“A New Kind of Vision”

Scripture: John 3:1-15

Today, we begin a 3 week look at the 3rd chapter of John’s gospel. For this week and next, we look at Jesus’ meeting and conversation with Nicodemus and what Jesus’ words may mean for our lives, and the third week will be John the Baptist’s teaching to the people about Jesus. These 3 weeks will be a personal look at the relationships that 2 men were striving for in Christ – Nicodemus’ coming in secret, seeking a greater understanding of Jesus, and John’s very public witness as to who Jesus truly is.

These two men had very different perspectives on how they saw the Lord. Nicodemus was an insider, a Pharisee – he had been part of all the discussions on how Jesus was perverting the faith and what the Jewish hierarchy needed to do about him. John, on the other hand, was just about as far outside that inner circle as anyone possibly could be. Nicodemus was learned, John was, in all likelihood, not. Nicodemus was privileged, John was not. Nicodemus came to Jesus in the depth of the night – masked and blinded and hidden and stumbling in the darkness. John, on the other hand, walked in the brightness of the Lord’s day, and couldn’t care less as to who came to watch his movements and hear his words.

These two were as different as, forgive the pun, night and day(!), and yet, they both would come to a saving knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. And with that, let’s begin our look at Nicodemus’ adventure with Jesus.

Read John 3:1-9

What did Nicodemus know about Jesus, or at least how did he see the Lord, before he arrived? First, he came at night. The word “night” can be significant in a couple of different ways. We can see night in the obvious way – that he came secretly, under the cover of darkness, so that no one would know that he was going to this house. Another aspect of the word, and possibly the truer meaning, is that he came without truly knowing God. You will remember that the words “night” and “darkness” imply a separation from God, or the lack of a relationship with God. He was searching for the truth about this man.
Second, he refers to Jesus as “rabbi”, or teacher. He already recognizes Jesus as an authority.
Third, he states that Jesus is a “teacher who has come from God.” The Pharisee is accepting Jesus as a religious figure – perhaps not quite on a par with a prophet, but certainly one who should be listened to.

He makes an opening statement, possibly as an introduction as to why he has come to see Jesus, and, as is Jesus custom, the reply seems to be totally unrelated to the question – “no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” The Lord is telling Nicodemus that no matter who the Pharisee thinks Jesus is, he is far greater than he can possibly imagine. The statement “born again” can bring two possible meanings to us – first that “birth” is a matter related to time, and that the birth that initiated his life in this place, taken alone, is not enough – he needs a second and different birth. The other implication is the source of that “new birth”. The Greek word that John uses can also be translated as “from above”. Our first, or original birth, is by our human mother, but this second birth can only be given by God.
Think about this concept of birth. In our mother’s pregnancy, we are sustained by her nourishment, her heart beat, her respirations, and her love until the moment of “birth”, when we immerge into the world as a viable, individual, sustainable person, and we become an integral part of a human family. We continue to grow, certainly, but in a whole new way.
Prior to our spiritual birth, God sustains us by his blessing and his grace until, by faith, we are born as a whole new being in Christ. John Wesley, and some others, described this as “prevenient grace” – the grace that comes before. In this second birth, we become a viable and distinctive member of the family of God, and after this birth, we will also continue to grow in a spiritual way as we walk and study and meditate and serve in the name of Jesus Christ.
When Nicodemus takes Jesus’ words to mean birth in a physical sense, the Lord continues to explain the issue to him. For Israel, a relationship with God was enhanced by all the good things – “good works” – that we do. Jesus tells the Pharisee that there isn’t a single thing that anyone can do, in a worldly sense, to gain God’s joy. In Ephesians 2:8-9, Paul writes ”For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” This “new birth” is solely in God’s hands and has absolutely nothing to do with our abilities.

Read John 3:10-15

And once again, Jesus turns the question back on the man. “What do you mean you ‘don’t know’! You’re a teacher!” He had access to Torah, he had studied the holy writings by the prophets, he could debate and discuss the issues of the day with the finest minds in all of Israel, and he still didn’t understand the truth of Messiah.
The problem was that the Pharisees were hung up with ritual, they were focused on all of the things that they thought they should be doing, and completely missed out on the one thing that they should believe – that Jesus was the long awaited Messiah! For them, knowledge and custom were the important issues, and faith was simply a matter of national heritage.

“You don’t even understand the things of earth.” And what is it about earth that we have to understand? These are the things that humanity should be aware of – not necessarily the physical aspects of life, but those issues of heaven that are within our intellectual grasp.
In Psalm 40 we read “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but my ears you have pierced, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require.”
Amos 5:21-24 also tells us that God doesn’t want burnt offerings or other sacrifices or even their musical gifts – he wanted their never ending love.
In Isaiah 1:12-17, they are told that their sacrifices and incense are meaningless, that God would vastly prefer an improvement in the way they treat each other – that they should be just, they should leave their evil ways, they should defend the orphan and widow, and should reach out to the oppressed.

And with even more words from God, they still missed the point. And they even missed the truth behind Jesus’ comparison of himself with the bronze snake that Moses erected.
Remember the story in Numbers 21:4-9? During their wilderness journey, Israel had begun to fall away from their trust in the Almighty, and poisonous snakes began attacking the people, and many would die. The Lord told Moses to make a bronze replica of the snakes, to put it on a pole, and that anyone who looked up at it would be healed.
The snake was despised by the nation - it was a symbol of torment and death. But when the people looked up at it, the hated thing became the means to salvation. Doesn’t that perfectly describe Jesus? Hated by the world, hung on an ugly stick, but for those who would come to him, joy and salvation would be discovered!

How about us? Do we miss the point of Jesus? Do we confuse baptism and membership with “new birth”? Do we see a token offering of an hour or two on Sunday as enough spirituality to last us for the remainder of the week?
Do any of us still think that our good ways and works and deeds are all that are necessary for eternal life? Do any of us still think that simply attending worship on a regular basis, even weekly, is enough in faith? Does the phrase “washed in the blood of Jesus” make you squirm?

Faith is our only answer, my friends. Faith that the great sacrifice that God has made on our behalf at Calvary is the only act of true value. Faith that the commandments of Jesus are sure and true. Faith that if we give our all; our life, our gifts, our hopes, our hands and feet to Christ, that this is sufficient for our salvation.
Do we see God only in terms of commandments and judgment and condemnation, instead of new birth, and second chances, and new life? Do we forget that our faith, our discipleship, is only the beginning of our walk with him?

We need to claim not only the new birth in Christ, not only the saving grace that comes from the one who was once despised, but we also need to claim a new way of seeing God and his Son of glory. We need to see Jesus as the only way and only truth and only life (John 14:6). We need to see Jesus as the Hope of heaven and the promise of eternity. We need to see him for what he truly is – the Son of God and his gift to us.

In our new birth, we also need to begin to see through new eyes that can bring Jesus into sharper and perfect focus. Do you give yourself, and see yourself, as a “firstfruit” for Christ?
Nicodemus was beginning his entry into a relationship with Jesus, and his vision was beginning to change and become clearer than it had ever been before. He was starting to see Jesus in a whole new way.
How do you see Jesus? Are you beginning to understand him? Is your vision of the Lord becoming clearer every day?