“Not Religion, A Gift and a Response”        2011

Ezekiel 36:25-32 John 3:1-17

 

Ezekiel 36:25-32

25I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 26A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27I will put my spirit within you, and make you follow my statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances. 28Then you shall live in the land that I gave to your ancestors; and you shall be my people, and I will be your God. 29I will save you from all your uncleannesses, and I will summon the grain and make it abundant and lay no famine upon you. 30I will make the fruit of the tree and the produce of the field abundant, so that you may never again suffer the disgrace of famine among the nations. 31Then you shall remember your evil ways, and your dealings that were not good; and you shall loathe yourselves for your iniquities and your abominable deeds. 32It is not for your sake that I will act, says the Lord God; let that be known to you. Be ashamed and dismayed for your ways, O house of Israel.

 

John 3:1-17

3Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. 2He 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.” 3Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” 4Nicodemus 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?” 5Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. 6What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’ 8The 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.” 9Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” 10Jesus 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 do not receive our testimony. 12If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 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.

 

Jack Benny used to do a Vaudeville routine about

            a lost tourist who asks a street musician for directions;

                 “How do I get to Carnegie Hall?”

                                         And the musician answers,

                                                “Practice, lots of hard work and practice.”

 

Obviously it takes many years of practice and hard work

            for a musician to be good enough to perform at Carnegie Hall…

                    … but as Jesus explains to Nicodemus,

                             that is absolutely not true about the Kingdom of God.

 

One night, a very important and religious man named Nicodemus

            came to see and speak with Jesus.    vs. 1-2

                        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.”

 

On the surface, since the religious authorities

            were already offended and in conflict against Jesus,

                        he may have come at late night to avoid being seen.

 

But if we delve a bit deeper, his coming in the dark of night

            may also be a sign and the author’s literary device

                 to indicate that Nicodemus was in the dark theologically;

                            because he did not understand

                                    why Jesus came or the message he taught, or what à

                                               the signs and miracles of Jesus really meant.

 

Nicodemus affirms that Jesus came from God, and Jesus responds, vs. 3

            “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.”

 

            By most any measure, that was a strange way to answer.

Characteristic of the gospel of John, the words Jesus spoke

            were intended to say more than just their literal meaning.

                                    The phrase, “born from above”,

                                                is also correctly translated, “born again”.

 

Jesus was telling Nicodemus that he was way off-track,

            and that to enter the Kingdom of God,   meant that

                        he would have to start over, like being born again…à

… and that this respected religious teacher and leader,

            whose life was entirely committed to being a good & godly man

                        by obeying God’s word and Law in every possible detailà

                                                            he wasn’t even going to see God’s Kingdom

                                                               if he continued in the way he was going.

 

Perhaps you might expect to hear that said to a notorious sinner,

                        but not to someone so committed and trying so hardà

                                    to be faithful, religious and lead a good life.

 

Nicodemus is surprised and confused,

            and taking what Jesus has said literally, he asks, vs. 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?”

 

I hear in Nicodemus’ question

            something deeper than just the literal words he uses.

When Jesus spoke of rebirth, that he was on the wrong track,          

            I think Nicodemus was wondering, and doubtedà

                        that he really could change as much

                                    and as radically as Jesus said was necessary ---

                                                --- to even see the Kingdom of God.

vs. 5-7

            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.’           

 

Since Jesus was speaking with a teacher and a Pharisee,

            to someone very knowledgeable in Scripture and its meaning,

                  Jesus referred to a familiar OT passage for explanation:

Ezekiel 36:26-27a  where God promises:

            I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my spirit within you.

 

A Knowledge of the historical context of Ezekiel is crucial

            to understanding what Jesus was saying to Nicodemus.

 

Ezekiel was writing to the Jewish exiles being held in Babylon,

            describing God’s promise to bless them and restore them;

                        but not because they had earned it or deserve it,

                                    but it will come by grace,   because of God’s love,

                                    and it will expose how they have abused God’s love. 

vs. 31-32a

            Then you shall remember your evil ways, and your dealings that were not good; … It is not for your sake that I will act, says the Lord God; let that be known to you.

 

This passage is about the failure and futility of human effort,

            and that though Israel hadn’t gotten their act together,

                        and they were still completely unable to be faithful;

            yet nevertheless, God would treat them with grace and mercy,

                        and would accomplish what they had not been able to do.

 

Jesus was telling Nicodemus,

    God’s Kingdom is not something accomplished by our good deeds,

                        any more than our physical birth

                                    is something that we can accomplish for ourselves.

 

You can confirm that truth  by asking your mother,

            that though it’s true    that you were present at the time,

                        she was the one doing all the work and heavy lifting…

 

            … and though it was your birth,          yet your birth à

                        à  was entirely your mother’s effort --   not yours.

 

So too,

            the Kingdom of God, being 'born from above' or 'born again'

                       is entirely by God's effort and grace --- not ours.

 

When Nicodemus was still confused by all this,

     Jesus tried again with a reference to another OT Bible story:

vs. 14-15

            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.

 

During Israel’s

   wilderness journey from slavery in Egypt to the Promised Land,

            the people rebelled and complained against God,

                        so the Lord send poisonous snakes as punishmentà

                              to get their attention and bring them to repentance.

 

When they repented, God had Moses place a bronze snake on a pole,

            and by looking up at the “snake on a stick”, an act of faith;

                        by God’s grace, they were restored back to health.

 

Drawing on that image of God’s forbearance and faithfulness,

            of healing   by looking to the snake lifted up on the pole,à

 

                        Jesus was explaining his purpose and mission,

                              and that by looking to Christ lifted up on the cross,

                                    we receive God’s grace, our healing and salvation…

  … which is beautifully summarized by these very familiar words:

vs. 16-17

            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.

                        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.

 

Jesus Christ did not come to condemn the world,

            yet we spend our lives and effort worrying about

                        whether we’re good enough for the Kingdom of God.

And the answer is, “no we’re not”;

            but grace,    our relationship with God through Jesus Christ

                        is our passport and visa, our path into God’s Kingdom.

 

This whole conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus

            is all about our good works,    grace and the Kingdom of God.

 

Nicodemus is an example of the many who say and believe

            that we must be good enough to enter the Kingdom of God,

                        that church attendance & being a nice person will do it-

                                    -- that somehow our own efforts can accomplish it.

 

But that is not true;

            it’s not by our will, our good deeds, or by our own strength.

Salvation comes only as a gift of God through Jesus Christ,

                        grace which we choose to accept, or we choose to reject.

 

The idea that Christianity is something that we do,

            is really a terrible and dangerous lie and deception.

 

I hear all the time in our culture and especially at funerals

            that someone is in heaven because they were a nice person,

                  because they were kind, generous or lived a good life…

                                    … or at least   they were better than most people…

… but that sort of thinking

            actually works against   entering the Kingdom of God.

 

If we equate the Kingdom of God with trying hard at doing our best

           or being a nice religious or a godly-good person …

                  then we may feel satisfied and proud about it when we are,

                                    or we will feel defeated and guilty when we are not.

 

Feeling self-righteous and self-satisfied, or sufficient

            blocks our sense of dependence on God’s grace and mercy,

                        as a wedge of separation   between us and our God.

 

Or guilt, regret and shame   consume us when we fail and fall,

            driving and condemning to feel   and see ourselves

                        as surely lost, unlovable and unacceptable to God;

               which also becomes

                        a wedge of separation   between us and our God.

 

Guilt, regret & shame –  or   pride & self-righteous satisfaction

            can equally   block us from trusting God’s gracious love,

                   and become a wedge of separation between us and our God,

                            that damages our faith and relationship with Christ.

           

Everything true that I have ever learned & experienced about God

            convinces me, that if we ever really did believe

                        and live out the bottomless depth and truth

                                    of God's amazing and steadfast love for us…

 

… then that single truth    would have the most profound power

            to set us free   and change everything about how we live,

                        because our perspective on everything  would so change.

 

Nicodemus had devoted everything to religion & obeying the Law,

            and Jesus said,

                  “No, you’ve got to start over, you can’t save yourself.”

 

It is a gift, God’s Spirit in us,

            who increasingly influences us   and transforms us toward

                        new ways of loving, forgiving, listening, caring,

                                    worshipping, serving, living authentically;

                                                new ways of being in tune with Jesus Christ…

            … that are   God’s grace expressed

                        as joyful, compassionate graciousness toward others,

                            just as God has been gracious and merciful toward us.

                                               

The Christian life is about knowing, trusting and accepting

       that yes, I will always fall short of God’s intentions for me,

                        yet I am still loved and precious to my Lord;

            and God’s grace and mercy  transform and empower me, 

                        so that I can start over,  and possibly I can do better.

 

There was a young man, the beloved son of a great man;

            but who never seemed to never succeed at anything,

                       or even come close to achieving or amounting to much.

 

This son finally gave up.

            He left home, frustrated;   never to return or try again.

 

When his father died, a lawyer came to bring an inheritance.

            The son was surprised,

                        he hadn’t expected to be in his father's will,

                                    and so he asked the attorney, "But how can this be?"

 

And the lawyer explained to this son,       

            "I don't think you ever understood.

                        Your father wasn't disappointed that you failed.

                             Your father was disappointed

                                      that you didn't know how much you were loved.

 

 

Lent is a time for us to examine ourselves,

            reconsider the Gospel message, lament our shortcomings,

                        embrace the grace of God, and rededicate ourselves

                             to following Jesus and deepening that relationship…

 

… and may the Lord God

            bless us and strengthen us along that wonderful journey.