INTRO
Good morning… Kenya this past week. Drew asked me hey you want to speak on the 26th… I said sure before I realized that would be right after we got back form Kenya on a 7 hour time difference…
Some piece about Kenya…
So last week we started this series where we are going to be studying through the Gospel of John this summer. And this is one of my favorite books in the Bible because i just love the stories that John tells about Jesus. I love the interactions Jesus has with people. Because these are real people and real interactions. And I think that when we look at these stories we will see ourselves in these people. And the words that Jesus says to them are just as applicable to us.
Simple yet profound (Reword)… We chose to do an in depth on John's gospel because although it's often time the first suggested book to read to brand new Christians because of its simplicity, it also is amazingly profound in its structure, theology, and richness. We hope that you are reading John on your own as we walk through this book as a community and our prayer is that the simple words of John will profoundly move us all to living Jesus > Everything.
Show book and resources…
This week we are going to look at a story that takes place in the dark… In the middle of the night.
So we started with the question of are you scared of the dark....
Alarm going off in the middle of the night…
The darkness can be scary… But it also serves a second purpose… Secrecy. What happens in the dark is harder to see. And that’s what is happening in this story. It centers around the darkness because the character interacting with Jesus doesn’t want to be found out.
TENSION
So let’s jump into this interaction.
1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” (SLIDE)
A few things we need to understand…
Nicodemus | Religious Leader, Leader of Leaders (SLIDE)
Nicodemus is well verses in religion. He knows what the Bible says, or thinks he does. He’s already in the religious leader group, but he’s a leader of that group. In other words he’s got the religious street cred.
The Setting | At Night (SLIDE)
This detail is significant. Jesus will continue with this analogy throughout this passage. But the first thing we should ask is why come at night? Now remember this is the first century. They didn’t have street lights and flashlights on their phones. It’s DARK. So why come to Jesus in the dark?
Remember who this guy is. He’s a Pharisees. A religious leader. This is the same group that is trying to arrest Jesus. That will eventually get him on the cross. While some think he’s trying to lay a trap he probably wouldn’t have come at night to do that. The most probable answer is he came at night because he was ashamed. He didn’t want to be found out by his friends. He didn’t want anyone else to know that he was interested in what Jesus had to say.
My guess is this is some of you this morning… You are here just kind of checking this thing out because you aren’t quite sure about this Jesus guy. So you come in the “dark” so that no one else will know. And that’s great, we are glad you are here. And my hope is that this interaction will bring light into your life so that you can see who Jesus really is.
The Motive | He wants something (SLIDE)
Nicodemus has heard about Jesus and he wants to know if what Jesus’ is saying is true. The fact he came at night gives us a clue that maybe Nicodemus was unsure of Jesus, but he wanted to be sure before others found out.
Maybe he’s had enough of the rules. Or maybe he realizes he can’t live up to the rules and if he is still in good standing with God. Maybe he’s worried God doesn’t like him… Maybe he needs an answer from God that he’s hoping to find…
Nicodemus wants to know who Jesus is… Why he’s doing what he’s doing. He wants to know if Jesus is legit or just an other fraud. If wants to know if Jesus isn’t for real that way he can just ignore him, go on with his life. But he’s also worried that maybe what Jesus is saying is true. And maybe Nicodemus is on the wrong side of thing. Maybe what Jesus is saying is true and he needs to rethink somethings in his life.
Maybe that’s you this morning. Paint this picture a little fuller…
We have this guy coming at night to Jesus because he wants to know if Jesus is for real. If that’s you this morning… You are in good company…
TEACHING
So we are going to continue on with the story… But I want you to put yourself in Nicodemus shoes. Because he’s asking a question we’ve all asked. He’s wondering what we’ve all wondered. We’ve all approached Jesus at night, in the dark. (Kill the lights for the rest of the message)
Let’s continue on…
3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (SLIDE)
If you grew up in the church… Forget what you know for just a minute… Jesus knows what Nicodemus is after. He wants to know what it takes to get into heaven. He wants eternal life. He doesn’t have to come out and say it, Jesus knows it.
So he cuts straight to the chase… If that’s what you want, then you need to be reborn…
This is sounds crazy does it not? Nicodemus agrees…
4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. 9 Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? (SLIDE)
It’s clear Nicodemus has no idea what Jesus is talking about. We like to point the finger at Nicodemus and say what an idiot… How can this religious leader not know this?! But I think Jesus rebuke is much gentler. I don’t think it was your an idiot… Rather more perplexed how the whole thing had been so misunderstood.
What Jesus is talking about is an entirely new concept. It is something different than the way anyone was living or thinking about God. It’s a new way of life, a new way of approaching God, it was a new religion. Jesus is talking about something new. Something revolutionary so let’s not be too hard on Nicodemus.
Nicodemus thinks Jesus is talking about a physical birth, he needs to physically be reborn. Which is impossible. But he’s misunderstood. Jesus isn’t talking about a physical birth. He’s not even really talking about baptism as some think. Jesus is talking about a spiritual rebirth
In other words what he is saying is that he have to be born from above… In other words you have to be born not of human will or your own strength but by the spirit, by me. It’s a change that happens from the inside, by the power of God. It’s a total transformation that happens. Our old life is gone and the new life is born…
It’s a birth that can only happen when we let God call the shots in our life.
Nicodemus still doesn’t get it so Jesus further clarifies…
11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. (SLIDE)
What Jesus does here is brilliant and speaks directly to something Nicodemus knew well. Jesus is referring to a story that Nicodemus knew well. He probably had it memorized and had taught on it many times. It comes from Numbers 21…
In this story God has just delivered the Israelites victory over their enemies and now they are on the move as God guides them. But as is human nature they soon complain… I’m hungry… When will we be there? I’m thirsty… I need to go potty… Okay I made the last one up. But they sounded like toddlers. So God sent snakes… Venomous snakes. Maybe if you are on a road trip this summer with your kids bring along a snake… And if they start complaining just release it… Just an idea…
Eventually they realize their mistake and they turn to Moses and repent. We are sorry we complained… We know God is the only one who can save us. So God told Moses to make a bronze snake and hold it up. And anyone who looked at the snake would be saved. So Moses put the snake on a poll and hoisted high into the air. Anyone who was bitten was healed when they looked at the snake…
Did you catch what Jesus just did? He painted a picture that Nicodemus won’t fully understand for a few more years. The reality is everyone has been bitten by the snake… Sin. We are all dying. Not just a physical death, but much worse a spiritual death. We are all doomed. But just as the snake was lifted up and saved Israel Jesus would soon be lifted up. But this time on a cross. Any anyone who looks to him will be saved. Not from our physical death, but our spiritual one.
Jesus is revealing his purpose. He came to be the sacrifice so that all people might be saved by him. All we have to do is look to him and we will be saved.
Jesus and Nicodemus likely talked well into the night. Obviously we only have a few verses. And the next 5 verses are likely a summary of what Jesus said during that time. And they are arguable some of the most important verses in the whole book.
As I read this… It’s going to sound familiar to many of you. But as we read it try to think about this as if you’ve never heard this before.
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” (SLIDE)
Did you see the analogy that Jesus uses? It’s light and darkness… Just as Nicodemus approach Jesus in the darkness Jesus uses that setting to show Nicodemus his condition.. It’s dark.
But the good news is Jesus came to save… All Nicodemus has to do is believe and step into the light.
Jesus has come to save… Not condemn. Jesus didn’t come to point fingers or to throw people in hell. He came to save. To seek the lost. To heal the sick. To save the world.
The Jews didn’t get this… They thought the Messiah was coming to save them, the Israelites. God’s people. But Jesus introduces a totally new concept… He’s for EVERYONE.
The word Jesus uses here is kosmos… Literally meaning the whole world.
The surprising thing about Jesus’ use of this work is not the sheer amount of people that God’s loves; Everyone. What is surprising is the kind of people God loves.
Note the illustration of light and darkness comes back.
The connotation of kosmos is that God’s love is to be admired not because the world is so big and includes so many people, but because the world is so bad.
The world is so wicked that John elsewhere forbids Christians to love it or anything in it. Christians are not to love the world with the selfish love of participation; rather love like God who loves the world with the self-less, costly love of redemption.
Who wouldn’t want to follow a God like that? A God that knows full well all the ways you will messed up and still choose to die for you…
The question we should have now is why do people still love the darkness?
The answer… They are afraid of being exposed. When you enter the light even the dark spots of your life are exposed. The things you’ve spent your life trying to conceal will be brought into the light. They will be exposed.
Because of that some people still loved the darkness…Some people love darkness instead of light: They know what they are doing is wrong, but they are unwilling to confront it…
Anyone in this camp hates the light and refuses to come to it for fear that his deeds will be exposed. The verb John uses for this word suggests not only exposure but shame and conviction. In other words they know they are wrong, but refuse to do anything about it.
Some people don’t want to come into the light because they are fearful they might be exposed. So they stay in the darkness. The reject the spiritual birth because for them it’s too painful…
I don’t think it’s mistake that Jesus uses the example of this passage of birth. Physical birth is not pleasant. It’s painful… 7 months ago my wife and I had our first child… And listen that 24+ hours was not pleasant for her… Or me… But mostly her.
But listen… The reward on the other side. So worth it. That’s why so many of you have multiple kids. The pain was worth it because of the life that came from the pain.
Some people resist this spiritual birth because it’s painful… It’s tough to let the light expose your darkness. Because you realize how broken and messy you are. It can be incredible hard to let the light in. It can be hard to let that part of you be exposed.
But don’t miss this… The pain of letting the light in is well worth the life that comes from the pain.
Listen.. Don’t miss this… God doesn’t want to expose your darkness to belittle or hurt you. Rather he wants you to have the life that he intended. Life to the fullest. And part of the process is the painful process of being born again.
And some people resist that process and stay in the dark. But they are missing out. They are missing out on the life that God has for them.
Maybe that’s you this morning. Maybe you are living in spiritual darkness. Maybe you are afraid of the pain of the light exposing your most shameful part of your life. Maybe for you it’s not your whole life that’s in darkness, but just part of it. There’s just that one area, that one sin, that one thing that you hold onto hoping no one finds out… ?
I get it… That process is painful.. But the life that’s on the other side of that is SO worth it.
APPLICATION
What I love about this story is that we don’t really know how this story ends… And we don’t know what he does. In the whole Bible it doesn’t say. We do know he defends Jesus among the Pharisees at one point in John 19 we know Nicodemus came and buried Jesus’ body with honor. But we don’t really know what he decided. John just leaves this at a crossroads. Was he going to set into the light? Or was he going to remain in the dark?
Nicodemus had a choice in that moment. Did he want to go back to his old life. Or did he want to leave everything behind to follow Jesus. And it would have cost him. His job, his friends, his way of life…
I like that the story ends there because it allows us to place ourself into his story. So we today are left with the same question. Jesus came to bring light into your darkness. He came to bring you life. Not life that starts when you die, but life that starts now. So what’s your response to Jesus?
There’s some of you in this room you are still lurking in the shadows. You haven’t fully committed to Jesus. Will you step into the light? ?
Will you expose it? Expose to a God that loves you. That cares for you. That doesn’t want to belittle you. But desperately wants to be with you to help you and to heal you.
There’s others that have let part of the light in…
If that’s you, here’s my question… Here’s what you need to need to wrestle with… Will you step into the light?
I know it’s scary… I know that means you will probably have to tell some people some things you didn’t want to get out. I know that it might hurt. It might cost you. But listen on the other side of that pain, is a new life. A life that is SO worth it. Step into the light so that you can have the life that Jesus promised.
Now, there’s some of you in the room that maybe are thinking well that’s great, but I’ve got God’s light all over. Sure I’m not perfect, I sin. But when I do I go to God and seek forgiveness and to those who I sinned against. What do I do?
Well here’s my question for you… Here’s what you need to wrestle with… Will you light your light shine to ALL those around you?
I know this, because I struggle with this… My temptation when I walk out of this building is to take my light and put it away. Sure when I’m here or around other Christians I’ll let it shine bright. But when I’m not, I’m tempted to hide it.
Once we step into the light and God gives us a new life it’s our responsibility to take that light with use everywhere we go.
CONCLUSION
Band is going to play a song… And if you want to let God’s light shine in your life. To symbolize that… Will you take out your phone, turn on the flashlight and just shine it on yourself. Symbolizing that you want God’s light to change you into the person he wants you to be. Expound more on this...
Eventually the lights will come back on… And you will turn off you phone’s light. But If you shine it in here. Don’t forget to shine it out there.
