What's in a name?
Not gonna lie, that music sounds a little like Mission Impossible, but friends, I tell you,
today's mission is possible because we are about to open the holy and inerrant Word of God.
Right? This theme of the sermon series you're working through are the names of Christ.
Right? And you guys have started with the beginning of John's Gospel.
You heard about the Logos or the Lagos, if you know Greek.
Either is fine. No one's gonna get mad.
However, we are understanding that our Jesus is so many things.
He has so many names and he does all of them perfectly.
To God be the glory.
This morning we are in John's Gospel, Chapter 3, starting in verse 1, going through verse 15.
But before we read from God's holy and inerrant Word, I'd ask him to bless it this morning.
Father, we thank you that you are indeed our God, that you have given us your Word,
and that we can trust you, and that you hold the words of eternal life.
May your Spirit rest upon us this morning as we hear it, as we read it, and may we be able to live it.
May the meditations of my heart and the words of my lips be acceptable in your sight,
O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.
We pray all this in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
John 3, starting in verse 1.
Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
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.
Jesus answered him, truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
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?
Jesus answered, truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit,
he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit.
Do not marvel that I said to you, you must be born again.
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.
Nicodemus said to him, how can these things be?
Jesus answered him, are you the teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?
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.
If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe,
how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?
No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness,
so must the Son of Man be lifted up that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
This is the holy word of our God.
You know, friends, we all know teachers, right?
We all know someone who teaches something.
Pastors are teachers, right?
Parents are teachers, and school teachers, well, they're teachers too.
For some of you, your parents are not only your live teachers,
but they're also your school teachers.
Wow, that's pretty fun.
I want you all to dig in your memory banks, right?
I want you to dig deep and think of a teacher that you had in your life
who was very impactful on your life.
Think long and hard about a teacher you had in your lifetime
who really made an impact on you.
Now, you do not get bonus points if you say Pastor Jim, right?
I think he's a great teacher, I think he's a great pastor, I'm a little biased.
But think about someone who's really impacted your life.
I remember back to my time in high school,
it seems that that seems to get farther and farther away from me as time goes on.
But I had a few teachers that I would never forget.
I remember specifically one whose name was Mr. Januszewski.
Now, we bonded over the fact that nobody can pronounce our last names,
but he was a chemistry teacher.
He turned out to be a really great friend over all these years.
He taught me chemistry, of course, right?
I did fine in his class.
But he also taught me a lot about life and how to navigate these uncertain waters.
I remember the day after graduation that I got to call him Phil.
That was a fun day.
To this day, he is still a quality teacher who teaches students
how to reach their full potential.
See, great teachers have an impact on us.
They can help us grow.
They can help us to see through these dark days and make them not so dark.
In our text today, we're going to see Jesus show the world
that he is indeed the teacher of truth.
The theme of our text this morning is that Jesus teaches us
how to become children of God and how to experience transformation
leading to eternal life.
We're going to see this theme in three areas of our text.
Pursuing understanding, participating in renewal, and perceiving salvation in Jesus.
In order to have the truth in us, we must be pursuing, participating,
and perceiving the things of Christ.
We begin chapter three of John's gospel with our man, Nicodemus,
coming to pursue understanding.
And that's why he comes to Jesus.
Jump in with verse one.
He says, now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
Now John's gospel begins in an interesting way.
We find ourselves here with Jesus and this man comes to meet him at night.
Now this man's name is Nicodemus.
Nicodemus means victor over the people in Greek.
Now this man was not only a Jew, but he was a ruler over the Jews.
He was also a Pharisee.
Now the Pharisees, their political party, they originated during the period of the Maccabean
revolt.
Okay?
That's not as important as understanding that the Pharisee party came out of secularism
as a response to the Greek secularism of the day.
I might shock you when I say this, but we should understand that the Pharisees were
right regarding many points of doctrine.
We don't hear that very often, do we?
No.
What do I mean?
See, they affirmed God's divine decrees, right?
Or his eternal purposes according to the counsel of his will, as stated in the Westminster
Shorter Catechism.
The Pharisees affirmed man's moral accountability and that man's soul is immortal.
Good so far, right?
They believed in the resurrection of the body.
Yep.
We believe in that, right?
The existence of spirits.
Yes, we believe in that.
And even rewards and punishments in the future life.
Right?
These are check and boxes.
We believe these things too.
We have much in common with the Pharisees except that they externalized religion.
Outward conformity to the law was considered the goal of one's life.
Right?
The oral law was valued more highly than the written law.
Right?
Or to put it simply, the man-made law was seemed higher than God's written law.
Now one extreme example of this would be that it would only be okay for you to eat the egg
laid by a chicken on the Sabbath if you intended to eat that chicken on the Sabbath.
It's a lot, right?
Or if you wanted to say carry a cloth or a towel from one room of the house to another room of the
house.
You could not do that.
That was work.
However, if you put that cloth in a pocket, right?
You drape that towel over your shoulder and you walk from room to room, you're no longer working.
These man-made laws didn't really make sense.
While we find much in common with these Pharisees, right?
They are focusing on a salvation by works.
We would not agree with that.
Verse two.
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.
Now there are many speculations as to why Nicodemus would come at night.
Right?
Historians, commentators are all over the board, but we're not given a reason.
However, if you take into account what Jesus says in John 3, 16 through 21,
it's highly probable that Nicodemus comes to Jesus at night because he wants to be secretive
about his fact-finding mission.
So your parents are usually right.
Nothing good happens after midnight.
But in this instance, right, this particular night, something good is happening.
And this statement by Nicodemus is quite incredible.
Why is it so incredible in what he says here?
See, Nicodemus is acknowledging that Jesus is in close relation with God.
There's something about this statement, if we go a little deeper,
that should make you do a double take, right?
You all know what a double take is.
That's where you turn your head, right?
You would do that if a few extra zeros showed up in your bank account.
Right?
That's a double take.
What makes us do a double take?
Nicodemus says,
we. Who is this we?
See, does Nicodemus really think that the we is the political party that he belongs to?
No, that couldn't be it.
It couldn't be that some or all of the Pharisees have the understanding that Jesus is somehow from
God. That can't be right. This would be a big bombshell because we're going to see time and
time again, the Pharisees want to kill Jesus. They call him blasphemous for saying he is one with the
father. But yet, Nicodemus shows their hand and says that they know he's from the father.
It's pretty astounding. And you'll notice as well that in our text,
Nicodemus hasn't asked a question yet. And yet in verse three, Jesus is going to answer a question
anyways. He says, truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of
God. That's bombshell number two.
Nicodemus didn't ask a question with his voice, but Jesus responds to his voice.
Nicodemus didn't ask a question with his voice, but Jesus responds to the questions of his heart.
Now to Nicodemus, this would have sounded like a riddle.
We must be reborn. Now this is not some work we can do to earn our salvation. This is not some
moral law that we can keep. Raise your hand if you had any part in your birth in this world.
Wonderful. We did nothing. We must be reborn through the work of the Holy Spirit. We must be
radically changed against our will by the Spirit, for only then will we see the kingdom of God.
That's what Jesus is saying. For Nicodemus, we should see that the first step to transformational
change is to pursue understanding. And as we transition to verse four, we're going to see Jesus
inviting Nicodemus to participate in this new birth that he's talking about. Look at verse four.
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? Nicodemus misses the metaphor clearly, right? Like a speed limit sign.
He blows right past it, not even thinking about it, just goes, how can this be? You're absurd,
Jesus. How can a man enter into his mother's womb again as an adult? You're missing the point,
Nicodemus. The way that Nicodemus responds, it's as if he expects a negative answer. Right? See,
this is how they would debate back in those days between rabbis and teachers. But Jesus isn't here
to debate. So he explains. Jesus answered, truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water
and the spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. Now, Jesus is making a very clear illusion
to something that the Pharisees witnessed. At what event did the Pharisees recently witness
that could make a man like Nicodemus appear before the Messiah in the dead of night?
I want you to listen to John 1, 24 through 28. But before I read from God's word again,
let me set the stage. John, the Baptist, is in the wilderness, and what is he doing?
Baptizing. Very good, right? He's baptizing. It's in his name. John is baptizing, and the Pharisees
come to him, and they ask him, are you the Christ? John says, no. Are you Elijah? John says, no.
Okay, are you the prophet? John says, no. Pick up the story in verse 24, chapter 1. Now, they had
been sent from the Pharisees. They asked him, then why are you baptizing if you are neither the Christ
nor Elijah nor the prophet? John answered them, I baptize with water. But among you stands one
you do not know, even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.
These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing. The very next
day, the Pharisees are there. They're watching the baptisms happen. They're wondering what is
going on. Who shows up? Jesus. Jesus appears and is baptized. The Father speaks, the Spirit descends,
and the Christ bears witness. So when Jesus says one must be born of water and the Spirit,
he's referring first to the event the Pharisees just witnessed. Second, he's referring to the fact
that a baptism of water only is not sufficient. Now, we are reformed Christians. We understand
we understand what's going on in baptism. The baptism with water is a sign, but it's also a seal.
Okay? The water is worthless if it's not accompanied by the healing power of the Holy Spirit.
Now, friends, there are many reasons to baptize infants. Mainly because the Old Testament,
the New Testament are connected through God's covenants. But also because when we baptize our
covenant children, our infants, it should remind us that we have no control over our salvation.
Just like a baby has no control over their parents bringing them forward to be poured on with cold
water or maybe lukewarm, we have no control in God saving us. Salvation belongs to the Lord alone.
Wait, we participate in the work of the Holy Spirit, but we don't cause the Holy Spirit to act.
Verse six, that which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit
is spirit. Right? Sinful human nature produces sinful human nature. It is only through the work
of the Holy Spirit that unclean human nature is cleansed. Now, we've heard the words of John
3 many times in our lives, I would imagine. However, Nicodemus is hearing them for the first time.
And just before his jaw hits the floor, Jesus continues in verse seven, as if anticipating
John, uh, Nicodemus's jaw dropping, he says, do not marvel that I said to you, you must be born again.
Do not be surprised, Nicodemus. Salvation is a gift from God. Just like you cannot control your
birth, you cannot control your salvation. You cannot be saved because of a high moral duty,
but only because of God's divine decree. And what are God's divine decrees? The decrees of God are
his eternal purpose according to the counsel of his will, whereby for his own glory, he hath for
ordained whatsoever comes to pass. I'm a Presbyterian, right? The Westminster Shorter Catechism is my
bread and butter. Maybe if Nicodemus had the Westminster Shorter Catechism, he wouldn't be so
clueless. Right? Maybe if we gave him the Heidelberg, he wouldn't be clueless either.
I like the Heidelberg too. Verse eight, the wind blows wind, and the wind blows wind,
blows where it wishes, and you hear it 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. Friends, we know what the wind is here in
Northwest Indiana. We feel the wind all the time. You step outside, you're going to feel the wind.
Right? It's maybe 25 degrees with a wind chill of like negative 100.
We cannot stop the wind. It acts on its own independence. Its operation is sovereign,
incomprehensible, and mysterious. It cannot be stopped. The Holy Spirit likewise acts with
complete independence from man. His operation is sovereign, incomprehensible, and mysterious,
and to God be the glory, he cannot be stopped by man's action. So what is Jesus saying? What is
Jesus saying in this section? He's saying, Nicodemus, you contribute absolutely nothing to
your salvation except the sin that made it necessary. When we participate in the renewal of
the Spirit, it is like one who participates in an earthquake or a tornado. We're along for the ride.
We're along for the ride. You see, Nicodemus pursued understanding. He showed up,
and Jesus tells him to participate in the renewal of the Spirit. And finally, Jesus is going to
invite Nicodemus to perceive that the man who is standing in front of him is not just from God,
but he is God. Verse 9, Nicodemus said to him, how can these things be? See, it's at this juncture
that our brother John Calvin equates Nicodemus' response with a sin of pride, right? Pride of
knowledge, pride of status. These things do not allow Nicodemus to understand what is happening,
which sets up this rebuke from Jesus in verse 10. Jesus answered him, are you the teacher of Israel?
And yet you do not understand these things. Now, a little Greek lesson here, because of the definite
article in front of teacher and in front of Israel, we can understand the tone of what Jesus is saying
here. You, the teacher of Israel, the ruler over the Jews, you don't understand these things?
Jesus continues, 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. If I have told you earthly things and you do not
believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? Jesus rebukes Nicodemus, and when that
happens, as if Jesus finally has his full attention. Nicodemus is paying attention now.
We can perceive this based on what he says in verse 11, right? Truly, truly, when that's repeated
like that, it's meant to mean a solemn word or that this is the absolute truth, right? Other
translations will say something like, I tell you the truth, right? That's what the translation means.
But you'll notice here that Jesus matches the plural we that Nicodemus arrived with in verse 2.
You Pharisees have not believed John the Baptist or me. You do not receive our testimony. Now,
if you have your ESV out in front of you, right, you'll look at the bottom, you'll see there's a
lot of notes there, right? And verse 11 and 12 have a note on it that says that the you
here is plural, right? Now, if we were south of the Mason-Dixon line, you would see a y'all
here, right? I don't think we have a Southerner's translation of the Bible yet, but
the you plural should be you all, right? Y'all just saves time. Jesus is not addressing just
Nicodemus. Jesus is addressing all of the Pharisees, right? If Jesus explains the earthly
things that relate to heaven and regeneration, and y'all can't understand what good is there
in explaining the heavenly things, right? If you can't grasp algebra, what use is there in me trying
to teach you calculus? But that's not the final blow even, right? Verse 13, Jesus is going to
open Nicodemus's mind. No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven,
the Son of Man. I mean, Jesus is laying his cards here on the table. He's saying, I've been to
heaven, right? It's not a hard concept for us to understand. The only way someone can have the
information that Jesus does is if he was in God's holy throne room. The only way a person can have
firsthand knowledge of God's plans is if he was there with God. Jesus is saying, I was there.
Only I can know these things for certain because I was there. Because Jesus is God, right? Jesus
also knows that God's divine decrees include a very special doctrine. Now, here's your Latin phrase
for the day, right? We're getting Greek, we're getting Latin. I don't know Latin very well,
but I know what this phrase is. Pactum salutis. Pactum salutis. What does this mean?
It's a very important doctrine of our Christian faith. It means the divine pact that was made
between the Father and the Son to rescue the souls of man by way of the cross. This pact was made
before the foundations of the earth were laid. Jesus knows these wonderful doctrines of God the
Father because he is God the Son. He is the one who descended from heaven. He is the one who will
bear the weight of the world's sin, and he is the one who will have the victory in the end.
We can know what Jesus is getting at here because of the two final verses, right? Verse 14 and verse
15. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up
that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. See, back in the book of Numbers,
the Israelites spurn the care of their God. So the Lord sends fiery serpents into the camp among them,
and they suffer for their disobedience. After the people repent of their sin,
God tells Moses to make a bronze serpent, put it on a pole, right? And whenever someone who's
bitten by a serpent looks at the bronze serpent, they will be healed from their bite. They will not
die. It's a very odd story if taken as an isolated incident. However, our God does not do things
willy-nilly like. Everything has purpose. What Jesus is saying is, if the people of Israel
would be saved from physical death by looking at a bronze snake and believing in God's power to heal
them, how much more then would God do for the one who looks upon God's own Son hung on a cross?
Much more, friends. So much more. For while death itself may seem scary,
it's the second death that should be truly terrifying for us. But for those who believe
in Christ, they will be saved from the second death. The second death is a spiritual death
that does not end but goes on for all eternity. But for those who believe in the great teacher,
his death and resurrection, they will be rescued from eternal death.
For those who acknowledge that Jesus is Lord, they will see a glorious eternity with their God.
For that is why we labor in this life, friends. This life is full of ups and downs. It's full
of tears and sadness. It's full of sickness and pain. But we do not labor for this life.
We labor for the next. We labor unto our God because of the name of Christ and the logos of
Christ. As John 1 begins, we remember the gospel truth that in the beginning was the Christ,
and the Christ was with God, and the Christ was God. Choosing to believe in the great teacher is
only the first step. When we pursue the understanding of these heavenly things,
we then participate in the Holy Spirit's cleansing work of our filthy souls.
See, the Holy Spirit's work of sanctification on our hearts is like slowly sanding our hearts
down from a rough, coarse piece of wood into a finely smooth object for Him and Him alone.
When the Holy Spirit's work in us causes the scales of sin to fall from our eyes,
when our eyes are truly opened, when the gray rain curtain of this world is rolled back,
what do we perceive? To borrow from Tolkien, we perceive white shores and beyond, a far greener
country under a swift sunrise, a place where the sun will never set and darkness will be no more.
Jesus is trying to get Nicodemus to understand you can't achieve what you hope to do through
your own works. Likewise, friends, we cannot measure up, but we can lay hold of the promises
of Christ by believing in Him. So friends, ask yourself, do I believe in Jesus Christ as my only
hope for salvation? Ask yourself, is there enough evidence in my life to convict me of being a Christ
follower? Ask yourself, how will I continue to change my habits and actions to be more like
Christ and less like the world? And ask yourself, what do I need to start doing today in order to
get my life back on track with the help of the Holy Spirit? There's a great saying that says the
best time to plant your apple tree was 10 years ago, but the second best time to plant your apple
tree is today. Choose today to live in a manner worthy of what you've been called to by the help
of the Holy Spirit. Not because you could earn your salvation, but because your salvation has been
earned on your behalf. Because of Christ, we can do good works. Because of Christ, we can live holy
life. Because if it were up to us, we would fail. Praise be to God, it's not. Hold fast to the word.
Hope in Christ. And I promise you, the path you are on will lead you to the new Jerusalem
and the lands of eternity beyond. Amen? Amen. Let's pray.