Sermon Synopsis for February 24, 2008

“Into New Birth” John 3:1-17

I showed the children a picture (ultrasound) of my granddaughter. It’s a little difficult to see because she hasn’t been born yet. I’m going to get to meet her sometime about the first of May. I already love her. God loves her.

God said to Jeremiah “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5)

The psalmist wrote, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” (Psalm 139:13-14)

God loves and cares about my granddaughter (yet to be born), how much more God cares about each one of us.

Today we continue our Lenten journey from the wilderness of temptation heading to Easter. Today we meet Nicodemus on our journey.


WHO WAS NICODEMUS?
Q: What Bible character may have only been a foot tall?
A: Nicodemus, he was a ruler.

Nicodemus was a prominent Jewish citizen of Jerusalem.
- He was Jewish – he had the bloodline of one who was part of God’s chosen family (starting with Abraham, or maybe even back to Adam)
- He was a Pharisee (believed in afterlife and spiritual discipline based on God’s word)
- He was Wealthy (by nature of the position)
- He was a Teacher of the Jewish law
- He was a Member of the Sanhedrin (Jewish Ruling Council)

He shows up three times in the Gospel story told by John.
John 7:50-52 – he argued for fair treatment of Jesus.
John 19:38-42 – helped prepare Jesus’ body for burial.

John 3 is the first time we hear about Nicodemus. He comes to Jesus at night.

It’s the equivalent of a US Senator showing up at your doorstep in the middle of the night – something to worry about.

This renowned leader came at night; the theme of light vs. darkness in John isn’t lost on us. Coming at night represents that he is in “darkness,” spiritual darkness.

What was the message that this noted leader needed to hear?

Nicodemus knew: The world was not headed in a good direction, Israel needed a savior. He wanted God’s Kingdom to be established. He also knew that Jesus was in a difficult situation.

Nicodemus needed to hear the message that led him to Easter; God loved the world à God gave Jesus to the world for our good.

A FAVORITE SCRIPTURE PASSAGE
Out of this dialog came one of the most beloved verses to Christians around the world: John 3:16.

Sometimes there’s a disjunction between church language and what the world understands.

Did you ever see John 3:16 cards in end zone at football games?
(Rolland “rock n rolland” Stewart took on this project back in the 70s)

Christians know what this means, but what about others?
People were asked what they thought it meant
- It’s a distraction for kicker;
- It’s a hex on the kicker?
- Insiders subject for football?
- Is it a riddle?
- Secret message for coach
- Subliminal message
- Something to do with turning football into a religion.

In the Peanuts comic strip: Lucy thought John 3:16 referred to John Madden.

VP Al Gore made a speech during his campaign in which he stated how important his faith was to him. He also stated that his favorite Bible verse was John 16:3.
Of course, he and his speech writer meant John 3:16 but no one in the Gore camp was familiar enough with the scripture to catch the error. The most interesting thing about this story is what John 16:3 says:
" ( Jesus speaking about bad things that will happen to followers) And this they will do unto you because they have not known the Father nor Me. "

Of course, Jesus wanted Nicodemus to know how much God loved him and everyone else, and that was the reason Jesus came.

IT’S A SIMPLE MESSAGE
One of the greatest theologians that ever lived, Karl Barth, was a guest lecturer at the University of Chicago Divinity School. At the end of a captivating closing lecture, the president of the seminary announced that Dr. Barth was not well and was quite tired, and though he thought that Dr. Barth would like to be open for questions, he shouldn't be expected to handle the strain. Then he said, "Therefore, I will ask just one question on behalf of all of us."

He turned to the renowned theologian and asked, "Of all the theological insights you have ever had, which do you consider to be the greatest of them all?

It was the perfect question for a man who had written literally tens of thousands of pages of some of the most sophisticated theology ever put into print. The students held pencils right up against their writing pads, ready to take down verbatim the premier insight of the greatest theologian of their time.

Karl Barth closed his tired eyes, and he thought for a minute, and then he half smiled, opened his eyes, and said to those young seminarians, "The greatest theological insight that I have ever had is this: "Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so."

WHAT DID NICODEMSU NEED TO UNDERSTAND?
Nicodemus needed to understand the simple gospel message, a simple message of God’s love for us – a love that transforms us – that re-makes us – that gives us new birth.

Nicodemus (and his Sanhedrin friends) probably understood God’s message to humanity something like a USED CAR CONTRACT. (clauses and conditions, fine print and consequences) You will receive this beautiful 1989 Ford S-10 pick-up if you:
-Sign a contract
- make a down payment
- make payments on time
- if you miss a payment, interest rates go up
- if you miss more payments, the contract becomes void, and you lose everything.

There can be a lot of mis-trust when it comes to a used car salesman.

But the gospel message isn’t a contract, it’s a LOVE STORY.

God sent Jesus to remind us that God isn't in the business of keeping books and tallying ledgers, nor is God concerned about our status or position in life. If God were concerned about any of those things, then he wouldn’t have had to send Jesus. Giving us a contract with a rule book would have been enough. The Old Testament covenant and law would have done it.

SO WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO?
Jesus told Nicodemus, “You need to be born again.”

Nicodemus (being a good Pharisee) took Jesus’ words literally (a practice that can get us into trouble sometimes): “How can an old guy like me, go back to his mother’s womb and, be born again?”

Jesus clarified that he wasn’t speaking literally: “You can’t get into God’s Kingdom unless you’re born into it.” “You have already been physically born, now you need a spiritual birth”

Water = physical birth / baptism
Sprit = wind / spiritual (unseen, but present)

This is the only passage in the Gospel of John that talks about the Kingdom of God.
We are called to become citizens of God’s Kingdom. How do we do that?

How to become a citizen
To become a citizen of the USA
- You are Born in USA or to US Citizen.
- You Naturalize (In Biblical Times people could pay for citizenship, Acts 22:28)
Fill out forms, follow process, take test (US Government and history), appear before a judge for pronouncement.

To become a citizen of the Kingdom of God
You need to be born into God’s Kingdom. Not in the way that Nicodemus was already born into the family of Israel, but spiritually re-born.

You go through the citizenship process / the re-birth process:
1. Repent – John the Baptist called the people to repent of their sins.
2. Believe – John 3:16 – whoever believes in him shall have eternal life
3. Confess your sins – 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
4. Be baptized – as a symbol of your new faith.

IT’S A COMPLETE MAKE-OVER
Nicodemus didn’t need a continuation of life as we know it. He didn’t need to tweak a few things to get right with God. It wasn’t enough to remodel.

Nicodemus needed a complete makeover.
He needed to be born again.

Birth implies a family: Nicodemus needed a new family!

When a child is born…
… unwanted / without a family (like my son David), it’s tragic.
… into a dysfunctional family, there are problems. (Jesus was telling Nicodemus, that the Jewish family had become a dysfunctional family. It wasn’t working; it was causing more problems than it was helping)
… into a loving family, there is nurture, maturity and positive growth has the best chance of happening.

During Jesus’ lifetime, Nicodemus lived on the sidelines of Jesus’ family.

Jesus was telling Nicodemus that he needed to be fully born into God’s family.

Many say they can be a Christian without being a part of a church. Being born implies being born into a family. 1 John 3:1 “Behold what manner of love the father has for us, that we should be called children of God!”

We aren’t orphans, we aren’t alone. We are part of a family.

To be born again, implied that Nicodemus needed to change!

WE NEED TO CHANGE! GOT CHANGE?

One day on the street, a ragged fellow came up to me and asked, “Got any change, Mister?”

“Change? Of course I’ve got change. Change is what I have most.”

We live in a world where everything seems to be changing.
The only thing that is constant is the change.
Someone once said, “Change is inevitable – except from a vending machine.”

But change can be good. Without change we could not improve ourselves, have a better life or even grow. Change is the main component of our conversion experience. When Jesus told Nicodemus, “You must be born again,” he was telling him he needed a complete makeover. Start over, do it again, change completely.

The Easter Story is about change: a caterpillar to a butterfly, an egg to a chick, pain to joy, the earthly to the spiritual.

Easter changed everything changed for Jesus and his disciples. The ecstatic joy of Palm Sunday, the deep emotion of clearing the sellers from the Temple, The intimacy of a meal together in the upper room, the arrest, trial, crucifixion, burial, and, ultimately, the resurrection. What a week. You can find every emotion possible expressed at some point during that week. Change is emotional.

What changed? Jesus showed us that a life controlled by God brings new life; that change, in God’s hands, is for the good.

Did I give the beggar my change? To attend to his needs I had to change my immediate plans. I bought him a meal. We ate together. He shared his life; I shared my life.

The Gospel story demonstrates a world begging for change, and our Lord who wants to change everything for us. Jesus calls us to be “born again.”

TO THE POINT
If God knows us and loves us before we are born, while we are in our mother’s womb, how much more God knows and loves us after we are born, and before we are born again.

Who gives us life? God.
We need to let God give us new life.