Faith in the Shadows?
Fourth Sunday in Lent 2006
Dr. Paul G. Humphrey
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Have you ever cleaned your living room and thought that it was clean only to have the sun shine in through the window and reveal all the dust that was left behind? Ruth Graham tells of the time that the TV news wanted to interview she and her husband Billy at their home. They got the house all spic and span clean. That is until the TV lights were turned on in their living room. All that Ruth could see was the dust and cobwebs that had been missed.
Light will always expose the dirt. The closer we get to Jesus the more we will have to deal with “hidden sin” in our lives. Little things that we had never noticed before will become a big deal when exposed by the light.
Contributed by: D. Greg Ebie [SermonCentral]
Sometimes we don’t want to stand in the light because of having our sins revealed. Sometimes in life, we might not want the light to expose our relationship with Jesus. So it was with Nicodemus.
One night a man came through the shadows to see Jesus. He was a member of the Sanhedrin. He would have been well respected in the community. He came secretly to see Jesus, yet his questions for Jesus were sincere.
JN 3:1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him."
Nicodemus had a lot to loose by having association with Jesus. Politics can turn as the wind blows, because the crowd can turn as the wind blows.
You know how politics are today, Democrats and Republicans alike concerned over having their picture taken with someone who later got into trouble.
Nicodemus has a lot at stake. He has a lot of earthly things at stake.
Nicodemus met Jesus with an affirmation. We know that you are a teacher from God. One might want to reply, well, if that is what you believe, why are you sneaking through the shadows. Jesus will say as much in a minute, but Jesus begins this conversation oddly. Jesus does not mess around with small talk. It is as though he already knows what is on Nicodemus’ mind.
JN 3:3 In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again. "
JN 3:4 "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!"
When I first began ministry, I felt sorry for Nicodemus thinking that he was ignorant, and that he actually believed that Jesus was talking about being physically born again. Yet, Nicodemus is not ignorant. He knows that this is not what Jesus is saying. He is fishing for a clear answer. Further, he may be speaking in allegory as well. He may be saying, "can an old dog learn new tricks?" or "How can transformation happen when you are old and set in your ways." Nicodemus is seeking a clear answer to the transformation that Jesus is speaking of.
JN 3:5 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.
Some commentators have differed throughout the ages about the meaning of water in this verse. Some believe it is speaking of baptism. If had to choose one thing that I believed that it represented, it would be speaking of physical birth, and the water of the womb. When a woman is going to have a baby her water breaks, and Nicodemus has just spoken about earthly birth.
The next verse rephrases the same statement.
6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.
Yet, I believe that it may represent more than simply physical birth. Nicodemus may have heard John the Baptist preaching and having seen the baptism of repentance, heard John saying that there is one coming after me who will baptize you with the Holy Spirit. Further, the Jews would baptize a Gentile who decided to become a Jew, having him or her to burn their old clothing . . . creating a new born Jewish person.
Don’t think that I am saying baptism is a requriement for salvation. If baptism alone could save, or was required to save, then Judas would probably be in heaven, while the theif on the cross wouldn’t. I believe that the water represents physical birth plus all other physical rituals that in and of themselves fall short of what Jesus is offering.
Jesus is telling Nicodemus that he must be born again, born of Spirit. This is a radical transformation, brought about by the work of the Holy Spirit. It is about the heart and Spirit. It is the Spirit dwelling within the believer. Nicodemus, like the other Pharisees would be familiar with all of the ritual washings. Jesus had complained about the Pharisees before that they cleaned the outside of the cup, but left the inside nasty. In other words, they had a theology that was totally focused upon the physical, what they could see.
Something else that stands out here is Jesus use of the word Spirit or wind. In Greek they are the same word. If you said Spirit, you have also said wind. If you said wind, you also said Spirit. They are the same word, and Jesus is about to do a play on this word.
Often Jesus would use things close to him for illustrations. It might have been a windy night. There may have been water near by, or it may have been raining as Jesus said . . . "You must be born of water and wind."
7 You should not be surprised at my saying, `You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."
JN 3:9 "How can this be?" Nicodemus asked.
Nicodemus doesn’t try to change the subject. Jesus is addressing exactly what he came to hear.
Jesus is showing Nicodemus that Spiritual birth brings about a transformation that involves the will and power of God. And, I would say to you, the Spirit has a will of its own. Sometimes it will lead you into the sunshine when you don’t want to be seen by the crowd, and sometimes it will lead you into the darkness so that you can shine.
Jesus continues by chastizing Nicodemus a bit.
JN 3:10 "You are Israel’s teacher," said Jesus, "and do you not understand these things? 11 I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven--the Son of Man.
Remember, we saw earlier that Nicodemus made the affirmation that he believed Jesus to be from God, but I don’t think this is quite what he meant. Jesus tells Nicodemus that he is from heaven, and the only one from heaven. If Nicodemus was going to leave without believing, this would have been exit time. Yet, he is still standing there wide eyed scratching his head.
14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
Nicodemus would have known exactly what Jesus was talking about here. Snakes, probably sand vipers had bitten the children of Israel when they were in the wilderness and they were dieing from the bites. God had Moses to make an image of the snake and put it on a pole. Those who were bitten could run to the pole and look upon the image and they would be healed. This is where we get our medical doctor’s symbol today with the serpent on a pole. Do you think that those people in the wilderness had faith in the provision that God had prepared for them. You bet. Got bit, gonna die, out of my way, I am headed to the pole.
Jesus told Nicodemus that he must be lifted up on a pole as well. Nicodemus probably had no idea what he was talking about at this time, but he would understand when he looked upon Jesus on the cross.
Here Jesus provides Nicodemus with the Gospel.
JN 3:16 "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. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
Jesus concludes with a chastisement. And, it is very much pointed at Nicodemus.
19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."
There Nicodemus stands in the darkness. He has proclaimed that he believed Jesus to be from God, yet, his faith certainly wasn’t exemplified by his actions. If a person believes the truth, then their actions should be seen in the light, where all eyes can see.
Are you proud to be a Christian?
It is one thing to be a part of a like-minded crowd.
But, what if, instead of meeting in the church building, we went out by the road and sang our hymns and waved at cars passing by? We actually do sing outside of the church at the Sunrise service. Are any of you ever embarrassed being out there?
I am reminded of the old country song, “I was country when country wasn’t cool.”
You may visit or work in a place where there are no Christians. It is tempting just to blend in with the darkness, but we are supposed to shine.
We not only have a responsibility to walk in the light, we have a responsibility to be light. I would remind you that of all of the great “I AM” statements of Jesus there was one thing the he said “I AM” and he also said that his followers were. That one thing was “Light.”
Thomas A. Edison was working on a crazy contraption called a "light bulb" and it took a whole team of men 24 straight hours to put just one together. The story goes that when Edison was finished with one light bulb, he gave it to a young boy helper, who nervously carried it up the stairs. Step by step he cautiously watched his hands, obviously frightened of dropping such a priceless piece of work. You’ve probably guessed what happened by now; the poor young fellow dropped the bulb at the top of the stairs. It took the entire team of men twenty-four more hours to make another bulb. Finally, tired and ready for a break, Edison was ready to have his bulb carried up the stairs. He gave it to the same young boy who dropped the first one. That’s true forgiveness.
James Newton, Uncommon Friends. [SermonCentral]
We live in a nation where most people profess to be Christian. Imagine living in a country where Christianity was hated.
On the news this week, you have probably seen commentary on a man in Afghanistan facing possible execution for his faith in Christ. There, to convert from Islam to Christianity is illegal, and punishable by death. The man has been told that if he simply reverts back to Islam charges will be dropped. The man will not do it.
This man has believed the Gospel that Jesus proclaimed to Nicodemus that, God gave his only Son that whosoever believes in him shall be saved.
Early in my studies of Scripture, I felt sorry for Nicodemus. I pictured him going back into the shadows not understanding. I thought "Jesus, his questions were sincere, couldn’t you have explained things a bit better to him." Then one day I read something that caused me to about jump out of my seat and shout hallelujah.
We find this in John 19:38, which is the rest of the story.
JN 19:38 Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. 39 He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. 40 Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. 41 At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. 42 Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.
HE HAD UNDERSTOOD!
There in broad day light is Nicodemus. He had understood.
Every eye can see him. He is there at the worst time anyone could be associated with Jesus. Peter has claimed that he doesn’t even know Jesus. Except for John, the disciples are in hiding.
But, as he stares upon the cross, do you suppose Jesus words came back to him about the Son of Man being lifted up on the pole?
NIV Bible Commentary has this to say about Nicodemus: “As a member of the Sanhedrin, he had more at stake than the Galilean fishermen who had become followers of Jesus early in his career. His cooperation with Joseph in the burial shows that his faith had finally matured. Neither of these men appears in the Jewish records or traditions of the time, presumably because as traitors to Judaism, their names were erased from the records.”
The earthly things didn’t matter any more.
When you turn your eyes upon Jesus, and look full in his glory and grace, the things of this earth grow strangely dim, in the light of his glory and grace.
