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How can these things be? sermon by Manfred Schreyer
John 3:1-21 (NRSV) 1 Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. 2 He came to Jesus[1][Gk "him"] 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." 3 Jesus answered him, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above."[2][Or "born anew"] 4 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?" 5 Jesus answered, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. 6 What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.[3][The same Greek word means both "wind" and "spirit"] 7 Do not be astonished that I said to you, 'You[4][The Greek word for "you" here is plural] must be born from above.'[5][Or "anew"] 8 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." 9 Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?" 10 Jesus 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[7][The Greek word for "you" here and in verse 12 is plural] do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.[8][Other ancient authorities add "who is in heaven"] 14 And just 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.[9][Some interpreters hold that the quotation concludes with verse 15] 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. 18 Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. 20 For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. 21 But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God."[10][Some interpreters hold that the quotation concludes with verse 15]
Here is a man with earthly authority. He belonged to the highest governing body of the Jewish people. He indeed belonged to a seventy member group composed of Sadducees, Pharisees and lay elders. He was part of an aristocracy which only was presided over by the high priest. Here is a Jewish leader who meets Jesus at night and tells Him that he acknowledges Him as one from God. And Jesus tells Nicodemus that one has to be born from above and Nicodemus follows up with the question: "How can one be born after having grown old?" Make no mistake Nicodemus understood the statement of Jesus, because those who converted to Judaism at his time were referred as children. The term being "born again" really became popular again through former President Jimmy Carter, who talked about this term in numerous conversations in the 70's. But what does it really mean "to be born again"? We are born into this world and we are born into the experiences of humankind. We rely on these experiences to survive and these experiences actually have brought us to the current point of history. We have acquired knowledge to survive and to strive to make life better. . . . But in this life we are not only motivated by knowledge or through knowledge, but we are also motivated by emotions. Emotions are the sensations we feel. And there are only two emotions: Good and bad! There are no neutral emotions. Our emotions are personal and guide us just like knowledge through this life. Emotions are the powers that attract. Do you remember what I told you two Sundays ago, that every action in human life is either directed by fear or love? Do you understand that the thought which created out of fear of love becomes reality in you life? You are who you think you are. Each thought of you will be creative and it will impact other people and it becomes matter. Fear based on the experiences of humankind is really our hindrance point to come into a close relationship with God. If you read the NT and read the words of Christ I read over and over : "Fear not but share in love" But as we were born into the experiences of humankind we have lost touch with the intended. The intended world by our God was to know that there is good and evil (the tree in the garden) but to stay away of this knowledge. Because by knowing and experiencing these things we would suffer. Adam and Eve were born into a world of perfect state. All things were good as God proclaimed it in Genesis. God knew our needs and he created a universe that was part of us and around us. The world both lived in was created in love : all things were pure. . .and then a human creative thought came up: "What if I could have knowledge of Good and Evil?" Good and Evil were an unknown to both. But what would it be like to have this knowledge? And so they experienced the knowledge of evil, because they already were in the state of good. And from that very point we furthered our knowledge of Good and evil and we have to suffer through life. Modern terms would claim that our behavior that is based upon human experience is genetic. And the Apostle Paul in fact talks about it in terms of his century,. He mentioned that none of us are righteous and we are all sinners. In order for us to find this strain of DNA which marks us as sinners, Jesus says to Nicodemus that we must be born again. We must be born again, BY CHOICE and become a new being. We must be willing to allow Jesus to come into this new life and take this DNA strain out of our body which is filled with the experiences of fear, and guilt and sin given to us by the experiences of this world. We must allow that our body is being washed through baptism and cleansed by the Spirit of God. People don’t come to Christ because they do not feel worthy to come, even when they recognize that there must be another way. Jesus is telling you that you are worthy. You are a child of God, you are created in His image, you are created in love and He takes you just as you are. But. . .you must be willing to be born again. To give up the old and to be born to the new. God is asking you not to rely on this world but on Him alone. He is asking you to make Him the number one priority in your life. And when you do you are willing to forgive, you will be willing to be compassionate, you will be experiencing that nothing matters but the path of eternal salvation. Yes, Nicodemus, you must be born again. You must be willing to give it all up. You must be willing to hand your life over to Jesus and to God. Nicodemus can you hear me. . . .? But Nicodemus had left into the night. I am asking you: "Are you willing to meet Jesus?" Are you willing to be born again? Where are you in your life?" Are you willing to give it all up for Him and to rely on His Spirit rather then on human experience and the knowledge of good and evil? We never hear again from Nicodemus, until the burial of our Savior, where Nicodemus buries Jesus. Yes, Nicodemus had given up the old and in the end was born again. And it was just as Jesus said: " 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.
Sermon by Pastor Manfred Schreyer |
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