Sunday Sketch Jesus and Nick the Vic
Cast: Narrator 1, Narrator 2, Jesus and Nick the Vic
Narrator 1: Our reading is taken this morning from John 3: 1-21 – and is a slightly freer translation than you’d get in the Message or in the Living Bible
The story starts off with Nick the Vic, a prominent leader among the Jews and a Pharisee coming late one night to Jesus and Nick started the conversation by saying:
Nick: "Rabbi, we all know you’re a teacher who speaks words straight from God. No one could do all that you are doing if God wasn’t in on the act."
Narrator; Jesus replied
Jesus: "Nick, you’re spot on mate. Take it from me: Unless a person is born again, it’s not possible to see what I’m pointing you to—to God’s kingdom."
Nick: “Jesus, what are you talking about? You make about as much sense as the Archbishop of Canterbury did this week.
How can anyone be born again – when he’s already been born and grown up? You can’t go back into your mother’s womb and be born again. What’s this ’born-again stuff” about"
Jesus: "Nick, you’re not listening. Read my lips.
I’ll say it again. Unless a person submits to this original creation—the ’wind-hovering-over-the-water’ creation, the invisible moving the visible, a baptism into a new life—it’s not possible to enter God’s kingdom.
When you look at a baby, it’s just that: a body you can look at and touch.
But the person who takes shape within - is formed by something you can’t see and touch—the Holy Spirit—and then they become a living spirit.
So don’t be so surprised when I tell you that you have to be ’born again’.
I know it’s out of this world, so to speak.
You know well enough how the wind blows this way and that.
You hear it rustling in the trees, but you have no idea where it comes from or where it’s heading next.
That’s the way it is with everyone ’born again’ by the wind of God, the Spirit of God."
Nick (puzzled now): "What do you mean by this? How does this happen?"
Jesus "Nick, you’re a vicar and you don’t know these basics? Listen carefully because I’m telling you the truth.
I am talking about what I know from experience. I have
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