Preached in Markham Baptist Church, March 16, 2003.

Text: John 3:1-15

A SEEKER MEETS THE MASTER

Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews.  He 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.”  Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.”  Nicodemus 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?”  Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.  What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’  The 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.”  Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?”  Jesus answered him, “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?  “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.  If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?  No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.  And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. (John 3:1-15) (NRSV)

If you are a first-born, you know the reality of having your life fully documented on film - photographs, slides and for most here, 8-millimeter film - your whole life is there to see. If however, you are a last-born, like myself, you know the reality of one or two baby pictures in an otherwise empty photo album. It is a sad reality of being a last-born, an empty childhood photo album.

This morning as we continue our series entitled "Meet the Master" we discover a man whose life photo album is surprisingly complete. In the gospel of John in particular we are given three snapshots, all capturing the spiritual life of the man Nicodemus.

I

The first snapshot or word picture we have is the most familiar and famous of all the pictures that we have been given of Nicodemus in the gospel of John. It is a picture of Nicodemus visiting Jesus on a rooftop. Perhaps afraid of what others would think - perhaps seeking an uninterrupted conversation, whatever the reason, he chooses to visit under the cloak of darkness. We can see the scene in our mind's eye. The city below is quiet. The sky above is filled with shining stars. There is a gentle breeze, a welcome relief from the heat of the day. And there is Jesus with Nicodemus. And if we freeze the image in our mind and take the picture it would be the first and we could call it Nicodemus in the darkness of confusion.

It is Jesus who puts his finger on Nicodemus' seeking and confusion. Nicodemus comes across as having it all together. After all he is a Pharisee - that exclusive religious sect devoted to keeping the law. The word Pharisee means, "the Separated One". We have to be careful that their opposition to Jesus does not cloud our understanding that these people, the Pharisees were fine moral people. They practiced the law. Not only a Pharisee but Nicodemus was a member of the Sanhedrin, that supreme court of 70 members who made sure the law was kept in the Jewish community. Nicodemus did not think of himself, at least outwardly, as a seeker or as confused. No, he begins the conversation very properly. "Rabbi, teacher, 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."

And, says the text, "Jesus answered him." Isn't that strange? Nicodemus hasn't asked anything, at least with his words. Jesus sensed that there was something else - something in his manner perhaps, or more likely from the very situation - a Pharisee coming for a private audience in the dead of night. There had to be something more. And Jesus answers him. He answers Nicodemus' seeking heart.

And Jesus says, "Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above."

"Look Nicodemus I know why you've come so lets not waste time on generalities. You want to know about my relationship with God. Well, the truth is we'll both be talking different languages until you stand in the same kingdom. I'll be talking about heavenly things and you'll be thinking earthly. I'll be talking about spiritual things and you'll be thinking material. I'll be talking about the essential you, your soul, and you'll be thinking the physical. When you are part of God's kingdom with Him as your King and you as His servant, then we'll understand each other. And to be part of that kingdom you have to be born all over again."

And if Nicodemus wasn't confused before. He is now. "Born anew?" How can anyone be born after having grown old? And I wonder if Nicodemus says with a chuckle can someone re-enter his mother's womb and be born a second time?

And Jesus replies to a question this time, very patiently and genuinely and persistently. What you need is not a new leaf but a new life. You have to be born all over.

It makes perfect sense. When you consider your physical birth you realize that through it you inherited your parents' looks, you inherited your parents' name, you were made part of the family with it's privileges and expectations. You inherited a citizenship, and became a member of the culture you were born into.

So if you wish to enter into God's family we need to be born a second time, this time from above, by God. In so doing we gain a new parent, with new privileges, new expectations and new citizenship.

But surely there must be a way we could get this without being born again from above? No, for you see you also inherited something from your first parents, and that is a sin nature. You cannot escape it. We inherited a nature that is drawn to sin, harbours sin and desires to sin. That's what Jesus means when He says in verse 6, "What is born of the flesh is flesh." There is no way around it.

Only the Spirit gives birth to the Spirit. So we must be born of water, that is repentance, which water baptism symbolizes and the spirit which does the work of transformation in the heart. Once you are born of the spirit well then you understand that which is spiritual and you delight in that which of the spirit. For what is born of the Spirit is Spirit.

Well, Nicodemus must have looked puzzled because Jesus says in verse 7, "Do not be astonished at what I'm saying. When you think of the wind you don't know where the wind starts or how far it goes but you hear its sound and witness its effects. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit. It is mysterious but it is none the less true and real for everyone who believes and allows the Spirit to work."

Nicodemus' confusion continues and says, "How can these things be?"

I wonder if he really does understand Jesus at this point yet refuses to believe. There is a sense that if Jesus was talking to a social outcast or someone truly distraught by their sin, they would know right away what Jesus was talking about. We need a new birth. But because Nicodemus is respectable and seen as religious and teacher of Israel he cannot understand.

And it's a confusion that people fall into all the time. I remember the husband of one of my parishioners in my previous church always ridiculing the church as being a place for the weak and the needy - for those who were unable to make it in the world. It wasn't that he was antagonistic toward the faith it's just that he viewed the church as a kind of hospital and Christ as a physician that one turned to as a last resort or in crisis or old age. To be sure he thought the church was a good thing and he would visit the odd time. But to talk to him about Jesus Christ and his need for a new life, well, he would respond as Nicodemus - how can this be? In his mind Jesus had nothing to give him for he was fine, normal and had an inner strength of character that was strong and needed no help.

And it's a confusion people confess inside the church. Sometimes, sometimes, we get so focused on the externals of our faith, on the doing of ceremonies and the keeping of rituals that we forget our faith is about a relationship being born into a new family with God as King and doing everything just so. And it doesn't matter if we consider ourselves contemporary worshipping Christians or traditional worshipping Christians we each have our list of do's and don'ts that must be adhered to if our faith is to be genuine and real. And when we read the word of God that tells that us that a true faith has little to do with externals and everything to do with internals, well that certainly can't have anything to do with us because look at how we are keeping the faith.

Let us each examine our hearts. To be sure the internal chance Christ brings will result in an external act of obedience, of worship, of joy, love, peace, kindness, gentleness and self control. But don't get the order wrong, or you will say with Nicodemus, "These don't apply to me."

Interestingly Jesus goes on to explain to him how this new birth can occur. It will occur as Jesus is lifted up on the cross as a sacrifice and as we believe in that sacrifice we are made new - It's like being saved from death and being brought out of darkness into light.

II

The next snapshot we have of him comes to us in John 7:45-53. And here is experiencing the dawn of conviction. He stands up for Jesus and defends him before his fellow Pharisees who are seeking Jesus' arrest. Let's give Him a hearing, Nicodemus says. Before we condemn Him we must hear what He says.

Do you see what his fellow Pharisees tell him to do? It is ironic really - they say, "Search and look, or look into it." It is ironic because Nicodemus already had. He studied the Word and asked for God to teach him and He did. He taught Him of a new birth and the possibility of a regenerated soul.

III

I want to move quickly to the third and final snapshot we have of Nicodemus and that is in John 19:38-42. We have seen him the darkness of confusion, the dawn of conviction, and now we see him in the daylight of confession. Up to now Nicodemus had been a secret disciple, but no longer. Calvary made the difference.

No sooner had Jesus died on the cross that Nicodemus was there to bring a tribute that all men could see. The cowardice, the fear, the hesitation was gone. Those who had been afraid when Jesus was alive declared for Him in a way that everyone could see as soon as He was dead. Jesus had not been dead on the cross for an hour when His own prophecy came true: "I, if I be lifted up from the earth will draw all men unto He." (John 12:32)

And as Nicodemus, along with Joseph, takes the body of Christ and prepares it for burial, you can be sure that Jesus is smiling down from heaven, for already the power of the cross had begun to operate, and already the Cross was drawing all people to Him. The magnet of the cross even then had begun to act. The power of the cross was even then turning the one who had been in confusion to one who confessed Christ openly.

Paul later wrote of the cross and the difference it made in his life: "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. By whom the world is crucified to me and I unto the world."

My friends, there you have three snapshots in the life of Nicodemus. I wonder if any of these pictures depict your present walk with Christ. Perhaps you are in the darkness of confusion about who Jesus is and what He says. That's okay - Jesus is patient and is eager to help you work through it. Read the gospel of John as I suggested and see if that confusion does not dissipate.

Maybe you are in the dawn of conviction. You've heard the invitation given from this pulpit many times for you to receive Christ. And you've heard His voice speak to you but you just haven't had made that step. Today is the day for you to move into the daylight of confession.

And for those of us who have accepted Christ already, we all need to live in this daylight of confession. There can be no secret disciples of Christ in the present age. We all need to move into the full daylight of confession.

When you go to heaven there will be a great time of joy. Because we will be with our Saviour. And this week I've been thinking - when I see Jesus and we sit down together, He might pull out a picture book full of snapshots of my spiritual life. And I pray that there might not be any empty pages in that book. But certainly there will be pictures of me in the darkness of confusion, when I was unsure of Christ, of me in the dawn of conviction, but let my album be full of me living in the daylight of confession.

My prayer is the same for you. If you have not accepted Christ as Lord and Saviour you are invited to do so today.