WEBVTT 00:00:00.200 --> 00:00:02.960 We're gonna look at John chapter 3 if you like 00:00:02.960 --> 00:00:05.519 to turn there in your scriptures John chapter 00:00:05.519 --> 00:00:08.320 3 and Dalton one thing I forgot to ask after 00:00:08.320 --> 00:00:11.060 the benediction do I slip to the back to greet 00:00:11.060 --> 00:00:16.039 people or Perfect I'll plan on that All right, 00:00:16.120 --> 00:00:17.760 very good. I'll go to the back so I can shake 00:00:17.760 --> 00:00:21.280 your hand while you leave and greet you All right, 00:00:21.399 --> 00:00:25.579 John chapter 3. Let me read verses 1 through 00:00:25.579 --> 00:00:32.899 17 from Now there was a Pharisee, a man named 00:00:32.899 --> 00:00:36.380 Nicodemus, who was a member of the Jewish ruling 00:00:36.380 --> 00:00:40.640 council. He came to Jesus at night and said, 00:00:40.899 --> 00:00:43.719 Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has 00:00:43.719 --> 00:00:47.159 come from God, for no one could perform the signs 00:00:47.159 --> 00:00:50.600 you are doing if God were not with him. Jesus 00:00:50.600 --> 00:00:54.840 replied, very truly I tell you, no one can see 00:00:54.840 --> 00:00:58.079 the kingdom of God unless they are born again. 00:00:58.859 --> 00:01:01.939 How can someone be born when they are old? Nicodemus 00:01:01.939 --> 00:01:05.260 asked. Surely they cannot enter a second time 00:01:05.260 --> 00:01:09.079 into their mother's womb to be born. Jesus answered, 00:01:09.359 --> 00:01:12.599 very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom 00:01:12.599 --> 00:01:15.939 of God unless they are born of water and the 00:01:15.939 --> 00:01:20.439 spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the spirit 00:01:20.439 --> 00:01:23.959 gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised 00:01:23.959 --> 00:01:27.140 at my saying you must be born again. The wind 00:01:27.140 --> 00:01:29.920 blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, 00:01:30.000 --> 00:01:32.879 but you cannot tell where it comes from or where 00:01:32.879 --> 00:01:36.680 it is going. So it is with everyone born of the 00:01:36.680 --> 00:01:41.400 Spirit. How can this be? Nicodemus asked. You 00:01:41.400 --> 00:01:44.200 are Israel's teacher, said Jesus. And do you 00:01:44.200 --> 00:01:47.219 not understand these things? Very truly, I tell 00:01:47.219 --> 00:01:50.239 you, we speak of what we know and we testify 00:01:50.239 --> 00:01:53.420 to what we have seen, but still you do not accept 00:01:53.420 --> 00:01:56.640 our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly 00:01:56.640 --> 00:01:59.459 things and you do not believe. How then will 00:01:59.459 --> 00:02:02.120 you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No 00:02:02.120 --> 00:02:04.819 one has ever gone into heaven except the one 00:02:04.819 --> 00:02:08.060 who came from heaven, the son of man. Just as 00:02:08.060 --> 00:02:10.280 Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, 00:02:10.879 --> 00:02:13.919 so the son of man must be lifted up so that everyone 00:02:13.919 --> 00:02:17.780 who believes may have eternal life in him. For 00:02:17.780 --> 00:02:21.219 God so loved the world that he gave his one and 00:02:21.219 --> 00:02:24.060 only son. that whoever believes in him shall 00:02:24.060 --> 00:02:27.699 not perish, but have eternal life. For God did 00:02:27.699 --> 00:02:30.219 not send his son into the world to condemn the 00:02:30.219 --> 00:02:34.280 world, but to save the world through him. And 00:02:34.280 --> 00:02:38.520 amen for the reading of God's word. Well, as 00:02:38.520 --> 00:02:41.819 we come to John chapter three this morning, I 00:02:41.819 --> 00:02:45.099 want you to ask yourself this question. How often 00:02:45.099 --> 00:02:49.259 do you look around and wish your world was different? 00:02:49.740 --> 00:02:53.379 It could be your community. It could be your 00:02:53.379 --> 00:02:56.580 home. It could be your church or the church as 00:02:56.580 --> 00:02:59.159 a whole. It could be the direction of your life, 00:02:59.219 --> 00:03:02.020 the nation in which you live or other places 00:03:02.020 --> 00:03:05.439 around the world. How often do you see things 00:03:05.439 --> 00:03:08.319 and things are not the way you would like them 00:03:08.319 --> 00:03:11.759 to be or things seem that they are not the way 00:03:11.759 --> 00:03:15.020 they ought to be and something in your heart 00:03:15.020 --> 00:03:18.300 longs for something to change and for God to 00:03:18.300 --> 00:03:22.060 be the one. to bring about that change. If you 00:03:22.060 --> 00:03:25.300 ever feel those things, take heart. You are in 00:03:25.300 --> 00:03:29.039 very good company. You are feeling things that 00:03:29.039 --> 00:03:33.939 most Jews in Jesus' day felt. You see, they were 00:03:33.939 --> 00:03:37.020 a nation with a great heritage where God had 00:03:37.020 --> 00:03:39.599 done wonderful things to them, to bring them 00:03:39.599 --> 00:03:42.439 out of Egypt, to enter into a covenant with them, 00:03:42.479 --> 00:03:44.919 to bring them into their land and give them good 00:03:44.919 --> 00:03:47.699 laws that would make them a shining light and 00:03:47.699 --> 00:03:51.270 a holy people. And yet, because of their unfaithfulness, 00:03:51.349 --> 00:03:54.689 they had gone into exile in Babylon. And people 00:03:54.689 --> 00:03:57.430 had died. And homes had been lost. And crops 00:03:57.430 --> 00:04:01.169 had been spoiled. And they had toiled in a foreign 00:04:01.169 --> 00:04:03.650 land where they couldn't gather like they used 00:04:03.650 --> 00:04:05.949 to do. And they couldn't worship like they once 00:04:05.949 --> 00:04:10.509 did. But God, in grace, brought them home. They 00:04:10.509 --> 00:04:13.580 returned home. They even rebuilt a temple. But 00:04:13.580 --> 00:04:15.580 if you've ever read some of those Old Testament 00:04:15.580 --> 00:04:18.259 stories, you know that when they saw the way 00:04:18.259 --> 00:04:21.060 things were this time around, something didn't 00:04:21.060 --> 00:04:24.980 seem quite right. It wasn't as good as it had 00:04:24.980 --> 00:04:28.860 once been. And Israel continued to operate under 00:04:28.860 --> 00:04:32.740 that sense of, it's like God did something, but 00:04:32.740 --> 00:04:35.819 he didn't do it all the way the prophets promised 00:04:35.819 --> 00:04:39.199 or we expected. It's as if you turned on your 00:04:39.199 --> 00:04:41.699 water spigot and it's just trickling out. Yeah, 00:04:41.699 --> 00:04:43.720 you've got water. But you're never going to be 00:04:43.720 --> 00:04:45.620 able to water the garden or fill a bucket with 00:04:45.620 --> 00:04:49.459 that. Something's just not quite right. And they 00:04:49.459 --> 00:04:52.959 longed for God to come and to show up and to 00:04:52.959 --> 00:04:56.620 do something, namely to bring in his kingdom, 00:04:57.439 --> 00:05:00.300 to keep all the promises he made through the 00:05:00.300 --> 00:05:03.579 prophets and to regather his people and to change 00:05:03.579 --> 00:05:05.379 their hearts and to give them a new covenant 00:05:05.379 --> 00:05:07.819 and all those kinds of throw out the Romans and 00:05:07.819 --> 00:05:11.220 do all the things that the prophets promised. 00:05:11.660 --> 00:05:16.459 And it's that longing that drives Nicodemus to 00:05:16.459 --> 00:05:20.279 Jesus in this passage. You could see that even 00:05:20.279 --> 00:05:22.740 in the opening language there where he's coming 00:05:22.740 --> 00:05:25.560 to Jesus and saying nice things about him. He's 00:05:25.560 --> 00:05:28.180 not just trying to butter him up. He's seeing 00:05:28.180 --> 00:05:34.019 something in Jesus. Maybe through this one, God's 00:05:34.019 --> 00:05:37.959 kingdom will come. But as we'll see throughout 00:05:37.959 --> 00:05:40.779 the passage, he was kind of right and he was 00:05:40.779 --> 00:05:43.399 kind of wrong. He needed to have some things 00:05:43.399 --> 00:05:46.839 retooled and recalibrate. And so I want us to 00:05:46.839 --> 00:05:50.439 go through that kind of process today as we work 00:05:50.439 --> 00:05:54.220 our way through this passage. To try to put ourselves 00:05:54.220 --> 00:05:59.060 in Nicodemus's shoes and hear what Jesus is saying 00:05:59.060 --> 00:06:02.199 afresh and understand what it is he's calling 00:06:02.199 --> 00:06:05.740 us to and make the kind of response that the 00:06:05.740 --> 00:06:09.100 text puts in front of us. And we'll do that by 00:06:09.100 --> 00:06:11.319 focusing especially on what Jesus says about 00:06:11.319 --> 00:06:15.680 this new birth, about being born again and considering 00:06:15.680 --> 00:06:18.779 then the kind of new life that Jesus will give 00:06:18.779 --> 00:06:22.180 us through his spirit. So let's work through 00:06:22.180 --> 00:06:24.920 the passage really just in two halves. First, 00:06:25.120 --> 00:06:29.079 verses one through eight. We focus here on our 00:06:29.079 --> 00:06:33.660 need for new life. from the Spirit. If we are 00:06:33.660 --> 00:06:36.959 going to experience God's reign, God's world, 00:06:37.060 --> 00:06:42.300 God's life, then we need new life from the Spirit. 00:06:43.079 --> 00:06:46.079 Let's look at Nicodemus and how these opening 00:06:46.079 --> 00:06:50.100 verses describe him. He is called a Pharisee, 00:06:50.420 --> 00:06:54.819 a member of the Jewish ruling high council who 00:06:54.819 --> 00:07:00.129 comes to Jesus As I've said a moment ago, if 00:07:00.129 --> 00:07:03.750 Nicodemus feels and believes what most Jews in 00:07:03.750 --> 00:07:07.490 his day did, then he is coming to Jesus because 00:07:07.490 --> 00:07:11.269 he recognizes some potential in Jesus. That's 00:07:11.269 --> 00:07:14.310 why he says to him, we know that you're a teacher 00:07:14.310 --> 00:07:17.550 who's come from God because no one could perform 00:07:17.550 --> 00:07:21.310 the signs you're doing if God were not with him. 00:07:21.709 --> 00:07:24.990 You're teaching. You're working miracles. You're 00:07:24.990 --> 00:07:28.290 demonstrating authority. Surely God is with you, 00:07:28.449 --> 00:07:32.930 or this wouldn't work out. Now, what kind of 00:07:32.930 --> 00:07:36.189 expectations might Nicodemus have? Well, as I 00:07:36.189 --> 00:07:39.670 said, he's a Pharisee, and I know we're used 00:07:39.670 --> 00:07:41.769 to reading the scriptures and somewhat seeing 00:07:41.769 --> 00:07:44.490 the Pharisees as the bad guys, and we should. 00:07:44.610 --> 00:07:46.610 They're presented negatively for a reason. Jesus 00:07:46.610 --> 00:07:49.879 has some pretty strong words for them. But understand 00:07:49.879 --> 00:07:52.639 also, in Jesus' day, the Pharisees were somewhat 00:07:52.639 --> 00:07:55.839 generally well -liked. They were viewed by the 00:07:55.839 --> 00:07:58.660 people of admiration. And they themselves, you 00:07:58.660 --> 00:08:02.300 could probably argue, maybe thought they were 00:08:02.300 --> 00:08:05.060 going about things the right way and trying to 00:08:05.060 --> 00:08:07.860 do something good. You see, the Pharisees developed 00:08:07.860 --> 00:08:10.300 during that time, as I've said, when Israel was 00:08:10.300 --> 00:08:13.379 in exile or coming home and trying to get their 00:08:13.379 --> 00:08:16.579 nation back on the right foot. So they were zealous. 00:08:17.040 --> 00:08:19.689 They wanted to keep the law. They wanted to keep 00:08:19.689 --> 00:08:21.670 the law rightly. I mean, we disagree at times, 00:08:21.829 --> 00:08:23.569 right, over what the Bible's asking you to do. 00:08:23.910 --> 00:08:26.290 So did people on that day. And the Pharisees 00:08:26.290 --> 00:08:28.589 tried to study it out and figure it out and say, 00:08:28.589 --> 00:08:32.470 OK, here's the right way to keep God's law. And 00:08:32.470 --> 00:08:34.929 not only were they zealous to do it the right 00:08:34.929 --> 00:08:37.990 way, they were zealous for the most people to 00:08:37.990 --> 00:08:42.210 do it the right way. The Pharisees took the rules 00:08:42.210 --> 00:08:45.289 given to priests and said, you know what? Israel 00:08:45.289 --> 00:08:48.190 is a priestly nation. We're all priests, everybody. 00:08:48.549 --> 00:08:51.929 should keep the purity rules given to the priests. 00:08:52.549 --> 00:08:54.429 The Pharisees also recognized, you know what, 00:08:54.570 --> 00:08:56.970 when Moses handed down the Ten Commandments or 00:08:56.970 --> 00:08:59.490 received them from God and gave all these laws, 00:08:59.730 --> 00:09:01.769 our land and our culture looked a little different. 00:09:01.789 --> 00:09:04.350 It was more agrarian then. Now we have more cities. 00:09:04.490 --> 00:09:06.649 All right, let's figure out how to update what 00:09:06.649 --> 00:09:09.809 God requires and make sure we're practicing it 00:09:09.809 --> 00:09:13.450 in every context of life. So here's a guy that 00:09:13.450 --> 00:09:17.110 wants to get it right. And so he says, all right, 00:09:17.210 --> 00:09:20.289 maybe Jesus is going to be the one who takes 00:09:20.289 --> 00:09:24.029 our vision and gets this thing across the finish 00:09:24.029 --> 00:09:27.730 line. Maybe he'll fulfill what we're all longing 00:09:27.730 --> 00:09:33.450 for in the way that we Pharisees are trying to 00:09:33.450 --> 00:09:38.649 go about it. And Jesus responds to him in a way 00:09:38.649 --> 00:09:42.570 that somewhat catches him up shore. It's a somewhat 00:09:42.570 --> 00:09:47.409 abrupt response. meant to get his attention and 00:09:47.409 --> 00:09:51.409 refocus his thoughts. So let's look at what Jesus 00:09:51.409 --> 00:09:55.269 says. He says in verse three, truly I tell you, 00:09:55.509 --> 00:10:00.110 no one can see the kingdom of God unless they 00:10:00.110 --> 00:10:04.610 are born again. Because the narrative, it reads 00:10:04.610 --> 00:10:06.909 so abruptly, you know, Nicodemus is saying nice 00:10:06.909 --> 00:10:08.690 things and Jesus, it's almost like as he cuts 00:10:08.690 --> 00:10:11.049 them off, hey, look, unless you're born again. 00:10:11.289 --> 00:10:15.309 You can't see the kingdom of God. That indicates, 00:10:15.389 --> 00:10:17.470 Jesus says, we need to take this conversation 00:10:17.470 --> 00:10:21.049 a different way. I know you want me to do what 00:10:21.049 --> 00:10:25.769 you're intent on, but actually we need to retool 00:10:25.769 --> 00:10:30.789 your expectations. Unless someone is born again, 00:10:31.529 --> 00:10:36.889 they cannot see the kingdom of. Notice Jesus 00:10:36.889 --> 00:10:40.470 there talking about the kingdom of God. This 00:10:40.470 --> 00:10:44.110 is God's reign. This is when God finally shows 00:10:44.110 --> 00:10:46.149 up. God's always God, right? Whether we can see 00:10:46.149 --> 00:10:49.049 it or not. But there is a day when God shows 00:10:49.049 --> 00:10:51.789 up and everybody knows it. There's no arguing 00:10:51.789 --> 00:10:54.809 with his power and his authority and his reign. 00:10:54.909 --> 00:10:58.210 This is what Nicodemus wants and this is what 00:10:58.210 --> 00:11:02.169 Jesus is talking about. You want to see the reign 00:11:02.169 --> 00:11:05.679 of God? You want to see God take his place as 00:11:05.679 --> 00:11:10.580 king? Well, there's no way to do that without 00:11:10.580 --> 00:11:16.179 being born again. Or as Jesus says in verse five, 00:11:16.580 --> 00:11:20.500 without being born of the water and the spirit. 00:11:21.360 --> 00:11:23.799 Now, if you've read John's gospel much, you've 00:11:23.799 --> 00:11:26.299 probably noticed before John likes to do some 00:11:26.299 --> 00:11:29.399 double meaning where he says two things with 00:11:29.399 --> 00:11:32.080 one word and really means them both. So when 00:11:32.080 --> 00:11:35.000 we read in English, you need to be born again. 00:11:35.320 --> 00:11:37.320 That's one way to translate the words. You need 00:11:37.320 --> 00:11:39.500 to be born a second time. And that's exactly 00:11:39.500 --> 00:11:42.580 what Nicodemus hears. But you can also translate 00:11:42.580 --> 00:11:47.480 the word again with from above. So Nicodemus, 00:11:47.779 --> 00:11:51.399 you need to be born a second time. And this second 00:11:51.399 --> 00:11:57.019 birth, it needs to be one from above. You need 00:11:57.019 --> 00:12:02.970 God to give you new life. Jesus expands on this 00:12:02.970 --> 00:12:07.710 in verse 5 you need to be born of water and the 00:12:07.710 --> 00:12:10.950 spirit and Jesus is probably there reaching for 00:12:10.950 --> 00:12:15.450 an Old Testament passage Ezekiel 36 where Ezekiel 00:12:15.450 --> 00:12:17.909 looks at Israel and he says well they're a valley 00:12:17.909 --> 00:12:19.950 of dry bones you probably read that passage before 00:12:19.950 --> 00:12:22.389 there there's this death everywhere spiritual 00:12:22.389 --> 00:12:25.490 death what's gonna bring these bones to life 00:12:25.769 --> 00:12:29.389 God says in the previous chapter, when I wash 00:12:29.389 --> 00:12:34.169 you with clean water and when I put my spirit 00:12:34.169 --> 00:12:39.629 within you. Nicodemus, if you want God's rain 00:12:39.629 --> 00:12:43.610 to come, there's no way you're going to participate 00:12:43.610 --> 00:12:46.230 in it. You're not going to see it and you're 00:12:46.230 --> 00:12:50.269 not going to enter it without God doing something 00:12:50.269 --> 00:12:55.240 to you on the inside. you need the Spirit of 00:12:55.240 --> 00:12:58.980 God to give you a new heart and to wash you from 00:12:58.980 --> 00:13:04.379 your sins and make you clean and I think what 00:13:04.379 --> 00:13:07.799 then Jesus is getting at here is he saying Nicodemus 00:13:07.799 --> 00:13:11.840 if I'm giving you a new way to enter the kingdom 00:13:11.840 --> 00:13:15.759 Then that implies you really just need to rethink 00:13:15.759 --> 00:13:20.279 everything you think you know about the kingdom 00:13:20.779 --> 00:13:24.059 And I get this from Nicodemus' response. Jesus 00:13:24.059 --> 00:13:26.840 says, you need to be born again. And Nicodemus 00:13:26.840 --> 00:13:30.779 says, how can someone be born when they are old? 00:13:31.240 --> 00:13:34.080 Nicodemus asks. You can't go back into your mother's 00:13:34.080 --> 00:13:36.600 womb a second time and be born. By the way, I 00:13:36.600 --> 00:13:39.840 heard a dad having this very conversation with 00:13:39.840 --> 00:13:41.740 his kid one time when I was at a restaurant. 00:13:41.919 --> 00:13:43.740 Went to the bathroom and washed my hands. I could 00:13:43.740 --> 00:13:45.799 hear a dad who would take his kid to the bathroom 00:13:45.799 --> 00:13:48.110 having this conversation. where he's talking 00:13:48.110 --> 00:13:49.750 about being born again, and the kid said, wait, 00:13:49.830 --> 00:13:51.830 you mean like I have to be born a second time 00:13:51.830 --> 00:13:54.570 from mom? It was so close to this text, I thought, 00:13:54.590 --> 00:13:56.710 are they faking it, like hoping I'll hear this 00:13:56.710 --> 00:13:59.389 and then they'll witness to me? So you can understand 00:13:59.389 --> 00:14:02.870 how somebody might hear these words and misunderstand 00:14:02.870 --> 00:14:06.049 it. That's why Jesus goes on in verse six to 00:14:06.049 --> 00:14:10.450 say, flesh gives birth to flesh, but the spirit 00:14:10.450 --> 00:14:13.929 gives birth to spirit. Nicodemus, there's something 00:14:13.929 --> 00:14:18.250 about your vision that's fleshly. There's something 00:14:18.250 --> 00:14:22.009 about your vision for the kingdom that's informed 00:14:22.009 --> 00:14:25.590 by the principles of this world That's informed 00:14:25.590 --> 00:14:29.149 by what's going on in your heart and Nicodemus 00:14:29.149 --> 00:14:34.629 the rain I'm coming to offer is So different 00:14:34.629 --> 00:14:38.809 it's so different that your strategy for bringing 00:14:38.809 --> 00:14:43.769 about is not gonna work That way will not lead 00:14:43.769 --> 00:14:47.230 to what God wants And again, you think about 00:14:47.230 --> 00:14:50.830 what I said about Nicodemus' strategy. If we're 00:14:50.830 --> 00:14:53.909 really zealous to keep the law, we'll get it 00:14:53.909 --> 00:14:56.409 right. And in fact, let's not just stop with 00:14:56.409 --> 00:14:59.090 the commandments. Let's make sure they get kept 00:14:59.090 --> 00:15:03.730 the right way. Let's codify some tradition around 00:15:03.730 --> 00:15:06.789 these commandments to make sure they get kept. 00:15:06.889 --> 00:15:10.350 Let's have everybody from top to bottom keep 00:15:10.350 --> 00:15:13.190 these commandments. And Jesus says there's something 00:15:13.190 --> 00:15:16.809 about that that's fleshly. Maybe it just puts 00:15:16.809 --> 00:15:20.690 too much stock in a human's ability to do the 00:15:20.690 --> 00:15:23.250 right thing. Maybe it doesn't put enough stock 00:15:23.250 --> 00:15:26.909 in how dark every human heart can be, that it 00:15:26.909 --> 00:15:30.210 won't do those things and can't do those things. 00:15:30.850 --> 00:15:32.990 And listen, Nicodemus's vision wasn't the only 00:15:32.990 --> 00:15:36.480 one. You've got the vision of the Sadducees as 00:15:36.480 --> 00:15:39.639 well, who maybe are reticent to embrace what 00:15:39.639 --> 00:15:42.279 the prophets have to say, or other parts of what 00:15:42.279 --> 00:15:45.860 we call the Old Testament, in enlarging their 00:15:45.860 --> 00:15:49.080 vision of what God is doing. You've got the Sanhedrin, 00:15:49.200 --> 00:15:51.259 which by the way is mentioned here, that Nicodemus 00:15:51.259 --> 00:15:54.580 is also a member of the Sanhedrin. This is your 00:15:54.580 --> 00:15:57.889 Jewish supreme core. A lot of people on this 00:15:57.889 --> 00:16:01.809 are from the more aristocratic classes of Israelites. 00:16:01.950 --> 00:16:04.309 They had rich people in Israel and a lot of them 00:16:04.309 --> 00:16:07.929 are on the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin's kind of 00:16:07.929 --> 00:16:10.710 modus operandi is let's just not get in trouble 00:16:10.710 --> 00:16:13.649 with Rome. We don't want to have their heat on 00:16:13.649 --> 00:16:15.509 us. We don't want to get in trouble with them. 00:16:15.730 --> 00:16:18.889 So let's just kind of negotiate some kind of 00:16:18.889 --> 00:16:21.000 relationship where they don't mess with us. and 00:16:21.000 --> 00:16:23.460 we won't mess with them. We've carved out a little 00:16:23.460 --> 00:16:26.080 space for ourselves where we've got some power 00:16:26.080 --> 00:16:28.340 and authority, and we're just gonna keep things 00:16:28.340 --> 00:16:31.639 that way. And so maybe they're a little too friendly 00:16:31.639 --> 00:16:34.679 with Rome. Maybe they don't care enough about 00:16:34.679 --> 00:16:38.100 what God says through the prophets it means to 00:16:38.100 --> 00:16:41.840 belong to the people of God. Wrong understandings 00:16:41.840 --> 00:16:45.340 of purity, too focused on earthly power, complicit 00:16:45.340 --> 00:16:47.779 with evil. It could be any of those things. And 00:16:47.779 --> 00:16:50.419 you can... Take a minute at some point just to 00:16:50.419 --> 00:16:52.720 look into your own heart, later today reflecting 00:16:52.720 --> 00:16:55.799 or during the week. Okay, what is it in me that 00:16:55.799 --> 00:17:00.039 sometimes confuses what I want with what God 00:17:00.039 --> 00:17:03.639 wants? Or what is it within me that sometimes 00:17:03.639 --> 00:17:07.599 wants to reinterpret what God says in light of 00:17:07.599 --> 00:17:10.240 what I want? That can just come from any kind 00:17:10.240 --> 00:17:13.119 of motive, any kind of place, and it's good that 00:17:13.119 --> 00:17:16.799 we reflect at times on what might be competing 00:17:16.799 --> 00:17:20.420 in our heart. for how we understand what God 00:17:20.420 --> 00:17:27.259 wants. And this is where Jesus challenges Nicodemus. 00:17:27.400 --> 00:17:30.079 Nicodemus, your way of going about things is 00:17:30.079 --> 00:17:36.420 off track, but good news, God offers you this 00:17:36.420 --> 00:17:40.700 opportunity to be transformed from the inside 00:17:40.700 --> 00:17:44.920 out by the cleansing of God's blood that will 00:17:44.920 --> 00:17:47.980 be shed on the cross, by the gift of the Holy 00:17:47.980 --> 00:17:53.920 Spirit and become a new creation that will participate 00:17:53.920 --> 00:17:58.720 in what God is doing in the world. That is the 00:17:58.720 --> 00:18:02.460 invitation Jesus gives Nicodemus. And it kind 00:18:02.460 --> 00:18:05.079 of drives it home with these words in verses 00:18:05.079 --> 00:18:08.559 seven and eight. Don't be surprised at me saying 00:18:08.559 --> 00:18:11.660 you must be born again. The wind blows wherever 00:18:11.660 --> 00:18:14.420 it pleases. You hear its sound, but you can't 00:18:14.420 --> 00:18:15.880 tell where it comes from or where it's going. 00:18:16.019 --> 00:18:20.819 So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. 00:18:21.079 --> 00:18:25.019 You see the wind in the mind of Jesus's original 00:18:25.019 --> 00:18:29.079 audience. It has its origin in God. They didn't 00:18:29.079 --> 00:18:32.890 know where the wind came from back in Jesus' 00:18:33.109 --> 00:18:34.769 day. Now, by the way, don't take that the wrong 00:18:34.769 --> 00:18:36.730 way as if, oh yeah, people who lived a thousand 00:18:36.730 --> 00:18:38.789 years ago, 2000, they were so ignorant, they 00:18:38.789 --> 00:18:40.950 don't know what we know. I was just talking to 00:18:40.950 --> 00:18:43.230 somebody on my way in today where we got more 00:18:43.230 --> 00:18:45.950 rain I think than was expected or you get snow 00:18:45.950 --> 00:18:48.190 and ice predictions and they don't quite materialize. 00:18:48.289 --> 00:18:51.069 Like we still really don't know, do we exactly 00:18:51.069 --> 00:18:53.730 have this whole thing works nowadays with our 00:18:53.730 --> 00:18:57.109 fancy tools? Well, just imagine an ancient mindset 00:18:57.109 --> 00:18:59.319 that says, you know what? exactly how the wind 00:18:59.319 --> 00:19:01.440 works, I don't know. I know where it comes from. 00:19:01.539 --> 00:19:05.519 It comes from God. That's what Jesus wants Nicodemus 00:19:05.519 --> 00:19:07.940 to realize. Wind blows, you don't know where 00:19:07.940 --> 00:19:11.720 it comes from other than God does it and you 00:19:11.720 --> 00:19:16.019 can see its effects. So Nicodemus, don't worry 00:19:16.019 --> 00:19:20.359 about how this whole new birth thing works. Here's 00:19:20.359 --> 00:19:24.380 how it works. It comes from God. God, by his 00:19:24.380 --> 00:19:28.869 grace, by his spirit, by his cleansing blood 00:19:28.869 --> 00:19:35.630 will make you into a new creation. And you will 00:19:35.630 --> 00:19:40.329 then participate rightly in what God wants to 00:19:40.329 --> 00:19:44.250 do in the world. That's the invitation for Nicodemus. 00:19:44.329 --> 00:19:47.930 That's the invitation for all of us to become 00:19:47.930 --> 00:19:50.549 these new creations by God's grace. And we'll 00:19:50.549 --> 00:19:52.369 talk about how you become one in just a minute. 00:19:52.789 --> 00:19:55.779 But that's the challenge front and center. What 00:19:55.779 --> 00:19:59.319 kind of world do we want to live in? What kind 00:19:59.319 --> 00:20:03.700 of church do we want to participate in? Does 00:20:03.700 --> 00:20:07.859 it align with what God says or have we maybe 00:20:07.859 --> 00:20:12.759 made it align more with what we want from fleshly 00:20:12.759 --> 00:20:15.680 places? Jesus invites us to take a fresh look 00:20:15.680 --> 00:20:19.700 at the Word and bring ourselves into alignment 00:20:19.700 --> 00:20:22.700 with God's vision. That may mean just sitting 00:20:22.700 --> 00:20:25.910 down afresh with, say, the Gospel of Matthew, 00:20:26.470 --> 00:20:29.390 and reading the Sermon on the Mount, and asking 00:20:29.390 --> 00:20:32.089 yourself, when I read this passage, what resistance 00:20:32.089 --> 00:20:35.529 do I feel popping up in my heart that says, I 00:20:35.529 --> 00:20:37.450 don't know if I want to do that, or I don't know 00:20:37.450 --> 00:20:40.490 if that can be done, or where do you start negotiating 00:20:40.490 --> 00:20:43.950 all these excuses for why something can't be 00:20:43.950 --> 00:20:45.490 done? We all do this. My wife asked me today, 00:20:45.509 --> 00:20:47.849 she goes, you might want to look in the attic 00:20:47.849 --> 00:20:50.230 when you get home to make sure there's no problems 00:20:50.230 --> 00:20:52.539 with the roof. and there's no water getting it. 00:20:52.539 --> 00:20:55.420 Trust me, I had like three reasons at my disposal 00:20:55.420 --> 00:20:58.960 why I did not need to do that anytime soon. We 00:20:58.960 --> 00:21:01.079 do this when we're faced with things we don't 00:21:01.079 --> 00:21:06.740 want. We invent ways to get out of it. But we 00:21:06.740 --> 00:21:09.500 do that really to our harm because what Jesus 00:21:09.500 --> 00:21:13.779 is inviting us to is a wonderful experience. 00:21:13.920 --> 00:21:15.299 In fact, I'll say this and we'll go on to the 00:21:15.299 --> 00:21:18.700 next point. This word, this discussion about 00:21:18.700 --> 00:21:23.200 being born again, That word also pops up in Matthew 00:21:23.200 --> 00:21:26.640 where Jesus uses it to refer to the rebirth of 00:21:26.640 --> 00:21:28.539 the whole world. So you've ever heard people 00:21:28.539 --> 00:21:31.599 talk about spiritual rebirth or regeneration? 00:21:31.799 --> 00:21:34.160 Jesus says in Matthew, you know the day's coming 00:21:34.160 --> 00:21:39.200 and the renewal of all things when you will sit 00:21:39.200 --> 00:21:43.000 on 12 thrones and judge the 12 tribes of Israel. 00:21:43.059 --> 00:21:44.940 Jesus is saying one day we're gonna make the 00:21:44.940 --> 00:21:47.660 whole world new and that's gonna be a good thing. 00:21:48.019 --> 00:21:50.730 It's gonna work the way it was supposed to. the 00:21:50.730 --> 00:21:54.009 way Adam and Eve should have participated in 00:21:54.009 --> 00:21:57.009 it. We've got badly off track, but Jesus says 00:21:57.009 --> 00:22:00.250 one day the whole thing's gonna be new. So take 00:22:00.250 --> 00:22:02.450 a fresh look at the scriptures and ask yourself, 00:22:02.650 --> 00:22:05.990 what does God's kingdom look like? What does 00:22:05.990 --> 00:22:09.230 Jesus bring when he encounters people? Are those 00:22:09.230 --> 00:22:13.029 the things I want? Are those the things I'm working 00:22:13.029 --> 00:22:17.769 for? And bring it into alignment with God's vision. 00:22:18.410 --> 00:22:22.180 And of course, Let me be sure to say this anytime 00:22:22.180 --> 00:22:24.740 looking at this passage where we think about 00:22:24.740 --> 00:22:27.539 being born again and people getting saved and 00:22:27.539 --> 00:22:31.000 those ideas. If God's gonna make a new world, 00:22:31.259 --> 00:22:34.420 He's gonna start with you. You're gonna become 00:22:34.420 --> 00:22:40.079 a new creation by God's grace when you call upon 00:22:40.079 --> 00:22:43.920 Jesus to transform you in that way. So if you've 00:22:43.920 --> 00:22:47.019 never experienced that, if you stiff -armed that 00:22:47.019 --> 00:22:50.079 or never realized I need that, Well, that's the 00:22:50.079 --> 00:22:53.299 invitation Jesus gives to become a new person 00:22:53.299 --> 00:22:57.259 from the inside out, cleansed of sin, full of 00:22:57.259 --> 00:23:00.900 the Spirit, connected to the Lord Jesus Christ, 00:23:01.400 --> 00:23:05.539 a gift of grace. Now let's look at our second 00:23:05.539 --> 00:23:09.099 idea today. The first part of this passage really 00:23:09.099 --> 00:23:12.579 focuses our attention on our need for this new 00:23:12.579 --> 00:23:17.460 life. The second half focuses us on how we get 00:23:17.839 --> 00:23:21.839 this new life. And it all centers around the 00:23:21.839 --> 00:23:27.140 Lord Jesus Christ. He invites us into and provides 00:23:27.140 --> 00:23:32.059 this transformative new life. Let's look at verses 00:23:32.059 --> 00:23:35.279 9 through 12 where we realize it's probably starting 00:23:35.279 --> 00:23:38.220 to dawn on Nicodemus, what Jesus is asking for, 00:23:38.599 --> 00:23:41.980 and he realizes how hard it may be to accept 00:23:41.980 --> 00:23:45.740 this vision of the kingdom. Jesus or Nicodemus 00:23:45.740 --> 00:23:51.720 asks how this be and Jesus says look you are 00:23:51.720 --> 00:23:56.779 Israel's teacher and Do you not understand these 00:23:56.779 --> 00:23:59.460 things for years? Nicodemus has been teaching 00:23:59.460 --> 00:24:05.240 people how to live under God's covenant But now 00:24:05.240 --> 00:24:09.539 he's facing a condition for covenant membership 00:24:09.539 --> 00:24:14.289 faithfulness that he's never faced before And 00:24:14.289 --> 00:24:17.490 Jesus says, but Nicodemus, you should have glimpsed 00:24:17.490 --> 00:24:21.109 these truths from the Old Testament. You should 00:24:21.109 --> 00:24:25.410 be able to connect God's vision there with what 00:24:25.410 --> 00:24:27.950 you see in me. Because again, Nicodemus kind 00:24:27.950 --> 00:24:30.210 of sees it. All right, you're doing great things. 00:24:30.349 --> 00:24:33.190 You are sent by God. But Jesus wants him to get 00:24:33.190 --> 00:24:36.250 even closer to the truth. And so he'll continue 00:24:36.250 --> 00:24:39.049 to instruct him because that's how good and patient 00:24:39.049 --> 00:24:42.730 Jesus is. He says in verse 11, very truly I tell 00:24:42.730 --> 00:24:47.180 you. We speak of what we know, and we testify 00:24:47.180 --> 00:24:50.880 to what we have seen. But still you people do 00:24:50.880 --> 00:24:55.400 not accept our testimony. Nicodemus, you're gonna 00:24:55.400 --> 00:24:59.220 have to clear out some of your resistance if 00:24:59.220 --> 00:25:04.220 you really want to grasp the nature of the kingdom. 00:25:04.680 --> 00:25:07.900 And in some ways, Nicodemus here is functioning 00:25:07.900 --> 00:25:10.890 as a representative of Israel. In other words, 00:25:11.049 --> 00:25:13.750 Nicodemus, just look at how people are responding 00:25:13.750 --> 00:25:17.690 to my ministry. Jesus shows up and he throws 00:25:17.690 --> 00:25:22.230 a demon out of someone. It's dark satanic oppression. 00:25:22.529 --> 00:25:25.789 They get delivered. In some instances, there's 00:25:25.789 --> 00:25:30.069 even physical maladies connected with being demon 00:25:30.069 --> 00:25:33.750 possessed. People get liberated and healed. And 00:25:33.750 --> 00:25:36.309 what do people say? Well, he's just in league 00:25:36.309 --> 00:25:39.490 with Satan himself, or else he couldn't do that. 00:25:39.630 --> 00:25:43.470 Jesus goes into the synagogue. He heals someone 00:25:43.470 --> 00:25:46.609 whose hand is withered, which probably means 00:25:46.609 --> 00:25:49.569 that person also couldn't work the way they wanted 00:25:49.569 --> 00:25:52.529 to. And you think of how dependent you are on 00:25:52.529 --> 00:25:54.750 the well -being of your body and mind to work. 00:25:54.829 --> 00:25:57.289 Imagine losing that, not only being able to make 00:25:57.289 --> 00:25:59.930 money, but just the joy you might find from getting 00:25:59.930 --> 00:26:02.589 something done. Jesus heals that man with the 00:26:02.589 --> 00:26:04.829 withered hand, and they say, you've got six days 00:26:04.829 --> 00:26:07.950 to heal. Come back on another day. And friends, 00:26:07.950 --> 00:26:12.349 we go on. and on and on. He feeds people and 00:26:12.349 --> 00:26:14.970 there's resistance. The disciples can pluck grain 00:26:14.970 --> 00:26:17.509 on the Sabbath. That's not exactly Sunday supper. 00:26:17.730 --> 00:26:20.250 They pluck grain on the Sabbath and the Pharisees 00:26:20.250 --> 00:26:22.410 are like, well, you shouldn't do that. It's the 00:26:22.410 --> 00:26:25.950 Sabbath day. Jesus shows up. He's doing great 00:26:25.950 --> 00:26:30.869 things for people. And instead they resist by 00:26:30.869 --> 00:26:33.230 saying, nope, that goes against the traditions. 00:26:33.710 --> 00:26:36.529 Nope, that goes against what we think God wants. 00:26:36.609 --> 00:26:40.690 They're not willing. to rethink their categories. 00:26:41.289 --> 00:26:43.430 And that's why Jesus says in verse 12, look, 00:26:43.490 --> 00:26:46.349 if I've spoken to you of earthly things and you 00:26:46.349 --> 00:26:49.450 do not believe, how then will you believe if 00:26:49.450 --> 00:26:52.230 I speak of heavenly things? In other words, if 00:26:52.230 --> 00:26:54.930 I've given you the basics and you don't want 00:26:54.930 --> 00:26:58.049 to hear it, how are you ever really going to 00:26:58.049 --> 00:27:02.490 grasp the nature of participating in God's reign 00:27:02.490 --> 00:27:07.079 and being a part of His people? So this is then 00:27:07.079 --> 00:27:11.460 where Jesus drives home the whole conversation 00:27:11.460 --> 00:27:14.779 with Nicodemus look if you want to participate 00:27:14.779 --> 00:27:17.380 in this new life if you want to participate in 00:27:17.380 --> 00:27:20.299 this kingdom, then you've got to reorient your 00:27:20.299 --> 00:27:25.039 whole being your spiritual vision to me and focus 00:27:25.039 --> 00:27:28.700 yourself on me and bend everything that you want 00:27:28.700 --> 00:27:33.180 and hope for to Me and Jesus drives that point 00:27:33.180 --> 00:27:37.849 home in these final verses, verses 13 to 16. 00:27:38.470 --> 00:27:41.509 He says, no one's ever gone into heaven except 00:27:41.509 --> 00:27:44.390 the one who came from heaven, the Son of Man. 00:27:44.430 --> 00:27:47.390 I like the NLT here a little better, a little 00:27:47.390 --> 00:27:51.009 clearer, which reads, no one has ever gone to 00:27:51.009 --> 00:27:55.150 heaven and returned, but the Son of Man has come 00:27:55.150 --> 00:27:58.690 down from heaven. Nicodemus, if you want to get 00:27:58.690 --> 00:28:00.910 the source straight from the horse's mouth, I'm 00:28:00.910 --> 00:28:04.279 the only one. that's actually come down from 00:28:04.279 --> 00:28:08.000 heaven to reveal these things. So you can trust 00:28:08.000 --> 00:28:12.759 me when I tell you that you need the new birth. 00:28:12.839 --> 00:28:15.960 Who can give it to you? I can. Who can convince 00:28:15.960 --> 00:28:19.279 you that you need it? I can. Only the one from 00:28:19.279 --> 00:28:22.000 heaven, and that's me. So Nicodemus, stop thinking 00:28:22.000 --> 00:28:24.220 about your traditions, stop thinking about how 00:28:24.220 --> 00:28:27.000 you think you have it right, and focus on me. 00:28:27.380 --> 00:28:32.279 Bring yourself really under my authority. Lordship. 00:28:32.839 --> 00:28:35.940 And here's what I'll do for you. Just as Moses 00:28:35.940 --> 00:28:38.640 lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the 00:28:38.640 --> 00:28:42.039 Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone 00:28:42.039 --> 00:28:46.200 who believes may have eternal life in him." Nicodemus, 00:28:46.240 --> 00:28:47.799 you know that old story in the Old Testament 00:28:47.799 --> 00:28:51.420 where people grumbled and fiery serpents appeared 00:28:51.420 --> 00:28:55.460 and bit them? How did they get healed? They just 00:28:55.460 --> 00:28:59.380 looked up at this servant. So Nicodemus, on that. 00:29:00.120 --> 00:29:03.759 One to whom you need to look I'll be lifted up 00:29:03.759 --> 00:29:07.519 soon right on a cross and if you look towards 00:29:07.519 --> 00:29:09.619 me I know that can be vague language, but if 00:29:09.619 --> 00:29:13.339 you will fix your gaze on me if you'll look at 00:29:13.339 --> 00:29:16.660 me as the one who can cleanse you of that poison 00:29:16.660 --> 00:29:20.240 of the one who can give you life, and if you'll 00:29:20.240 --> 00:29:24.019 bring yourself under my authority and under my 00:29:24.019 --> 00:29:27.720 Lordship, and if you'll trust me to cleanse you 00:29:27.720 --> 00:29:31.839 and forgive you then I will give you eternal 00:29:31.839 --> 00:29:36.759 life because God loves his world. God has sent 00:29:36.759 --> 00:29:39.619 me not to condemn his world, but to save it. 00:29:39.819 --> 00:29:43.880 God has this purpose for humanity that leads 00:29:43.880 --> 00:29:46.960 to their transformation and their rescue and 00:29:46.960 --> 00:29:50.039 their healing. But there's only one way for it 00:29:50.039 --> 00:29:53.619 to happen. By you committing yourself to me, 00:29:53.960 --> 00:29:58.960 trusting me, experiencing this new birth, and 00:29:58.960 --> 00:30:03.839 living as a kingdom citizen in the way that I 00:30:03.839 --> 00:30:07.579 define it. And so friends, that is both the challenge 00:30:07.579 --> 00:30:10.940 and the good news that I would leave you with. 00:30:11.019 --> 00:30:14.039 Yes, it's challenging to rethink what we know 00:30:14.039 --> 00:30:16.960 about God's kingdom, but if we do it in this 00:30:16.960 --> 00:30:21.319 Jesus -shaped gospel -based way, then friends, 00:30:21.440 --> 00:30:24.380 you'll find yourself living with a better frame 00:30:24.380 --> 00:30:26.859 of mind and a better world and working for the 00:30:26.859 --> 00:30:31.259 good things that God's kingdom brings by being 00:30:31.259 --> 00:30:34.819 a servant of the Lord Jesus, one who trusts in 00:30:34.819 --> 00:30:40.519 him and one is shaped by him. That little growth 00:30:40.519 --> 00:30:44.799 in you can spread out into a church and a community 00:30:44.799 --> 00:30:47.980 and beyond. So let's ask God to do that for all 00:30:47.980 --> 00:30:50.279 of us today, to change us wherever we need it 00:30:50.279 --> 00:30:52.700 and to make that fruitful. Pray with me, friends.