“Come on in boys. The water is fine.” That was a film clip from “Oh, Brother. Where art thou?” The scene was Delmar’s baptism. He went into the water a sinner and came out a saint. He went into the water with guilt and came out forgiven.
The forgiveness of sin through water baptism is nothing new. It was practiced by some Jews on a regular bases. In fact, one Jew built a ministry based on baptism. Perhaps you have heard of him; John the Baptist. He built his ministry on the laws found in Leviticus that spoke of a cleansing or washing process. When a Jew became defiled for one of numerous reasons it was a requirement that he immerse himself in water for cleansing. John taught an immersion of the body for spiritual cleansing.
John had a huge following. He taught that you should give to the poor, that you should feed those who are hungry. He taught that tax collectors should be honest and not extort money or lie. He taught that the ritual cleansing of immersion would lead to repentance. However John knew a better way of forgiveness was coming. Let’s read his announcement. Mark 1:7 “John announced: ‘Someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not even worthy to stoop down like a slave and untie the straps of his sandals.’”
So who is this one who is greater? Matthew 3:13-17 holds the answer. “Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. But John tried to talk him out of it. ‘I am the one who needs to be baptized by you,’ he said, ‘so why are you coming to me?’
But Jesus said, ‘It should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires.’ So John agreed to baptize him.
After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.’”
Jesus went immediately from there to forty days of temptation in the desert.
After the forty days Jesus came to Bethany, an area east of the Jordan River, where John was baptizing. “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! He is the one I was talking about when I said, “A man is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.” I did not recognize him as the Messiah, but I have been baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel.’”
Then John testified, ‘I saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and resting upon him. I didn’t know he was the one, but when God sent me to baptize with water, he told me, “The one on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.” I saw this happen to Jesus, so I testify that he is the Chosen One of God.’”(John 1:29-34)
Jesus began to assemble his apostles. They went with him to a wedding ceremony at Cana where they would witness water being turned into wine. Next they went to Jerusalem where Jesus, in a controlled rage, would chase the merchants and the money changers out of the temple. It was here that He had his first dispute with the Jewish leaders. It was here that He spoke of his death and resurrection for the first time. It was here that He began to perform miracles. And it was here that we meet our next character in the line of the dirty dozen.
John 3:1-2 “There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. ‘Rabbi,’ he said, ‘we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.’”
Nicodemus was a Pharisee. He was a member of
a Jewish sect that differed from the Sadducees chiefly in its strict observance of religious ceremonies and practices, adherence to oral laws and traditions, and belief in an afterlife and the coming of a Messiah. He was also a Jewish religious leader which meant people would have had high regards for him.
The Bible tells us he came at night. Most would teach that he came at night because he was afraid of what others would think. I believe he came at night so that he could have a more private time with Jesus. During the day there were crowds constantly around making it impossible for him to have the conversation with Jesus he desired.
Notice the respect Nicodemus had for Jesus. He regarded him as a rabbi which meant teacher. He acknowledged that all of his fellow Jewish religious leaders recognized that He was sent by God to teach them. He referred to the miracles that had taken place as evidence of God’s presence. However before Nicodemus could ask his first question Jesus answered him.
John 3:3 “Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.’”
Jesus knew why Nicodemus was there. It wasn’t to trap Jesus. Jesus saw a sincere heart looking for answers. I find great comfort in knowing when I pray that Jesus already knows what I am going to ask and has already began to provide for my needs.
The reason Nicodemus had come was to find assurance of his salvation. He, being a Pharisee, knew all the rules and regulations and probably kept them the best he could. But something was missing in his life and Jesus had the answer. “Unless you are born again.”
This was a strange teaching to Nicodemus. I am not sure if we can totally understand the concept of being born again. This was the first time “being born again” was taught so we can understand his confusion. John 3:4 “‘What do you mean?’ exclaimed Nicodemus. ‘How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?’”
Can you hear Nicodemus’ frustration? Was he being ridiculed by Jesus? If this statement was true, was Jesus saying that no one would actually see the Kingdom of God because being born again was impossible? But Jesus has the answer.
John 3:5-7 “Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. 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.’”
There are two important teachings here. One is that a person must be born of water and the Spirit. Some would argue that being born of water is simply a reference to natural childbirth. In other words, there must be a physical birth. If that were true then all children who were aborted or died in the womb would not be allowed to enter the Kingdom of God.
I believe being born of water is a direct reference to baptism. Jesus said of his own baptism ‘It should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires.’ (Matt 3:15) Plus the teaching of cleansing by water would not be strange to Nicodemus. Jesus wanted him to understand that ceremonial cleansing alone was not enough. That remains true today.
Ivan the Great was the tsar of all of Russia during the Fifteenth Century. He brought together the warring tribes into one vast empire--the Soviet Union. As a fighting man he was courageous. As a general he was brilliant. He drove out the Tartars and established peace across the nation.
However, Ivan was so busy waging his campaigns that he did not have a family. His friends and advisers were quite concerned. They reminded him that there was no heir to the throne, and should anything happen to him the union would shatter into chaos. "You must take a wife who can bear you a son." The busy soldier statesman said to them that he did not have the time to search for a bride, but if they would find a suitable one, he would marry her.
The counselors and advisers searched the capitals of Europe to find an appropriate wife for the great tsar. And find her, they did. They reported to Ivan of the beautiful dark eyed daughter of the King of Greece. She was young, brilliant, and charming. He agreed to marry her sight unseen.
The King of Greece was delighted. It would align Greece in a favorable way with the emerging giant of the north. But there had to be one condition, "He cannot marry my daughter unless he becomes a member of the Greek Orthodox Church." Ivan’s response, "I will do it!"
So, a priest was dispatched to Moscow to instruct Ivan in Orthodox doctrine. Ivan was a quick student and learned the catechism in record time. Arrangements were concluded, and the tsar made his way to Athens accompanied by 500 of his crack troops--his personal palace guard.
He was to be baptized into the Orthodox church by immersion, as was the custom of the Eastern Church. His soldiers, ever loyal, asked to be baptized also. The Patriarch of the Church assigned 500 priests to give the soldiers a one-on-one catechism crash course. The soldiers, all 500 of them, were to be immersed in one mass baptism. Crowds gathered from all over Greece.
What a sight that must have been, 500 priests and 500 soldiers, a thousand people, walking into the blue Mediterranean. The priests were dressed in black robes and tall black hats, the official dress of the Orthodox Church. The soldiers wore their battle uniforms with of all their regalia--ribbons of valor, medals of courage. and their weapons of battle.
Suddenly, there was a problem. The Church prohibited professional soldiers from being members; they would have to give up their commitment to bloodshed. They could not be killers and church members too.
After a hasty round of diplomacy, the problem was solved quite simply. As the words were spoken and the priests began to baptize them, each soldier reached to his side and withdrew his sword. Lifting it high overhead, every soldier was totally immersed-everything baptized except his fighting arm and sword.
This was the point Jesus was making to Nicodemus and to us. Being partially baptized is not enough. We hold our wallets and check books over our heads. We hold our social agendas over our heads. We hold our commitments over our heads. And in doing so we refuse to totally surrender. Being born of the Spirit means putting your arm down, including whatever you are holding, to be immersed in the Spirit.
The other teaching concerned reproduction. Humans can only create physical life. It is the Holy Spirit that creates spiritual life. I can stand before you every Sunday and teach but I cannot give you understanding. I can instruct you on how to live a Godly life. I can instruct you on how to forgive and love your enemies. But it is the Holy Spirit that causes the change in your heart. How does He do it? Don’t ask me.
Listen to Jesus instruction to Nicodemus. John 3:7-8 “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.’”
Being born of the Spirit is a supernatural occurrence. It occurs when your soul, made dead by sin, becomes alive through the life-giving Holy Spirit. It’s beyond our comprehension.
Then Jesus begins to enlighten Nicodemus. He instructs him that first he must believe on the earthly things he is seeing. He must believe in the miracles that Jesus is doing which points to Jesus being the Son of God. If Nicodemus doesn’t grasp this fact then how can he learn of heavenly things? Jesus tells Nicodemus that He has come down from heaven. Jesus tells Nicodemus that one day He would be lifted up to offer everyone eternal life.
Then Jesus tells him a truth that we all know by heart.
John 3:16 “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”
Nicodemus left that night a believer in Jesus. We find him later in scripture defending Jesus.
John 7: 37- 52 “On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, ‘Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, “Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)
When the crowds heard him say this, some of them declared, “Surely this man is the Prophet we’ve been expecting.” Others said, “He is the Messiah.” Still others said, “But he can’t be! Will the Messiah come from Galilee? For the Scriptures clearly state that the Messiah will be born of the royal line of David, in Bethlehem, the village where King David was born.” So the crowd was divided about him. Some even wanted him arrested, but no one laid a hand on him.
When the Temple guards returned without having arrested Jesus, the leading priests and Pharisees demanded, “Why didn’t you bring him in?”
“We have never heard anyone speak like this!” the guards responded.
“Have you been led astray, too?” the Pharisees mocked. “Is there a single one of us rulers or Pharisees who believes in him? This foolish crowd follows him, but they are ignorant of the law. God’s curse is on them!”
Then Nicodemus, the leader who had met with Jesus earlier, spoke up. “Is it legal to convict a man before he is given a hearing?” he asked.
They replied, “Are you from Galilee, too? Search the Scriptures and see for yourself—no prophet ever comes from Galilee!”
Nicodemus spoke up in the midst of his peers to defend Jesus. They had just made the statement that anyone who believed in Jesus were being led astray, were fools, and were ignorant. People like that deserved God’s curse. Can you imagine raising your hand and saying “Count me in that crowd?”
Nicodemus will make one more appearance in our story. We find him on the day that Jesus died.
John 19:38-40 “Afterward Joseph of Arimathea, who had been a secret disciple of Jesus (because he feared the Jewish leaders), asked Pilate for permission to take down Jesus’ body. When Pilate gave permission, Joseph came and took the body away. With him came Nicodemus, the man who had come to Jesus at night. He brought about seventy-five pounds of perfumed ointment made from myrrh and aloes. Following Jewish burial custom, they wrapped Jesus’ body with the spices in long sheets of linen cloth.”
There would have been more than these two fellows at the tomb. Joseph and Nicodemus would have had servants to actually perform this ceremony. There would have been plenty of witnesses but when you are a follower of Jesus it doesn’t matter. As Delmar said "Come on in boys. The water's fine."
