Talk 3: Nicodemus

0:00 Morning. If you're sitting at the back, you will not know that Stevie was sitting up here kicking a bass drum. That's where the noise was coming from. So I'm hoping Stevie next time, full on one man band. Bass drum on the back, harmonica around the front, guitar, cymbals, the lot. I'd like to see that. History is full of people who went against the flow. People like Galileo, who dared fight against the authorities of the church when he was making discoveries on science that they didn't like.

0:35 Or people like Rosa Parks, who refused to accept what was wrong and sat on a bus where she shouldn't have sat, supposedly. Or he's always known as Tank Man, who dared stand in front of Chinese tanks in Tiananmen Square. Or Malala. All of these people at great cost to themselves, risking virtually everything because they weren't prepared to bow to the pressure and they took the most courageous steps that they knew to take. In our encounters with Jesus today, we meet someone who maybe was as courageous as them, but it didn't necessarily start that way. It's recounted for us in John chapter three. We've odd verses of John 3. And I'm sure a lot of us will have noted two of the most widely used and quoted or misused and misquoted verses in all of the Bible.

1:35 In John 3, 7, you must be born again. John 3, 16, for God so loved the world. In fact, if I'm being honest, I wasn't meant to be speaking today. You're going to have to suffer me twice in three weeks. And when I saw that it was John 3 today, I was just a little bit uneasy because the danger of familiar passages is that we think we know them and we maybe don't approach them with fresh eyes. And that goes for speakers just as much as listeners. And I've had a really interesting journey looking at this story and some of what is taught here and what's going on has been enlightening for me. And we're only going to scratch the surface as we look at it this morning.

2:20 But to help us go on a journey of understanding, let's start with this character, Nicodemus, and what we know about him. The first verse tells us this. There was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus, who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. Now, this is hugely significant. We can't be sure if chronologically the events of John chapter three follow right after John chapter two, but it doesn't really matter. At the end of chapter two, we read about Jesus causing quite a stir. He has made a whip and he has driven traitors out of the temple because they were desecrating it. And this has caused great offense to the Jewish ruling class.

3:07 Now, even if it wasn't the evening after this, when Nicodemus came to Jesus. The fact is, Jesus and the Pharisees were miles apart. The Gospels all paint that as a very consistent picture. And yet, here comes one of them on his own to see Jesus. It's at night. So it's probably fair to say that Nicodemus didn't want his colleagues to see him do this for whatever reason. probably with good cause. The Pharisees were the main religious leaders of Judaism.

3:46 They were seen as the guardians of the religious life of the people and the keepers of God's law. And this was a responsibility that they took really seriously. At this point in time, however, a watershed moment was approaching in the relationship between God and the people of Israel, and the Pharisees didn't see it. It might help us to have maybe a little history lesson. In fact, to go right back to the very beginning when God created the world and humanity, and he set humans to live and represent his character as they exercised their role. Right at the start, God gave us this challenge. Trust me enough to obey what I have told you is right. Trust that my wisdom is greater than yours.

4:39 And then go and enjoy everything I have given you. But just this one thing, don't touch that tree. And we know what happened. Adam and Eve decided that their wisdom was better. And they chose not to trust what God said. The consequences were dire. And we've lived with those consequences ever since. However, at the same time, God also made a promise.

5:12 He promised that one day he would set this to rights. And the Old Testament helps chart part of that story for us. It starts with Abraham, chosen by God to be the father of a new nation through whom God would reveal his love and purposes to the world. And it follows on through his family line, through Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and so on. And then we get the great story of the Exodus, the escape from Egypt led by Moses, followed by the experiences in the desert where God reveals himself in very special ways, giving his laws and commands. Again, like he did in the garden, calling on his people to trust him enough to obey his wisdom and not choose their own paths. In fact, if we take the stories of that time in the Bible, we have about half of Exodus, all of Leviticus, all of Numbers, and a good part of Deuteronomy, focused on God sharing his laws with his people. And all in all, there are 613 laws given in those books.

6:30 That's quite the challenge. But it's important for us to realize that these laws weren't just about do's and don'ts. Laws had various purposes. Laws that reflected God's holiness and called his people to purity. Sacrificial laws that were made so that guilty sinners could approach a holy God and laws that reflect what justice and right living looks like from God's perspective. But if we read the Old Testament, the story of God's people reveals a journey of disobedience, punctuated with the odd time of revival, as they repeatedly chose not to trust God's wisdom and guidance and chose their own instead. New figures would come every now and again and call them back to God, but it never lasted. And it ended with captivity in pagan Babylon, when God basically said, you know, if you want to serve the gods of human wisdom, then go right ahead.

7:39 And he handed them over to the consequences. So where do the Pharisees fit in? Well, the Pharisees took God's law seriously. In fact, they took God's laws so seriously that they decided there needed to be way more laws enacted that would act as fences to protect God's law. They had decided that the people needed way more rules to help them obey God's rules properly. And that would be the solution for this centuries-old problem. So much so that they drew up more than 1,500 extra laws just to help. Let me give you an idea of what they did.

8:30 So the law was to honor the Sabbath day and keep it holy. For the Pharisees, that wasn't enough. What would that actually mean? So they invented other laws to help people know what it would mean to keep the Sabbath day holy. So things like this. You could lift a chair from one place to another to sit on, but you couldn't drag that chair along the ground to that other place because you would be plowing a furrow that you could plant seeds in. Or you couldn't swat a fly on the Sabbath, because that would be hunting. And a woman wasn't allowed to look at her reflection on the Sabbath, because she might see a gray hair and pluck it out, and that would be working.

9:25 Crazy. But the ideas behind all of them was that their problems obviously came because they didn't obey God's laws well enough. And they needed even more laws to help them do it. That's the context from which Nicodemus approached Jesus. That was his background. That was his world view. And we can only guess at what initially drove him to come to Jesus. Maybe he was intrigued or disturbed at what he'd seen Jesus do.

10:06 Or maybe he was wondering if Jesus could point out the missing pieces of their puzzle. Maybe their 1,500 laws weren't enough, and they just needed another two or three that would make all the difference. We just don't know. Although, to be gracious, the fact that he came at night tends to suggest that he was a serious seeker. And he knew he was taking a dangerous step because he knew how his colleagues might react. But whatever is driving him, he comes to Jesus. And he's respectful. Calls him teacher, rabbi.

10:49 He gives him his place. obviously you are from God whatever he meant by that because it's impossible that anyone could do what you've been doing unless God were with him well that all sounds quite good and plausible and even insightful and it doesn't appear to have any of the usual Pharisee arrogance and yet Jesus doesn't go with his line in the slightest it's impossible that anyone could do what you Jesus says, I'll tell you what's impossible. It's impossible for anyone to experience the reality of God unless they are born again. And you could almost hear Nicodemus go, what? What's that got to do with what I asked you? He's just taken aback because he's missing the point. Now I wonder what your first thought is when you hear, you must be born again.

11:47 Perhaps it's images of texts that you've seen pinned on trees or on church notice boards or shouting from pavement preachers, or maybe going back further, how the phrase born again started to be used as a caricature, perhaps disparagingly, maybe in the US, but also here. But it's a very interesting phrase. And if your Bible has footnotes, you'll see that a lot of the footnotes say that this phrase, you must be born again, can also be translated born from above. And in fact, if you go down to verse 31, the very same word is translated in most of our Bibles as from above. Because there's kind of an interesting play on words or nuance going on here in the Greek. And it's highly likely that Jesus was using this phrase very deliberately to suggest both. you must be born again you must be born from above but Nicodemus only got one side of it he he was stuck on the again bit how can someone be born when they are old he asked surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother's womb to be born and on a simple level that's a fair enough question. But of course, Jesus was trying to dig a bit deeper for Nicodemus and show him something greater to open his eyes to the born from above side of the equation and what that actually meant with his reference to the Spirit of God.

13:24 And he does it in a way that challenges Nicodemus and who he maybe thought he was. And as he did so, Jesus drew on references to the Old Testament that an expert such as Nicodemus should have known, but that he seems to have missed. Very truly, I tell you, said Jesus, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the spirit gives birth to spirit. you should not be surprised at my saying, you must be born again. And this use of water and spirit should have got Nicodemus thinking. Back in the Old Testament, some of the prophets had used pictures of water to describe the work of God and his spirit. I'm going to give you two examples, both alluding to what God was going to do and both addressing different needs.

14:24 In Isaiah 44, God promises this, I will pour water on the thirsty land and streams on the dry ground. I will pour out my spirit on your offspring and my blessing on your descendants. And here the promise is that God will come to what has become dry and barren, parched and thirsty, and by his spirit, he will give life to what is dead. And nothing could be more apt to describe what the legalism of the Pharisees had done to the people. Instead of their extra laws making it easier to obey God's law, it had strangled them to death. It was dead religion, dry and dull rule keeping. Here's another prophet speaking God's message, perhaps in an even more relevant way to the situation. It's Ezekiel sharing God's message.

15:22 I will sprinkle clean water on you and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you. I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. You see again the reference to water and spirit. But do you see also what's going on about obedience to laws? The Pharisees thought that adding more laws would help with obedience.

16:11 But even their own prophets, centuries before, had said, that's never going to work. Because you're dirty. You're sinful. And you need cleansing. What was needed was not more attempts at obedience. What was needed was a new heart. A work of God's spirit that would change us from the inside out. And Jesus was pretty direct with Nicodemus.

16:45 In fact, he was probably a little bit sarcastic with him as well. He's going like, seriously, Nicodemus? You're Israel's teacher. And you don't get it. and as Jesus reminded him of another Old Testament episode with dying people in need of salvation he went on to share arguably the most well known and greatest statement the world has ever heard 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. And Jesus is basically saying, Nicodemus, you need to grasp this. Stop looking at me as your teacher as if all you need is a bit more knowledge or a better way to put everything together. That's not what you need.

17:46 You're sick, man. You're dying because you're dirty with sin and no amount of laws can sort that out. Like those old Israelites couldn't save themselves but looked to the raised serpent, you need to look to me and live. The new life that is God's gift is coming to you and it's not something you can earn. You can't fix it. You need to accept the gift and it's a gift that comes from the fact that God loves you. And it's a timeless message because we all need to hear it. For some of us might be a bit like Nicodemus.

18:39 We might be respectable, religious, church-going people and we think that if we keep doing that and following all the rules, that will be enough. But it's not enough. Because when we rely on that, we're just ignoring our dark side for want of a better term. Jesus actually goes on to say that later. We watched it. This is the verdict. Light has come into the world but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil, that's the wrong one, sorry, hates the light and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.

19:27 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God. If we're honest with ourselves, Despite our respectability, we know that there are recesses of our being that we wouldn't want anyone else to know about. And we need cleansed, like Ezekiel's message. Or for some of us, maybe Isaiah's message is more pertinent because we're parched. We're dry. We're dead. We've got enough religion to spoil the world for us, but it's not given us any life at all.

20:26 And we need born again, born from above, renewed with the Spirit's life. Or maybe some of us are like the Pharisees and we think, if only we could be more obedient, if only we could be sure we followed enough of God's laws, then we'd be fine. And maybe some of us have spent a lifetime trying to obey all kinds of laws, some of them human-made laws, denying ourselves and actually trying to deny others in the process when all the time the message we really need is the liberating, shocking message that you can't fix it. You need to accept the gift. You know, it's amazing how many people can quote John 3, 16 and know it inside out. And yet how many of those same people have spent a lifetime trying to earn by legalism what Jesus wants to give as a gift. And they still haven't realized how much God loves them. Anyhow, let's get back to Nicodemus.

21:44 What was his response to what Jesus said? Well, this encounter finishes without an answer to that question. And we don't read a lot elsewhere about Nicodemus. In fact, his name is only mentioned in John's gospel. And only twice more. But both of those mentions are telling. The first is when Pharisees wanted to have Jesus arrested and condemned. And Nicodemus dares to speak up.

22:16 And he asks, does our law condemn a man without first hearing him? To find out what he has been doing? And maybe that's a hint that Nicodemus is starting to take a stand for this Jesus. but the second mention is even more significant. At the instigation of the Pharisees and through the cowardice of Pilate, Jesus has been crucified. And after his death, we read this. Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders.

23:06 With Pilate's permission, he came and took the body away. He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about 75 pounds. If there was any doubt where he stood before, There was no doubt now. He was ready to show publicly where he stood. He had accepted the gift. Years ago, I read this in Max Lucado's book, He Still Moves Stones. And his description of this encounter between Jesus and Nicodemus is just wonderful.

23:58 So allow me the liberty to read just a few parts of it to you. All the world religions can be placed in one of two camps, legalism or grace. Humankind does it or God does it. Salvation as a wage based on deeds done or salvation as a gift based on Christ's death. A legalist believes the supreme force behind salvation is you. If you look right, speak right, and belong to the right segment of the right group, you will be saved. The brunt of responsibility doesn't lie with God, it lies with you. The result?

24:40 The outside sparkles. The talk is good and the step is true. But look closely. Listen carefully. Something is missing. What is it? Joy. What's there?

25:00 Fear. Fear that you won't do enough. Arrogance. Thinking that you have done enough. Failure. That you have made a mistake. Legalism is a dark world. but Nicodemus knew there was something more but he didn't know where to find it so he went to Jesus he went at night because he feared the displeasure of his peers legalism puts the fear of man in you it makes you approval hungry you become keenly aware of what others will say and think and you do what it takes to please them.

25:47 And if you dare explore another trail, you must do so at night like Nicodemus did. He snuck through the shadows and crept through the ebony streets until he stood in the presence of Christ. Jesus begins by revealing the source of spirituality. Spiritual life is not a human endeavor. It is rooted in and orchestrated by the Holy Spirit. Spirituality comes not from church attendance or good deeds or correct doctrine, but from heaven itself. Salvation is God's business. Grace is his idea, his work, and his expense.

26:31 He offers it to whom he desires, when he desires. Why would God do this? What would motivate him to offer such a gift? What Jesus told Nicodemus, Nicodemus never could have imagined. The motive behind this gift of new birth? Love. God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only son, so that whoever believes in him may not be lost, but have eternal life. Not everyone who achieves, not everyone who succeeds, not even everyone who agrees, but everyone who believes.

27:21 Note how God liberates the legalist. Observe the tender firmness of his touch. Like a master farmer, he shoveled away the crusty soil until a moist, fertile spot was found. And there he planted a seed, a seed of grace. Did it bear fruit? Well, we just read about it. Nicodemus, who earlier had come to Jesus at night, went with Joseph. He brought about 75 pounds of myrrh and aloes.

27:57 These two men took Jesus' body and wrapped it with the spices in pieces of linen cloth, which is how Jewish people bury the dead. in the place where Jesus was crucified there was a garden in the garden was a new tomb that had never been used before the man led Jesus in that tomb strange how a man can go full circle in the kingdom the one who'd come at night now appears in the day the one who crept through the shadows to meet Jesus now comes to the cross to serve Jesus. And the one who'd received the seed of grace now plants the greatest seed of all, the seed of eternal life. Galileo, Rosa Parks, Tank Man, Malala, All people who dared to go against the flow. Well, add Nicodemus to that list. In full view of his Pharisee colleagues daring to take his stand with Jesus. Now what about us?

29:22 We've already talked today about the truth of spiritual life and why we need it. Could it be that it's the fear of a crowd that's stopping you from walking that road? And it's time to take the stand. Or maybe you're trapped in some kind of Pharisee-like legalism. With a religion that holds you captive. But doesn't nourish you. Doesn't give you joy. And you even manage to inflict it on others.

30:04 Maybe it's just time to be set free by the reality of grace. Or maybe you may be in a different context that's strangling your spiritual life to death. Whatever it is. Maybe it's time today to start walking a new road. Let's pray together as the band come back. Lord God, your grace really is amazing. Amazing grace. How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.

30:58 like Nicodemus, like so many others. God of glory, we started our service by worshiping you and speaking out how great you are. And yet as we speak of your greatness, we also worship the fact that you would reach down in love to people like us. Lord, all of us in this building, maybe watching online, Help us to grasp the reality of your grace and love. Lord, for those of us who are caught in the trap of being afraid of the crowd, give courage to accept your grace and follow Christ. For those who are maybe trapped in a legalistic religion that's strangling them to death, Lord, liberate them, I pray. for all of us, Lord. May we know that we can come to you with our sin, find grace, find forgiveness, find life because of Jesus.

32:09 Lord, show us what it means to be born from above by your Spirit every day. In Jesus' name. Amen. Amen.