Message:  I Am Nicodemus

Passage: John 2:23-3:15

Series: The Book of John: Bearing Witness

Date: 10/7/2018

Has it happened to you, as it has to me, that you’ve encountered a truth, accompanied with an experience, that has shattered your paradigm? In a moment, everything you thought you knew, everything you thought was fixed, is now floating, untethered. Confused and conflicted, you reach out to grab the pieces that are most dear to you, but as you pull them towards you, you’re no longer sure where they fit. Is this foundation, or frame work? It doesn’t fit where it did before. If the foundation I had built couldn’t survive this storm, does this fit at all? 

Today, we see Nicodemus experience his paradigm shattered. We see a man who was the teacher of Israel encounter the Teacher of all Truth, and Nicodemus is undressed and undone. Far too often, when Christians read this passage in the Bible, they are tempted to identify with with Jesus, and make a straw man out of Nicodemus. First, I believe that’s short-sighted, and even, dare I say, pharisaical on our part. I believe there is more to learn, and more ways to relate to Nick than we often care to explore. Second, we need to understand that the truth Jesus taught to Nicodemus is also a truth he speaks to us. When we come to the Bible, we can’t look at ourselves as the ones “in the know.” That was Nicodemus’ problem. When we approach life as those who are “in the know,” we are the ones most lacerated when our paradigm explodes to chards. We must be the ones coming to learn, the ones who come to Jesus, our teacher, and with humility and faith, say with the prophet Ezekiel, “Oh Lord… you know…”

Open your Bibles with me to the gospel of John, chapter 2. I want to remind you that John wrote in his prologue everything he then sought to prove in bearing witness to Jesus as the Son of God. Thus far, we’ve seen John the Baptist testify that Jesus is the Son of God, who baptizes with the Spirit. John was telling us that Jesus was calling and creating for himself a new people, a spiritual Israel, baptizing on the outside of Jordan. Jesus then called his disciples. Jesus pointed to His hour, and to the everlasting joy of His kingdom, when he turned water into wine. He taught as he cleared the temple that His kingdom has a new temple, for he alone housed the Spirit of God; it was not a building, his house and kingdom is for all people, all nations. This is where we find ourselves today. 

Would you stand with me in honor of God’s word, and let’s read from John 2:23 to 3:15.

²³ Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. ²⁴ But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people ²⁵ and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man. 

3 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. ² 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.” ³ Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” ⁴ 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?” ⁵ Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. ⁶ That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. ⁷ Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ ⁸ 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.” 

⁹ Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” ¹⁰ Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? ¹¹ 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. ¹² If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? ¹³ No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. ¹⁴ And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁵ that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.  

[pray]

We are going to look at the passage today with the following headings:

Setting the Scene

Paradigm Shattered 

What Nick Should Have Known… 

The King from Heaven, Who is Exalted

**********************

Setting the Scene

I invite you to go back to elementary school with me for moment. Use the powers of your imagination, and place yourself in Jerusalem in 30 AD. There was a major festival in Jerusalem, the Passover. Jewish families came from all over to celebrate. This new rabbi, Jesus, has entered the scene. He’s doing miracles, and teaching in ways no one has taught. He’s gaining a crowd of disciples to himself. He cleared the temple and pushed out the profiteers. 

Is he a the prophet?  Surely, he’s not the Messiah, The King of Israel? But is he the forerunner? Is he preparing the way for the descendant of David to come restore the kingdom? Kick out the Romans? Restore Israel to its former glory? Is there a descendant of David who is going to sit on the throne? It can’t be this carpenter’s son from Nazareth, could it? Something about him is different. Something about him is important. He does miracles no one else can do… who is he?

John gives us context in the passage: 

²³ Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. ²⁴ But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people ²⁵ and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man. 

We see that Jesus was drawing a crowd. He was doing miracles and signs that demanded attention. But John says something important: he did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people, and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.

John is bearing witness to Jesus as the Son of God, and states here that Jesus did not need anyone to bear witness about man. The heart of man, the Bible tells us, “is wicked and deceitful above all things, and desperately sick, who can understand it?” Jesus knew the dire state of the heart of man, all men. It is no accident that John gives us this insight as he introduces us to Nicodemus.

3 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. ² 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.”

We need to flush this out to get a full grasp of what this meant, or could mean. Jesus, according to the crowd, is the new rabbi on the scene. A Pharisee, not just any pharisee, but a ruler, someone who is part of the Sanhedrin, sought Jesus out. 

When I was a teenager, I’d dreamed I’d be a star NBA point guard. If I were in this position, this would be the equivalent to a Nike executive, coming to my house because they’ve heard of my skill. If I had the endorsement of a Nike executive, surely that would propel me into the spotlight and give me a greater platform to show my talent. 

Here’s Jesus, sought out by the religious elite of the day, the gate-keepers to the temple, who could bring him into the upper-crust of the fold, and here’s his opportunity to impress.

But Jesus doesn’t need to impress, nor is he impressed. Jesus knows what is in men. He knows that with all the fancy dress, the phylactery, the tassels, the headdress, the religious washings, keeping the law and all the rules to keep you from breaking the law — all that pomp and circumstance is merely make-up on a corpse. Nicodemus, you can dress up the outside with good works, your best morality, your “best life now,” but you can’t hide the spiritual death abiding in your bones.

Furthermore, John is telling us that Nicodemus wasn’t coming to Jesus in faith, believing and knowing that Jesus was from God. John consistently contrasts light and darkness. In the prologue, chapter 1, 

 ^4 fIn him was life,¹ and ^gthe life was the light of men. ^5 hThe light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 

^9 nThe true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world

And at the end of chapter 3: 

19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. [20] For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. (ESV)

John makes it clear that Nick’s motives weren’t altogether pure. John was relating to us the condition of his heart by telling us he had come to Jesus by night. What brought Nicodemus to Jesus? Maybe he was sent there as a representative by the Jews to find out more about this rabbi who is gaining so much attention? He seemed to give him a certain level of respect, calling him “rabbi,” and admitting that he has done signs that can only be done through God. This seems like a compliment, doesn’t it? 

Hey, I saw your wicked-awesome crossover! And what a shot! (by the way… I wasn’t a great shooter, and was never approached by a Nike executive, or even a college basketball coach). Shouldn’t Jesus’ response be, “You like it? Well, you ain’t seen nothing yet!”

Instead, Jesus drills into Nick’s heart, and tells him he’s hit rock.

Look at verse 3 with me:  ³Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

In an instant, Nicodemus knows Jesus has changed the subject on trial. Nick came to poke and prod and try Jesus. Instead, Jesus puts him on the operating table and tells him, “you can’t even see the kingdom of God…” He says it with such power that Nick goes into defensive mode. Verse 4:

⁴ 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?”

Don’t point at me, young rabbi! What you’re saying doesn’t make sense! That’s ridiculous! Preposterous! Incredulous! Verse 5:

⁵ Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 

This rabbi, who has come doing miracles, zealous for the temple, is not impressed with what I say, or who I am, Nick might have been thinking to himself. I thought I was the one leading the conversation, the one with power, the one in the know… how did he suddenly take control? How does he have this kind of authority? 

Nicodemus is finding his paradigm in pieces. Jesus not only told him he cannot see the Kingdom, but neither can he enter. When Jesus drilled into Nick’s heart, he sent his pride, his power, his prestige, his comfort, shattered and floating into space. His paradigm had been shattered. This rabbi continued to explain:

Verse 6

⁶ That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. ⁷ Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ ⁸ 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.” 

The Kingdom of God is a Spiritual kingdom. It is much greater than the puny nations of the earth. It’s expanse of territory covers the galaxies. The world could not contain it. A nation could not own it. A people cannot attain it. It is a Kingdom you are born into, but born “not of blood ^ynor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” - John 1:13

But the requirement for the kingdom is a birth that is supernatural. Jesus compared this birth to the wind. The word there, literally is the word for “spirit.” Spirit and wind in both greek and Hebrew are the same word. But who controls that? Who has grasped the wind? As Proverbs 30:4

Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son’s name? Surely you know!

This is an impossibility! Nicodemus couldn’t understand, couldn’t grasp, that his ethnicity as a Jew, nor all his law-keeping, nor religious privilege, didn’t, could not, and would not guarantee him an entrance into the Kingdom. His entrance depended on something wholly other, something he was not the gate-keeper to, something of which he had no control.

All his knowledge, all his power, all his prestige, all his works, all his goodness, all his foundation was no floating, untethered, on a collision course with the words of this rabbi, and Nicodemus had no power to stop it.

⁹ Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?”

His Paradigm: Shattered.

Sometimes it takes a shattered life to rebuild on the right foundation.  Like clearing a condemned house because the foundation is cracked and useless, God will mercifully clear out the ruin of life so he can build on the cornerstone that is unmovable, unshakable, tethered to Word of God which never changes.

Our God is so merciful that he doesn’t leave us with any vestige of pride. He knows the darkness of man goes all the way to the heart, and that’s where he goes with Nicodemus. Self-reliant Nick should have known… he should have known what Jesus was referring to when he said, One must be born again to see the kingdom. And that unless one is born of water and the Spirit, they will not enter the Kingdom. That should have been enough for Nicodemus to put it together. But he couldn’t. He was blind to it. It’s all our condition in our natural state. It wasn’t part of his paradigm, but he was the teacher of Israel. He should have known. 

This is …

What Nick Should Have Known…

Look at verse 10:

¹⁰ Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? ¹¹ 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. ¹² If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 

The teacher of Israel has encountered the Incarnate Word; the ruler of the Jews, the Ruler of the Universe. The one who professes to know based on man’s wisdom; the One who knows based on Heavenly wisdom. 

What was it that Jesus expected Nicodemus to know?

First, turn with me to Ezekiel 36:22-29, 33-36, [ Read ] 

Jesus was alluding to the coming Kingdom, where God restores Israel for all time, his people from among the nations. But because his people are sinful, and have stone hearts, he must sanctify and cleanse them. This is the significance of being “born of water” in John 3:5. The water is the ceremonial water that is mixed with the ashes of a heifer and sprinkled on his people by means of hyssop. This is what David refers to in Psalm 51: 7-11

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;

wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Let me hear joy and gladness;

let the bones that you have broken rejoice.

Hide your face from my sins,

and blot out all my iniquities.

Create in me a clean heart, O God,

and renew a right[b] spirit within me.

Cast me not away from your presence,

and take not your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation,

and uphold me with a willing spirit.

He must give them new life - a new heart, so they will walk in his ways. This is the Lord’s doing. This is the work of the Spirit. It is a work God has to do to deliver man from the darkness which they love. 

Nick, the teacher of Israel should have known, but he couldn’t have, for he couldn’t yet see. He couldn’t see that the rabbi he encountered speaks of heavenly things which he knew because he descended from Heaven. And God is so gracious that he has pointed to himself, his power of resurrection, his new life, His Son, even in the Old Testament prophets. 

Nick had asked: “How [is one born again?]… how can these things be?”

Ezekiel may have had the same question. Look at chapter 37. 

The Lord took Ezekiel to a valley of dry and dead bones. It was the spiritual state of Israel. This is why Israel is in exile, they were spiritually dead! Now they were scattered among the nations. Could the nation live again? Could the Kingdom ever be restored? It was ab out as possible as dead bones coming back to life.

Verse 3: “Son of man, can these bones live?” … 

Ezekiel responded with utter humility. He was not the teacher. He knew there was only One teacher. His answer was this: “O Lord… you know…”

[read 4-14]  

Theres the word again… wind… spirit… ruach

Can these bones live?

Oh Lord… You Know…

Can I be born again?

Oh Lord… You know…

Maybe you’re asking with Nick:

How can these things be? How does it come to pass? How can life come into these dry bones? How can a heart of stone be removed and made flesh?

We must, when asked about things we don’t understand… when our paradigm is shattered, our world off axis, our foundations shook, respond like this:

Oh Lord… You know…

And he does… we might not understand how, but he does… it might be out of our control, but not his; he has the wind in his hand. It is Him who baptizes with the Spirit. And he shows us the way to be healed, to be wonderfully mended. He shows us the foundation, for He is the foundation.

Would you turn back to John 3.

The King from Heaven, Who is Exalted

¹³ No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. ¹⁴ And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁵ that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.  

In the previous week’s passage we saw Jesus in the temple. He cleared the court of the gentiles. He drove out those selling livestock, pigeons, and the money changers. He was asked by the rulers, by Nicodemus’ party, “By what authority do you do these things?” They wanted a sign to prove it. His sign was the prediction of his death and resurrection. He said, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” His authority was based in his deity. In verse 13, he is alluding to Psalm 30:4. No one has ascended to heaven and come down, except he who descended from heaven. The meaning of that statement was not lost on Nicodemus. Jesus was outright saying that he had come down from heaven.

So, how is one born again? How is spiritual life created? That was Nick’s question. 

How did the valley of dry bones become flesh? The preaching of the Word, breathed out in the power of the Spirit. The Spirit does the work.

Jesus didn’t leave Nicodemus, with his shattered paradigm, to put it back together himself. That’s like destroying a child’s 6,000 piece lego set, and telling him to put it back together with out the directions. The truth is, many, in their own pride, will try. 

How does one see the Kingdom? How is one born again? How is a stone heart turned to flesh? How does the Spirit give birth to Spirit.

What we understand from scripture is this happens in the preaching of the gospel, and Jesus does nothing else but preaches the gospel to Nicodemus.

Look at verse 14-15

¹⁴ And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁵ that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

In Numbers 21, we see a scene that represented much of Israels’ life in the desert. They grumbled against Moses and against God for bringing them into the desert. The sinned against God. God sent serpents into the camp, which would bite people, and they would die. The people of Israel saw first hand the consequence of their sin, and they came to Moses and asked for forgiveness, and that God would remove the serpents. 

They were bit by the same animal we see tempted eve in the garden. They were bit by sin, and the consequence was death. 

God told Moses to make a bronze serpent and put it on a stick. When they were bit by the serpents, they would look at the bronze serpent, which reminded them of their sin, and they would live. What might God have been saying? Your sin has bit you. It is death to you. You will die on your own. You will die unless you see your sin hanging on a pole. 

How are we born again? We must recognize that we are desperately wicked, that we are sick, and have death in our bones. In faith, we look to the cross, where we see our Savior, who became sin, hanging on a tree. It is then that the Spirit breathes new life into our souls. Our paradigm is reshaped. The shards and shrapnel that once lacerated our souls have become a stained glass window in the dining hall of His kingdom. We see our story, our brokenness, our pride that was broken, and it is now a mosaic of His grace. 

This is what we celebrate when we go to communion.