Morning Message Text: John 3: 1-17
Jesus Teaches Nicodemus
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 unless they are born again. ”
4 “How can someone 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 unless they are 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.
Morning Message:
Let me start this morning with a very calming scripture. “Be still, and know that I am God (Psalm 46: 10). A number of years ago, a submarine being tested had to be submerged for several hours. Upon returning to harbor, the captain was asked, “How did that terrible storm last night affect you? Surprised, the captain exclaimed, “Storm? We didn’t even know there was one!” Their submarine had been so far beneath the surface that it had reached what sailors refer to as “the cushion of the sea”—a depth in the ocean where the waters below are never stirred despite any commotion on the surface. In our fast-paced world, it is a challenge to slow down and remember that God is in control. We are a society of “do everything,” “go-everywhere,” “get it done” people who mistakenly believe we can handle everything if we just keep going. In reality, we need to become so submerged in God’s peace that no matter what’s happening in our life, we are able to remain as calm as “the cushion of the sea.” Now how does this make any sense in reference to what I am going to preach today? Seeing and entering God’s Kingdom, what are we waiting for?
I always tell you that every time I read a scripture, I seem to find something new that I have previously not given much thought to. In both of our readings today the words king and kingdom stood out to me. In Isaiah we read about his commissioning. This is where he became a great prophet of God. He sees a vision, a vision of heaven, a vision of angels, of God on his throne, of the king, and of the kingdom. Isaiah’s reaction may seem a little strange to us. We have lost this kind of awe and fear of God. We might think to ourselves, “What is the problem here? It would be wonderful to see such a sight.” Isaiah’s mindset was the mindset of all people in ancient times. They truly believed that you could not look upon the face of God and live. There is a lot of wisdom in that train of thought. Not that we should be afraid of God, but we should realize that in and of ourselves we are sinful and cannot stand before God on our own. We must show a healthy respect for the holiness of God and by mindful of our own sinfulness.
God had a remedy for Isaiah’s sinfulness just as he has a cure for ours; to make us acceptable to be in His presence. The coal from the altar served as a symbol of sacrificial purification. When the coal touched Isaiah’s lips, he became purified in speech to thereby proclaim the words of God to Israel. You see, only God can do the work of salvation in someone. It is only by God’s grace and mercy, by his will and his alone that we gain access to him and to his kingdom. I always like to look at the results. Do you see the results of Isaiah’s purification? He is now comfortable in the kingdom. So comfortable that when God says, “Whom shall I send?” Isaiah says, “Here am I. Send me!” First he saw the kingdom, it was a little scary. God purified and saved him, and then he felt comfortable enough to enter the kingdom and volunteer to help build it.
Now try to hold onto those thoughts for a moment while we talk about Nicodemus. Maybe you have heard this scripture a hundred times in your lifetime, but listen and see if you hear something different. Nicodemus, a Pharisee, comes to Jesus at night. To come by daylight would have made others think that he agreed with this self-proclaimed Savior. There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that Jesus was special. The Jewish leaders aren’t happy with his teachings, but they can’t deny that he must be from God because of the miracles he has performed. What Nicodemus fails to realize is that he is in the presence of God. Jesus knows that this man has no clue about who He really is. Jesus tells him something that he can partially believe. Just like Isaiah, his understanding is that to look at God and see his kingdom would mean death. Everyone wants to one day see the kingdom of God so Jesus says, “You must be born again.” Nicodemus is confused by this, but Jesus knows who He is talking to. You know this statement on its own is confusing to people today. Unless you are a Christian, being born again makes no sense.
We can look at Jesus’ approach here from a human standpoint and think: Shouldn’t He have tried to explain this to Nicodemus in a way that he could grasp it? Jesus knew that he was not going to understand right now so He gave him something to think about. Instead of making it easier, Jesus takes it to another level. Once again, He says to him, “Very truly I tell you.” I want to challenge you right here. Anytime you read in the Bible and hear Jesus say, “Very truly I say to you,” pay attention. God’s word should always be taken seriously, but when Jesus puts it like that, it must be important. Now listen. “No one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” Jesus goes on to give a very over-everyone’s -head theological explanation of His statement, and Nicodemus must have been terrified. Everything that he believed in; everything that he had been working toward his whole life. He was just told that his goal of heaven and dwelling with God depended on something that he could not yet understand.
Maybe the most famous words in the Bible were not spoken by Jesus. The verses that are most quoted and so simple were written by John. It will always mystify me how anyone could hear these words and not believe. “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. God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
Seeing and entering the kingdom. If you are believing in and following Jesus, you should be living in God’s kingdom right now. One day we will see and enter into a beautiful kingdom that Jesus is preparing for us, but like Isaiah we should be volunteering for kingdom work right here, right now.
In Christ’s Love and Peace,
Pastor Bob
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