Sunday service, Erlo Stegen, 29 May 2016
John 3
Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”
5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit[b] gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.
10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? 11 Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”
Jesus said, “you must be born again”. Nicodemus was a Pharisee, a teacher of Israel. In fact it says that he was the teacher of Israel. There was no one of a higher religious stature.
Why did he come at night? Was he afraid? Not necessarily. Rather because he was the teacher of Israel and wanted an opportunity with Jesus all alone, and He wanted time to discuss it with Jesus. He was respected by everyone. History tells us that he was one of the three richest people in Israel.
You might be highly respected, rich, and highly educated, yet it will not help you to enter Heaven. You might try to bluff our way but Jesus knows your heart. Even if you speak words of eloquence, Jesus knows what’s in the heart. Even if you use the right Christian language and manners but if you’re not born again you cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
Nicodemus was confused. He couldn’t understand what Jesus said.
All your education cannot help you understand spiritual things, the things of the kingdom of God. In another place he said that he had hidden these things to the wise and revealed them to babes (Matt 11:25; Luke 10:21).
In verse five it says, “unless you’re born of the Spirit and water you cannot enter the kingdom of God.”
The water refers to the Word of God (see Eph 5:26). The Word of God washes as Jesus said to them that they’re already clean by the words He had spoken (John 15:3). The water does not refer to baptism. Instead it’s the Word of God that brings about the New birth by the Holy Spirit. Jesus spoke in symbolic terms. You feel the wind but you don’t know where it comes from and where it goes. Even today meteorologists are often wrong even with the latest technology.
Though Nicodemus had much knowledge this confused him and he asked Jesus how these things could be. Then Jesus asked him how it was possible that he was the teacher of Israel yet did not know these things. Nicodemus heard brand new things he didn’t know before.
Jesus explained to him that just as the serpent was lifted up in the wilderness so the Son of man will be lifted up so that all who look to Him will be saved.
Many young people are bitten by the serpent of lust. There’s a great variety of fiery serpents, hatred, murder, jealousy or drugs. These serpents will mutilate you unless you look to Him on the Cross. Let each one examine himself or herself to see if Jesus is first in their life. If you have anything to do with the occult all these fiery serpents get hold of you.
But if you put your faith in Jesus you will be born again.
We are to gaze upon Jesus on the cross (Is 45:22). The cross symbolises the sin Jesus carried for us on the cross. If you look to Him on the cross you are healed of whatever sin troubles you.
It’s not by self reformation but by revelation that you are saved. It doesn’t help that you whitewash the outside, you must be transformed from the inside. You cannot turn a new page in your life by yourself, you must be regenerated by the Spirit of God and the water of the Word of God. Then the difference will be noticeable, and people say you’re no longer what you used to be. You cannot save yourself by promising you won’t do it again. You must be born again.
When you’re born again you will want to do the right thing.
Parents who want the things of the world for their children, but are not interested in the things of God, show that they’re not truly born again.
I don’t think Nicodemus took this conversation lightly, for when Jesus was crucified and taken from the cross, we read that Nicodemus was there assisting Joseph (John 19:38-42). Nicodemus never forgot Jesus. There was a certain counsel, the Sanhedrin, and Nicodemus was part of it. When they discussed having Jesus crucified, he stood up in front of them all asking whether their law permit someone to be condemned without being him given a chance to defend himself, and he was scorned for that (John 7:45-52).
Sermon in other languages:
German:
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Music:
KwaSizabantu Choir: Ngokuba wathanda izwe kangaka
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KwaSizabantu Choir: To the work!
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KwaSizabantu Choir: Wir sind des Heilands Boten
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