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Trinity
Sunday.
The
Collect.
A
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LMIGHTY and
everlasting God, who hast given unto us thy servants grace, by the confession
of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the
power of the Divine Majesty to worship the Unity; We beseech thee that thou
wouldest keep us stedfast in this faith, and evermore defend us from all
adversities, who livest and reignest, one God, world without end. Amen.
T
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here was a man of the
Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 2 The
same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a
teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except
God be with him. 3 Jesus answered and said unto
him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he
cannot see the kingdom of God. 4 Nicodemus saith
unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time
into his mother's womb, and be born? 5 Jesus
answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water
and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into 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 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must
be born again. 8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou
hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it
goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. 9 Nicodemus
answered and said unto him, How can these things be? 10 Jesus
answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not
these things? 11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak
that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our
witness. 12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye
believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly
things? 13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he
that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in
heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the
wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15 That whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved
the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him
should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:1-16)
Today’s
text is about the change of the heart that we call regeneration, and
we also are going to compare two entirely different men both of whom began
their journey is totally different places, and each going in the opposite
direction – JUDAS and NICODEMUS.
Precisely what IS regeneration and
how does it occur?
Regeneration
is not merely an IMPROVEMENT of character brought about through effort and
study of classical philosophy, or even of the study of God’s Word.. Regen-eration is that complete change of
character that occurs through the process of being born anew in Christ.
Anything that is born is a new creature. Anything that is born anew is also a
new creature whose former character and
And habits have
disappeared. – or even died with the old self (which was also dead before
coming to Christ). It is not an improvement of disposition, but a
fundamental change in nature.
There
was once a drop of water that found itself puddle in a dirty and unsavory
gutter drain. It was constantly subject to being spat upon and
frequented by mosquitoes laying their larvae in the water. The little
drop of water looked everyday up to the beautiful blue skies above and yearned,
for once, to be clean and pure, and separated from the filth of the gutter. The
yearning of its heart was heard in heaven, and the warmth of the sun began to
draw the small droplet up, up, and away from the filth it had always known.
Being drawn higher and higher, the air around the droplet was no longer foul
and smelly, but clear and pristine. Yet, it was drawn still higher by the force
of the sun to levels of colder and colder air. The winds took up the droplet of
water and carried it far away where it became a beautiful, white snowflake. It
was deposited on the heights of Mt. Everest where its beauty could be seen,
mingled with other snowflakes, for many miles around. The droplet of water,
transformed by the power of Heaven, had moved from the lowest and dirtiest
place, to the highest and most beautiful on earth. That is regeneration, and
that is the power of God to make new the soul of man.
1. There was a
man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 2 The
same came to Jesus by night. By the way: there was a contrasting
character who had followed our Lord throughout His ministry and was an Apostle,
but he did not come by night; but he surely LEFT by Night as we shall see
shortly.
We
see a contrast being drawn in the text between a man of great power, wealth,
and learning; and the Lord Jesus Christ who did not have a place to lay His
head. Nicodemus was an influential member of the ruling Sanhedrin. He was a
Pharisee who truly sought more knowledge. But Nicodemus was also keen to the
politics of the day and did not wish to be exposed as someone who would be an
admirer of Christ – at least not until he had come to know Him for the Lord
that He was. So, Nicodemus came under cover of darkness. I know that secrecy
was his motive from other Scripture references that suggest that motive
strongly.
Earlier
in the day, Nicodemus had seen Christ drive out the money changers and those
who made merchandise of the House of God. He had heard, that day, His strange
but refreshing counsel: Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an
house of merchandise. (John 2:16) He had heard the
profound and beautiful teachings of Christ and seen His miracles. His logical
mind could not deny that Jesus had strange powers that could only come from
God, unlike those political posers who sat with him of the Sanhedrin.
If
we desire to know a man better, we must find out where He is and talk with him.
Nicodemus obviously had scouted out Christ to know where He was sleeping in
Jerusalem that first Passover of Christ’s ministry.
……… and said
unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can
do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him
Nicodemus
has the least seed of faith in his heart, but it was enough to drive him to
Christ. He recognized the power of God in Christ and he must settle the issue
before the dawning of another day. Though he comes here at night, he later
publicly defends Christ in the Sanhedrin (John 7:50-52) and even publicly
goes with Joseph of Arimethaea to claim the body of Christ for burial even
under threat of retribution from Rome and the Jewish rulers (John
19:39).
The one who came by night later became one who feared no one but God. John
considers the change in Nicodemus so significant that he always makes reference
to Nicodemus in later references as “he who came to Jesus by night.” This
demonstrates the change of heart and increasing courage inculcated by being “born again” in Christ.
Jesus
is frank in His approach to Nicodemus. He knows the heart of Nicodemus, and He
knows that complete transparency and blunt truth is the very thing Nicodemus
desires.
Verily, verily, I say
unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Jesus tells Nicodemus
what he desperately NEEDS to know, not that which his ears would have been
comforted to hear. Nicodemus is considered himself to be a great teacher, yet
he calls Christ RABBI., or Teacher. Nicodemus is not too proud to accept the
role of student before superior knowledge of a better Teacher. But these words
of Christ are simply too amazing for Nicodemus to grasp.
4 Nicodemus
saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second
time into his mother's womb, and be born? This is not a
frivolous response by Nicodemus. He does not ask WHY,
but HOW. If Jesus were making reference to the Gentiles,
Nicodemus could have understood somewhat, but Jesus is speaking to a ruler of
the Jews – the presumed people of God! To Nicodemus, it does not make sense,
but he trusts in the superior wisdom of Christ to shed light on the matter. Our
first longings of faith must be satisfied through deeper inquiry even if we risk
ridicule by the world.
5. Verily, verily, I say
unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot
enter into 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 Marvel not that I
said unto thee, Ye must be born again Nicodemus belonged to a religion that
based salvation upon a complete obedience to the Law written on Tables of
Stone. It was a difficult concept to to receive that his entire previous
training had been lacking. Christ points to a change that is alien to
Nicodemus’ thinking. There is the story of an owner of a clothing store that
decided to clean his main display window. He gathered his cleaning materials
and went outside to clean. After working diligently, the window appeared
immaculate with the exception of a single troubling blemish high up on the
glass. Regardless the efforts and elbow grease used to clean the spot, it
remained a glaring flaw in an otherwise clear glass. At last he discovered that
the dirty blemish was not on the outside, but the INSIDE of the glass.
Regardless our efforts to dress and beautify our persons, we cannot cleanse the
heart by dressing the outward appearance with good works. Purge me
with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than
snow. (Psalm 51:7) God cleans us inside first with the purgative
of the Holy Spirit ere making our appearance clean on the outside. If the heart
is full of filth, it matters not the outward APPEARANCE.
When
we lay down this life, we lay down the body of flesh before our parents who
gave us our traits and hereditary and features of flesh. We then are drawn in
the spirit back to the Father who gave us the Spirit of Life. Or
ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be
broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern. Then shall
the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God
who gave it. (Eccl 12:6-7)
8 The wind
bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not
tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of
the Spirit. Does any man have the key to the gate of the
wind, to open and close as he deems fit? The Wind is no different in certain
aspects than the Holy Spirit. We do not know the source of the wind, but we
KNOW it has a source. We can hear the wind if we are quiet and attentive. It
literally whispers as that still, small voice of God. (1 Kings 19:12) We cannot
say its direction or where it is going. The Wind is unseen just as
the Holy Spirit is unseen. We see its effects, but not its essence. Those who
are born of God have been touched by that Wind of the Holy Spirit. Their change
is complete and not prideful in display.
Can
you imagine Nicodemus’ eyes squinting in effort to understand this strange new
doctrine? 9 Nicodemus answered and
said unto him, How can these things be? 10 Jesus
answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of
Israel, and knowest not these things
Nicodemus is very much like many who are educated in theology and
who press a single olive until it becomes a watermelon. He is well educated
but, unfortunately, in things that are not real. Jesus points out his ignorance
to him. Many prominent theologians of our day lack the simple wisdom of a poor
farmer who knows the Lord. This was Nicodemus’ problem, but he is open to
amendment in understanding. I wish we all were.
11 Verily,
verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have
seen; and ye receive not our witness. 12 If I have told
you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell
you of heavenly things? Jesus places His evidence before the bar. He
taught often in parables so that the simple farmer or fisherman could grasp
greater spiritual truth when illustrated by earthly logic. But those educated
too much in ‘theological error’ may not be able to grasp the simplicity of the
Gospel which a child can easily grasp. It is not faith and knowledge that saves
us, but ‘faith in Christ’ and right knowledge of Him. We may know the print in
a thousand theological works, but if we lack the nature of a little child in
faith, we are lost.
13 And no man
hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from
heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. Despite the
delusional dreams and copyrighted commercial works of many today, no one has
ascended to heaven or come down but Christ.
14 And as Moses
lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted
up: 15 That whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. God sent fiery
serpents among the Children of Israel in the Wilderness for their sins. When
they pleaded for relief, God told Moses to erect a brass serpent on a pole for
all to look unto when bitten that they might live. The serpent
represented our sins that are crucified on the cross with Christ. Looking to
the sacrifice of Christ, for our own sins, we are saved from eternal death. (Numbers
21:6-9)
We have the same symbolized in the medical caduceus today.
16 For God so
loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth
in him should not perish, but have everlasting life Do not be deceived by
modern versions of the Bible such as the NIV or ESV. Jesus Christ is the
literal ISSUE of the Father. He is God because He is of the same substance with
God. Not a son or daughter through the adoption that we are, but the true and
issuing Son of the Father – the only Begotten, not One and Only!
We
see Nicodemus came to Christ out of the dark of night, but left with a new
light of learning and wisdom in Christ for Christ is the Light of the World.
Contrast
the man, Nicodemus, with the man, Judas. Judas was the man who most likely
coveted his responsibility to carry the purse (bag) for the group of disciples.
He was with the Lord during most of His profound teaching, healing, and other
works of miraculous and divine power. Yet, Judas, knowing all of that, betrayed
Christ with a kiss in the dead of night.
At the Last Supper of
our Lord, after He had washed the disciples feet, we read: 21 When Jesus had thus
said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say
unto you, that one of you shall betray me. 22 Then the disciples
looked one on another, doubting of whom he spake. 23 Now there was leaning
on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved. 24 Simon Peter therefore
beckoned to him, that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake. 25 He then lying on
Jesus' breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it? 26 Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I
shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had
dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of
Simon. 27 And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then
said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly. 28 Now no man at the
table knew for what intent he spake this unto him. 29 For some of
them thought, because Judas had the bag, that Jesus had said unto him,
Buy those things that we have need of against the feast; or, that he
should give something to the poor. 30 He then having received the sop
went immediately out: and it was night. (John 13:21-30)
Where
did Judas go after he was exposed by receiving the sop? He went out from the
Lord and it was NIGHT. It was an eternal night for before daybreak, Judas was
hanging in the Potter’s Field. He never saw another sunrise. Look at the
contrast in destinies of Nicodemus and Judas. Nicodemus came out of the dark
night to the Light of Christ and left with that glowing light. Judas, on the
other hand, followed in the Light during most of our Lord’s ministry, yet, went
out into the eternal night. A warning to the wise is sufficient.
