HAVE YOU GOT JESUS?
Text: John 3:1-17
I remember that as a youth our United Methodist Youth Fellowship group once had something like a talent show. We put on something of a skit. The skit went like this. There was a man who was sitting on a park bench. His friend comes to the park and sees him there. The first man began to tell his friend that he had something wonderful happen in his life. His friend was curious and wanted to know what it was. I just got a hearing aid that has improved my ability to hear. His friend said, “Really, what kind is it?” The first man looked at his watch and told his friend, “It’s about 3 o’clock”. The point was that the first man was able to hear better but he still was having trouble understanding.
Sometimes, you and I are like that. Nicodemus was like that when Jesus was talking to him about being born again. He heard but he was having trouble understanding. Nicodemus knew that there was something special about Jesus. Nicodemus was talking about what he knew and also revealing something about what he wanted to know. Jesus knew that Nicodemus was spiritually hungry. That is why Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of heaven unless he is born again” (John 3: 3 NIV).
NICODEMUS’ CURIOSITY
Nicodemus was curious as to the connection that Jesus had with God. He thought that it was a special connection. It was if Nicodemus were asking, “Hey, Jesus what is your secret? Nobody could do the things that you do unless “God were with him” (John 3:2). If you to ask a magician the secrets of his magic, he would not tell you. Jesus is not a magician. Jesus is God’s only begotten Son. Jesus explains His connection with God as God’s only begotten Son after He explains to Nicodemus what we have to do to have God in our lives which comes through being baptized. Jesus explains this idea by telling Nicodemus that in order to enter God’s kingdom, one must be born again, born from above. Jesus is talking about being anew into God’s life giving Spirit.
Another thing that explains Nicodemus’ curiosity was how he came to Jesus. He came to Jesus at night. There are various opinions as to why Nicodemus came to Jesus at night. Some say that Nicodemus came to Jesus at night because he wanted to have a one on one conversation with Jesus. After all, Jesus was usually surrounded by crowds of people during the day. And speaking to Jesus in the daytime would mean that he might experience the interruptions of a crowd. Others say that Nicodemus came to Jesus at night because he was possibly too shy to be seen publicly, because he was a wealthy Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin. Still, there are others who interpret the fact that Nicodemus came at night as symbolic of the fact that he was living in darkness, meaning that he was ignorant of God’s light that shines in the darkness through Jesus.
NICODEMUS’ HUNGER
It is obvious that Nicodemus was a man who was spiritually hungry. Nicodemus was a religious man. All of the Pharisees were religious people. Yet, the religion that he had was not satisfying. God made us in such a way that we will not find rest until we find it in Him as St. Augustine once said. Yes, Nicodemus was religious but he also had a part of him that was restless. He was restless because spiritually he was hungry. Isn’t that why he was talking with Jesus in the first place? He spoke as if he were representing the curiosity of others as well as himself. It seems that his desire to know how to be fed was perhaps more for himself than for the others.
Notice how Jesus addresses Nicodemus’ misunderstanding. Jesus reminds Nicodemus that he is a teacher and then causes him to question his teaching ability. Jesus was pointing out that Nicodemus taught as if he was a blind man leading the blind. Jesus was telling him between the lines that he needed faith. When we have faith, we also have a feeling of assurance.
A little boy attended a certain Sunday school and church. His mother was not a Christian. She had a horror of death and would not go to church for fear that she would hear something about dying. On Easter Sunday the little boy came running home with a message for her. He came joyfully into the room and cried out, “Mother, you need not be afraid to die. Jesus went through the grave and left a light behind.” She came to church with him, learned the great lesson and soon became a happy Christian. (W. Herschel Ford. Simple Sermons On Salvation And Service. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1955, pp. 90-91). Being a Christian means that we will only die once. Those who are not Christian are risking dying twice.
If you are born twice, then you die once. We did not have any say so about being born physically. We do have a say so as to whether or not we are born again. The born again live with God in Heaven after you die.
If you are born only once, then unless you are born again, you will die twice. The Bible describes the second death as the lake of fire in a place called Hell (Revelation 20:14).
Was it not possible that Nicodemus was scared of dying himself? The whole conversation was about death and life beyond. Jesus told Nicodemus that what is born of the flesh will die. He also said that those who are born of water and the Spirit will be able to enter into the kingdom of God.
NICODEMUS’ QUEST FOR ASSURANCE
Nicodemus had knowledge, but he lacked assurance. Assurance means confidence, trust and security. Nicodemus was very knowledgeable because of his position as a Pharisee. Yet, he did not find that having this knowledge made him feel secure. Somebody can have all of the knowledge that is possible to have on any given subject and not be saved. Salvation does not come from what we know. Salvation comes from knowing Jesus and having a relationship with Him.
There is the story of a young lady who was a bright student. Unfortunately, she did not have assurance. Her name was Marian. She was working her way through college by cleaning the dorm rooms of her fellow students. She was often annoyed by their in ability to say “thank you” or “please”. One day she got so disgusted and disillusioned that she was ready to quit. She went to see her professor Robert Coles. At the time she was full of “anxiety and anger”. She said, “I’ve been taking all of these philosophy courses and we talk about what’s true, what’s important, what’s good. Well, how do you teach people to be good?”
“The answer to that question, according to the Bible, is not education but conversion. No one can truly learn to be good, for only God is perfectly good. The light of true goodness dawns in the heart only when God shines there”. (Craig Brian Larson. Choice Contemporary Stories & Illustrations For Preachers, Teachers & Writers. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1998, p. 51; paraphrased and quoted). Unless we have the light that Jesus gives, we are living in the dark.
It was as if Jesus were saying, “You don’t get it do you Nicodemus”? Jesus was trying to help Nicodemus realize that salvation does not come from how much know you about religion. Jesus was saying to Nicodemus that in order to have salvation, one must be born from above. Being born from above means being born of God’s Spirit. “Like Nicodemus, we have our own reservations, and to confront them means to seek Jesus out in the privacy of our own darkness”. (Charles Bugg. Ed. The Abingdon Preaching Annual. Mike Childress. “A Sneak Preview”. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2001, p. 94). There is not a soul alive who has not questioned our Lord when they have tried to find what gives life meaning. There is not a thing in this world that can satisfy our hunger for God and God’s love. There is a person who can satisfy that longing and His name is Jesus Christ.
What is it that gives us the assurance that Nicodemus was looking for? The answer is faith. We are saved by faith (Ephesians 2:8). We are justified by faith (Romans 5:1). We must walk by faith and not by sight (Second Corinthians 5:7). We must pray by faith (Matthew 21:22). We must resist evil by faith (Ephesians 6:16). We must grow from faith to faith (Romans 1:17). For anything that is not faith is sinful (Romans 14:23). Therefore, it is faith that gives us the kind of assurance that Nicodemus was looking for. It is also faith that gives us the kind of assurance that we ourselves are looking for. We cannot have faith unless we have a relationship with Jesus. We know about Jesus through religion. We know Jesus personally through our relationship with Him. When we have a relationship with Jesus, we understand that He is and Lord and Savior.
Jesus is the source of this wonderful gift. Our faith is our response to God’s grace. Is there anyone here or anyone that you know who is spiritually hungry for this gift of God’s grace? Have you got Jesus? Jesus is the answer! Have you got Jesus? Why is Jesus the answer? “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but shall have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
