March 5, 2023 Sermon
Sermon: “To Be Born Anew”
Scripture: John 3:1-17
John 3:1-17
Nicodemus Visits Jesus
1Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. 2He came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God." 3Jesus answered him, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above." 4Nicodemus said to him, "How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?" 5Jesus answered, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. 6What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.' 8The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." 9Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?" 10Jesus answered him, "Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? 11"Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. 12If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 16"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. 17"Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
This particular scripture is probably the most well-known amongst Christians and probably considered the most powerful and significant. It is the foundation upon which our greatest understanding of God’s love for us resides: “For God so loved the world that he gave us his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” Adding to the power of this particular scripture is in how John writes of Jesus in a more poetic and solemn manner than the other synoptic gospels – that is, the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke – write of him. John writes in this manner to give his message a more sacred air, bringing home the reality of how Jesus comes from God and is God.
A question that has been in the back of my mind for years is this: what does it really mean to believe in Jesus and to not perish and have eternal life? There’s a reason I ask this. Because when I think about it, there is more to having eternal life than just “believing” in Jesus and his message, for anybody can genuinely believe in Jesus’ message of salvation yet live in a manner that completely betrays it. Having said that, I think everybody here would agree that there is more to having eternal life than just mere belief or a sincere nod in the direction of it.
In considering this, I think the answer lies in what Jesus had to say to Nicodemus that night in which he sought him out. Now in all fairness, Nicodemus was genuine in his respect and pursuit of Jesus’ wisdom. He said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher that has come from God. For no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.” And on top of his sincere respect, Nicodemus was a Pharisee, a member of the Sanhedrin, a group of people that had power and some freedom from the direct dictates of the Roman government. He was one of the “authorities” among the Jews who believed in Jesus, and he probably sought him in the night in an attempt to avoid being seen and from other’s knowing that he was a follower of Jesus on some level.
Despite his sincere respect for Jesus, none of Nicodemus’ extensive education and knowledge of the Torah could have prepared him for Jesus’ response to his respectful and earnest greeting, when Jesus bluntly said “…No one can see the kingdom of God without first being born from above.” Jesus left the educated man stumbling with the question of “but how can one do that – be born from above?!?” While Jesus was eluding to being born of the spirit through water and baptism, Nicodemus was caught up in the concept of natural birth. But this was more than mere stumbling around concerning logic and biology on Nicodemus’ part, for Nicodemus was a respected man of Jewish law and spiritual teaching. More importantly, his understanding about birth represented the understanding of law and privilege. In the Old Testament or Tanak, to be a member of the chosen people requires being born from a Jewish mother, and being one of the chosen is about being considered one of God’s children (Exodus 4:22; Deuteronomy 32:6; Hosea 11:1). This is significant.
But such a pedigree of privilege was rejected in John 3:6, when Jesus said that the only things that flesh can beget or give birth to is flesh. Here, Jesus is radically replacing what constitutes the children of God, challenging any privileged status stemming from natural parenthood. This is a bold assertion on his part that radically departed from common Jewish beliefs, directly challenged the privileged, and opened the doors to everybody, regardless of status, to the kingdom of heaven.
When you really think about it, there are two different kinds of knowledge represented between Nicodemus and Jesus: a knowledge that leads to spiritual “death” (that is, common law grounded in earthly matters or knowledge for the sake of knowledge) and a knowledge that is full of life (Jesus’ knowledge from above concerning spirit and baptism, and his eventual sacrifice for us). Nicodemus asserts his certainty through what he “knows,” while Jesus’ certainty stems from having come from above. Interestingly, Nicodemus’ name means “raised up by God,” while John tells us how Jesus actually “comes from God.”
This understanding of knowledge that does not bring life harkens back to Genesis in which Adam and Eve ate the fruit from the tree of knowledge, an ambiguous knowledge of good and evil, and a wisdom that sent them running out of fear into darkness where they hid – a knowledge that leads to self-consciousness and spiritual death. This knowledge, like the knowledge represented by Nicodemus, brings “death,” while the knowledge that Jesus offers is the knowledge of “life” that leads to being born again or born anew.
So, how are these two different kinds of knowledge represented significant in relation to being born anew or having eternal life? I believe that being born anew and having eternal life lie not just in believing what Jesus taught and understanding the significance of his sacrifice, but also in our ability to approach life with an openness and willingness to learn. When we approach people or situations full of preconceived notions and knowledge as Nicodemus approached Jesus, it is easy to miss God’s truth in the situation. The life from above cannot reach us, and that life from above is the spiritual guidance that leads us to a deeper connection with God. Not only that, it leads us to more meaningful connections with others. This kind of connection through openness is the nudge we sometimes feel to act on behalf of others, to take better care of ourselves, or to make a different decision that leads to more spiritual growth on our parts.
I still can remember the day I was sitting next to my sister in a café and sipping a latte while her son, Trevor, was quietly fiddling with a magazine. I was telling her about one of my coworkers who was a social worker at Perry Center for Children, a well-known center that helps children with severe behavioral and mental health problems. Most of the children who receive treatment there have been abused. I liked this coworker a lot and thought that her knowledge and experience as a social worker made her a good parent with her two adopted children. My sister, a caseworker for Children’s Services Division, asserted that being a social worker or therapist did not necessarily mean a person would make a good parent. Instead of opening my mind to hearing what she had to say, I argued on behalf of my coworker and an idea that I held dear and did not want to let go.
In the course of the conversation, my sister became so frustrated that she began to cry. I will never forget that. It was a day when I, like Nicodemus, had a preconceived notion of how I felt things worked in the world, a law that dictated that every therapist and counselor must make a good parent, which of course was a flawed notion. But my mind was closed out of pride to hearing a different perspective – a perspective of somebody who actually knew a thing or two about children, parenting, and the systems involved.
In my fixed position of knowledge and preconceived notion, I missed the opportunity to hear a new perspective from my sister, a real professional in the field of foster and adopted children. I also missed the opportunity of connecting with her more deeply through humbling myself as her older sibling and forfeiting my need to be the older one with all the knowledge. Most importantly, I missed the beautiful opportunity of celebrating her as a strong, independent, and intelligent human being, which she definitely is. My knowledge or preconceived notions led to death in this situation – to death of a deeper and more trusting connection with my sister. If I had listened to the sound of the wind or spirit, as John said in verse eight, I would have been open to my sister’s wisdom and allowed it in. Our relationship could have been born anew with a deeper and richer respect and understanding.
That conversation with my sister was over twenty-five years ago. I don’t know if she even remembers it, but I still do. Being born anew through the path that Jesus paved for us requires an openness and humility on our parts, something that he exemplified well. He taught us through his example that he loved us enough to sacrifice having a comfortable life without challenges and ultimately sacrificed his life, itself, on our behalf. Despite his sacrifice, actually, because of his sacrifice, his word is the living word; and words that bring life inspire us to listen, be open, and learn new things. After all, Jesus taught many new things that challenged old perspectives, and it brought new life to many. I believe he is inviting us all to the table of open connections and open minds, so that we may be born anew in this life – in his life.
Guest Minister
Rev. Drakar Druella
