Thoughts going in, Sunday March 16th

John 3:1 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him." 3 Jesus replied, "Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born again. " 4 "How can anyone be born when they are old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother's womb to be born!" 5 Jesus answered, "Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 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." 9 "How can this be?" Nicodemus asked. 10 "You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus, "and do you not understand these things? 11 Very truly I tell you, 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. 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him." 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. (TNIV)

This great baptismal passage from John’s gospel goes a long way in highlighting that Lent is inexorably hooked to baptism.

Vss 1 & 2: Way too much has been made in the past about how Nicodemus came to Jesus at night because he was afraid of being seen by others. That is ONE explanation, but there’s another. The rabbis declared that the best time for Torah study was at night (often true due to the fact that daytime was for earning one’s living). This is just as plausible of an explanation for Nicodemus’s night-time visit to Jesus. As a rich member of the Sanhedrin, it is doubtful that Nicodemus would have much to fear from anyone.

Vss 2-12: constitute a typical “conversation” in John’s gospel. Typical, from the standpoint that it’s not really two people talking. It’s almost more like a “catechism-dialog” with words set into the mouths of two people. Here, much has been made about what a simpleton Nicodemus is, and how he cannot understand what Jesus is saying. This is unfortunate. True, Jesus is hitting Nicodemus with some heavy stuff, but Nicodemus is no simpleton.

In essence, Nicodemus begins the discussion by saying that he’s darned glad to make the acquaintance of the new rabbi on the block. Imagine a hot young political prospect coming to the attention of the power brokers of a national political party. Someone from the power-brokers of the national party would be sent to “court” the hot young prospect; to help convince & encourage the hot young prospect that they belong on the national stage, and that with the help of the power brokers of the party, this can become a reality.

THAT’S WHY NICODEMUS, as a Pharisee & member of the Sanhedrin was there that night. The power brokers have seen the signs he can do; they’ve identified him as a potential hot prospect for **something (perhaps even as Messiah, though it’s a bit early to think of that just yet).

The plot twist of the conversation is that Jesus turns the tables on Nicodemus. Instead of allowing himself to be ‘courted,’ **Jesus….the young upstart…informs Nicodemus that his current standing with the kingdom of God is deficient. Jesus takes control of the conversation, and a flip/flop of power/position occurs. Rather than Nicodemus—on behalf of the power-brokers in Jerusalem—“interviewing” Jesus, Jesus, on behalf of God, begins interviewing Nicodemus…..pointing out in a ‘dual of the rabbis’ type manner the deficiencies in Nicodemus’s own faith standing. **HE**, yes, even this wealthy, religious, leader of Israel must be re-born from above (the true dual meaning of the greek word ‘anothen’).

Again, it’s not that this teacher of the Torah suddenly turns into an idiot & thinks that Jesus is saying he must “enter again into his mother’s womb.” That phrase merely illustrates the complexity of the problem for Nicodemus. The sort of “beginning all over again” “rebirth from above” that Jesus is talking about—language that is usually used for pagan converts—seems to Nicodemus to be so radical, that it’s as if Jesus had suggested re-entry into his mother’s womb.

In other words, what’s going on here is a verbal joust between Nicodemus (and by extension, non-believing members of the Jewish community where John’s gospel circulated) and Jesus/the church regarding the radical nature of (a) God’s salvation and (b) Jesus’ status as Savior.

Vss 14-16 make this very clear when Jesus references the Torah story about Moses in the wilderness (Numbers 21:8-9). Those who were ‘saved’ in that story were not per se the high born, were not the leaders of Israel, were not the most holy ones, etc. etc. All in the camp stood on level ground; all were in dire need. And the offer of healing was FOR ALL, based solely on the faith it took to look up. In other words, even though this Torah story would’ve been familiar to a teacher such as Nicodemus, he’d totally forgotten the key points: ALL STAND EQUALLY IN NEED of God’s gracious activity, and RECEIVING this gracious activity was based merely on faith.

What we can learn from this passage, especially with our Lenten focus in mind:

-- Nicodemus is representative of that part of us that thinks that we may rate some sort of **acquired status with God. It’s wonderful that God has grace; it’s wonderful that he has a LOT of grace….cuz we all know that **some people need a lot. But the Nicodemus mindset says that we’ve got it mostly covered ourselves, thank you.

-- The passage reminds us that EVERYONE comes to God the same way, through rebirth from above. BAPTISM is rebirth from above. It is a very humbling and passive thing to BE BAPTISED, and that is precisely what God requires. As the old hymn says, “nothing in my hands I bring…”

-- The passage reminds us that life in Christ **IS NEW**. Part of the problem Nicodemus had was letting go of his old thinking, his old understanding of things.

-- Finally, this passage reminds us that Christ, and hence the Christian life, is to be motivated by LOVE (specifically for undeserving others) and not condemnation. How ironic it is that Christians of all people need to be reminded of the non-condemnatory nature of the mission of the Church.

cheers

TM