various guidelines added to each one by religious leaders for the purpose of ensuring that every law was followed precisely. His other responsibility as part of the Sanhedrin was to settle civil and criminal cases.
This seasoned religious leader very much wanted to speak with Jesus, but he came under cover of darkness to guard his reputation. He was well prepared for that encounter; we know that because he began with a well-crafted opening statement. “Rabbi (teacher), we (the 70 rabbis/teachers of Jewish law) know you’re a teacher that comes from God, because no one could perform miracles as you have, if God wasn’t with him.” Nicodemus gave Jesus what he saw as a flattering compliment; I suspect he had specific questions he planned to ask Jesus next. He and the other Pharisees were the well-established authorities on matters of faith. Jesus had only recently emerged out of obscurity, a seemingly untrained rabbi – but he spoke with unmistakable wisdom, he had had the power to change water into wine at a wedding recently, and he was beginning to attract large crowds.
It was important that Nicodemus, as a seasoned religious leader, gain insight into Jesus for his colleagues… but I suspect he was also personally curious. He may have even volunteered, despite the risk to his reputation if caught, because he had his own questions for Jesus. But Nicodemus never got the chance that night. Jesus ignored the “we” part in Nicodemus’ introduction and focused only on him. “Truly, I assure you, unless you are born again you cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus had said nothing about the kingdom of God, but Jesus knew that was what was on his mind. Now he was the student needing to learn, so he asked how a person could possibly enter their mother’s womb again. He was thinking literally, not perceiving spiritual truth – which is what he would have been taught in Pharisee training 101.
Jesus didn’t answer his question; instead he emphasized how it’s impossible for someone to enter God’s kingdom unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Notice how he first said a person couldn’t see the kingdom, then he said they couldn’t enter the kingdom. We can’t know exactly what sort of look was on Nicodemus’ face, but we can guess he felt shocked, confused, and maybe for once in his life… uncertain. Jesus, understanding the significance of that moment, said he as a teacher shouldn’t be caught off-guard hearing that a person needed to be born anew. Any advanced student of holy Scripture should know God has the divine power and authority to do all things, in our natural world and in the spiritual realm.
Jesus patiently talked with Nicodemus, using the analogy of wind, which blows but cannot be seen. He spoke about Moses, and the time that some of the Israelites were bitten by poisonous snakes. There was no cure; death would claim them. But God instructed that a bronze snake be forged and held up high; any person who looked at it and had faith in God in their heart was healed. Saved from certain death.
What’s stunning here, truly unforgettable, is that Jesus then told Nicodemus that one day the Human One would be lifted up on high – he was foretelling his death on a cross, to a Pharisee of all people. Jesus then said that everyone who looks at Him and believes will have eternal life. Everyone. I believe that one word changed everything for Nicodemus. Most Jews thought that being born a Jew meant you were born into God’s kingdom. You certainly had to strictly follow all laws and statutes, but the question of eternity was a settled matter. It was Gentiles who were born “lost”; they needed divine intervention if their souls were to be received in heaven.
I think that word “everyone” shifted all that Nicodemus thought he knew to be true about God’s will and ways that night. He’d been raised and immersed in the belief that his ethnicity – being Jewish – opened the way to heaven. Another bedrock belief was the necessity of strictly following God’s holy laws in order to be acceptable in His sight.
I think Nicodemus was right back to his “How can this be?” question. I picture him looking intently at Jesus as he heard words that have since resonated with millions of people for over 2,000 years. “God so loved the world that He gave His only, beloved Son; whosoever believes in him shall not die, but will have everlasting life.”
Nicodemus came seeking answers that night, but when he rose to go he knew it was Jesus who was seeking him. For the next three years reports kept coming in to the Sanhedrin: hundreds of people had been healed; Jesus’ teachings spread quickly once a crowd heard him; many had witnessed his power over the natural world. They also heard about how he spoke of himself as the Bread of Life, Living Water, and the Resurrection and the Life.
Nicodemus isn’t mentioned again until an urgent meeting of the 70 Pharisees took place in Jerusalem. There was growing concern about Jesus’ popularity; something should be done, said some. In that public forum, Nicodemus offered counsel that his fellow leaders found acceptable. He took a risk in the broad daylight and said it would be wise to wait and see what unfolded. If God was with Jesus, his blessing would rest upon him; if it wasn’t, he wouldn’t be a concern for very long.
There is a third and final time Nicodemus appears in Scripture. His friend Joseph of Arimathea came to find him, looking exhausted and heartbroken. “Jesus is dead,” he said. The Romans crucified him but gave permission for his body to be buried before the sun set, according to Jewish tradition. Nicodemus came to Golgotha and saw Jesus’ body lifted up. He remembered him saying that whoever believed in him would have eternal life. The men carried Jesus’ body to the tomb, wrapped him quickly in burial cloths and quickly returned to their homes. Did Nicodemus weep with despair the rest of that night, thinking it was too late now? He knew Jesus was seeking him but he did nothing.
Then everything changed on Sunday morning when Jesus was resurrected from the dead. For everyone who believed in Jesus, hearing that he was alive brought great joy and celebration. We never again hear a word about Nicodemus, but I believe he was among everyone else, those who believed in Jesus. Thanks be to God, who sent us his beloved Son. Amen.
Jesus’ long day was done. He could relax and have some privacy. It was late enough in the evening that no one would drop by. But out of the shadows emerged a man named Nicodemus and Jesus’ plans for a quiet evening changed. He was a Pharisee, an expert in the law, one of the 70 men who belonged to the Sanhedrin, the powerful Jewish ruling council for Jews. Nicodemus would have spent many years studying the Torah. He knew each of the 613 commandments in Scripture, plus the various guidelines added to each one by religious leaders for the purpose of ensuring that every law was followed precisely. His other responsibility as part of the Sanhedrin was to settle civil and criminal cases.
This seasoned religious leader very much wanted to speak with Jesus, but he came under cover of darkness to guard his reputation. He was well prepared for that encounter; we know that because he began with a well-crafted opening statement. “Rabbi (teacher), we (the 70 rabbis/teachers of Jewish law) know you’re a teacher that comes from God, because no one could perform miracles as you have, if God wasn’t with him.” Nicodemus gave Jesus what he saw as a flattering compliment; I suspect he had specific questions he planned to ask Jesus next. He and the other Pharisees were the well-established authorities on matters of faith. Jesus had only recently emerged out of obscurity, a seemingly untrained rabbi – but he spoke with unmistakable wisdom, he had had the power to change water into wine at a wedding recently, and he was beginning to attract large crowds.
It was important that Nicodemus, as a seasoned religious leader, gain insight into Jesus for his colleagues… but I suspect he was also personally curious. He may have even volunteered, despite the risk to his reputation if caught, because he had his own questions for Jesus. But Nicodemus never got the chance that night. Jesus ignored the “we” part in Nicodemus’ introduction and focused only on him. “Truly, I assure you, unless you are born again you cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus had said nothing about the kingdom of God, but Jesus knew that was what was on his mind. Now he was the student needing to learn, so he asked how a person could possibly enter their mother’s womb again. He was thinking literally, not perceiving spiritual truth – which is what he would have been taught in Pharisee training 101.
Jesus didn’t answer his question; instead he emphasized how it’s impossible for someone to enter God’s kingdom unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Notice how he first said a person couldn’t see the kingdom, then he said they couldn’t enter the kingdom. We can’t know exactly what sort of look was on Nicodemus’ face, but we can guess he felt shocked, confused, and maybe for once in his life… uncertain. Jesus, understanding the significance of that moment, said he as a teacher shouldn’t be caught off-guard hearing that a person needed to be born anew. Any advanced student of holy Scripture should know God has the divine power and authority to do all things, in our natural world and in the spiritual realm.
Jesus patiently talked with Nicodemus, using the analogy of wind, which blows but cannot be seen. He spoke about Moses, and the time that some of the Israelites were bitten by poisonous snakes. There was no cure; death would claim them. But God instructed that a bronze snake be forged and held up high; any person who looked at it and had faith in God in their heart was healed. Saved from certain death.
What’s stunning here, truly unforgettable, is that Jesus then told Nicodemus that one day the Human One would be lifted up on high – he was foretelling his death on a cross, to a Pharisee of all people. Jesus then said that everyone who looks at Him and believes will have eternal life. Everyone. I believe that one word changed everything for Nicodemus. Most Jews thought that being born a Jew meant you were born into God’s kingdom. You certainly had to strictly follow all laws and statutes, but the question of eternity was a settled matter. It was Gentiles who were born “lost”; they needed divine intervention if their souls were to be received in heaven.
I think that word “everyone” shifted all that Nicodemus thought he knew to be true about God’s will and ways that night. He’d been raised and immersed in the belief that his ethnicity – being Jewish – opened the way to heaven. Another bedrock belief was the necessity of strictly following God’s holy laws in order to be acceptable in His sight.
I think Nicodemus was right back to his “How can this be?” question. I picture him looking intently at Jesus as he heard words that have since resonated with millions of people for over 2,000 years. “God so loved the world that He gave His only, beloved Son; whosoever believes in him shall not die, but will have everlasting life.”
Nicodemus came seeking answers that night, but when he rose to go he knew it was Jesus who was seeking him. For the next three years reports kept coming in to the Sanhedrin: hundreds of people had been healed; Jesus’ teachings spread quickly once a crowd heard him; many had witnessed his power over the natural world. They also heard about how he spoke of himself as the Bread of Life, Living Water, and the Resurrection and the Life.
Nicodemus isn’t mentioned again until an urgent meeting of the 70 Pharisees took place in Jerusalem. There was growing concern about Jesus’ popularity; something should be done, said some. In that public forum, Nicodemus offered counsel that his fellow leaders found acceptable. He took a risk in the broad daylight and said it would be wise to wait and see what unfolded. If God was with Jesus, his blessing would rest upon him; if it wasn’t, he wouldn’t be a concern for very long.
There is a third and final time Nicodemus appears in Scripture. His friend Joseph of Arimathea came to find him, looking exhausted and heartbroken. “Jesus is dead,” he said. The Romans crucified him but gave permission for his body to be buried before the sun set, according to Jewish tradition. Nicodemus came to Golgotha and saw Jesus’ body lifted up. He remembered him saying that whoever believed in him would have eternal life. The men carried Jesus’ body to the tomb, wrapped him quickly in burial cloths and quickly returned to their homes. Did Nicodemus weep with despair the rest of that night, thinking it was too late now? He knew Jesus was seeking him but he did nothing.
Then everything changed on Sunday morning when Jesus was resurrected from the dead. For everyone who believed in Jesus, hearing that he was alive brought great joy and celebration. We never again hear a word about Nicodemus, but I believe he was among everyone else, those who believed in Jesus. Thanks be to God, who sent us his beloved Son. Amen.