Open Eyes That See - John 9 - Fourth Week of Lent

 

John 9 NIV

9 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. ² His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

³ “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. ⁴ As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. ⁵ While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

⁶ After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. ⁷ “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

⁸ His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” ⁹ Some claimed that he was.

Others said, “No, he only looks like him.”

But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”

¹⁰ “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked.

¹¹ He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”

¹² “Where is this man?” they asked him.

“I don’t know,” he said.

¹³ They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. ¹⁴ Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath. ¹⁵ Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.”

¹⁶ Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.”

But others asked, “How can a sinner perform such signs?” So they were divided.

¹⁷ Then they turned again to the blind man, “What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.”

The man replied, “He is a prophet.”

¹⁸ They still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents. ¹⁹ “Is this your son?” they asked. “Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?”

²⁰ “We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind. ²¹ But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.” ²² His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. ²³ That was why his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”

²⁴ A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God by telling the truth,” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.”

²⁵ He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”

²⁶ Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”

²⁷ He answered, “I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?”

²⁸ Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses! ²⁹ We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.”

³⁰ The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. ³¹ We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will. ³² Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. ³³ If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”

³⁴ To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.

³⁵ Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”

³⁶ “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.”

³⁷ Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.”

³⁸ Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.

³⁹ Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”

⁴⁰ Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?”

⁴¹ Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.

 

Open Eyes That See

Lead me in my blindness to see Your face each and every day, moment and minute of my life, O Lord.

Just like the man born blind, we cry out, we beg for attention; and look, see, Jesus responds with compassion and grace to our needs out of His endless love. What a God we have!

Out of the darkness of my blind eyes and my blind heart, Jesus calls me into His Light. Thanks be to God!

Jesus is very perceptive to His surroundings, especially when it comes to those in need. Here Jesus notices the blind man. Here Jesus draws His attention to a need, and He draws the attention of His disciples to notice what, and who, is right in their midst. Who’s that? A blind man in need of healing that will be used by God to proclaim “Light” and “Life,” freely given by Jesus to this man and to ALL people as well.

Jesus’ perception goes beyond a physical need of sight for this one man. Jesus begins to draw us in to the contrast between the physical need of sight, and the spiritual need of sight. Once again, like the last few weeks, Jesus leads us from the physical world to the spiritual world.

The Jews would understand blindness as a result of some sin by either the man, or his relatives. But that’s not the truth. Jesus plays an important role here for all to see. Jesus is the Light of the World, and in this role, He brings both physical and spiritual sight, to this man, and to the world as well.

Physical blindness is something we can witness, in this world in which we live. Spiritual blindness is much deeper, and hides our ability to sense spiritual truth. Both the physical and the spiritual are opportunities for God to act, for God to transform lives. How does this happen? God gives us the faith we need, to see the spiritual realities of His salvation, and in other ways, physical healing at times, to use our physical situations to reveal a spiritual message.

So, when we struggle in our physical beings, and when we struggle with our spiritual situations; God can and does use our struggle to show us His plan for our lives and the lives of His people.

But, healing, if physical or spiritual, needs obedience to God’s instructions. Here the man must use the faith that God gives him to follow Jesus’ instructions. As we are changed by Jesus’ healing, no matter if physical or spiritual, we respond by telling others, or witnessing what God has done in our lives, to those God places in our lives. We share how Jesus changes us freely and openly.

But, as other people notice the change in our lives, many will question what has occurred. Many of our friends may doubt this change as an act. Why? Because they struggle with sin and the consequences of sin. Why did God choose to change you or me, or this blind man? I’m sure that he, or you, or I, did something to deserve this blindness, physical or spiritual. That’s the attitude some will take with our healing from God, either physical, or spiritual.

But in this, we also, as we look upon the spiritually blind or the physically blind; we must be careful not to judge the “other.” After all, even here, Jesus emphasized that not all suffering is a consequence of sin. Our blindness may reveal how Jesus IS THE “Light of the World,” as He acts and shows His ultimate word of Salvation that unites humanity with God once again, as always intended.

This healing of the blind man is an extraordinary miracle using Jesus’ power over creation to display how He interacts with the physical and the spiritual realms.

So, Jesus after making the mud with dirt and saliva sends the man to wash at the Pool of Siloam. This pool was an important place in Jerusalem. This pool was fed by the Gihon Spring through Hezekiah’s Tunnel and was used for ritual purification.

Remember last week when Jesus met the Woman at the well? Jesus told her that He was Living Water. Well, Living Water to the Jews at this time, was water which came from a spring or possibly a brook that flowed continuously, always replenishing the pools in which people went for ritual cleansing. So, once a person was declared “unclean” they would wash in such a pool to be ritually clean. But these pools were all manmade pools for the most part. Man cannot cleanse himself by any action, or pool that he makes for himself. The only true source of “Living Water” is Jesus Himself. It’s not about how we cleanse ourselves from sin that makes any difference. It’s only through the cleansing from Jesus, the true “Living Water” from God that cleanses us. So, even though Jesus touched many unclean, or sinful people, including you and me, He never became unclean through His own actions, or sinful Himself. He couldn’t become unclean by His actions, or sinful. But He could take on our uncleanliness, our sin, to make us clean. Wow! That’s a Savior!

What’s the significance of following Jesus’ command to go and wash?

Once again, it’s the faithful following of Jesus’ instructions by the blind man or someone being healed by Jesus. To be healed, sometimes we need to be faithful to God, and to use the faith God gives us to respond.

And again, when others see our healing, they may doubt the reality of it all. They may think it’s just an act. But as we witness to what has changed us and healed us, we begin to “Point to Jesus.” We point to the “Light of the World.” We witness to a power that shows the works and identity of Jesus as the Messiah.

And as we testify, or “Point to Jesus,” we encourage those around us to go after, or follow, Jesus in their own lives. Chasing down Jesus is a good thing too. Sure, Jesus chases us down as well, but when we see Him, we need to run to Him!

Well, since Jesus performed this healing on the Sabbath, the people question Jesus’ authority to do this. Really? So, they brought the man to the religious leaders, the Pharisees, to show them what had happened. I mean, how could you doubt what happened? But I suppose there will always be those that are wanting to hold some power to judge, over the truth, of what has already taken place.

Jesus made the mud and did the healing on the Sabbath. That alone demonstrates through this healing miracle, that Jesus was the Top Dog, even over any Sabbath rules that man has made. After all, Jesus restored sight to the man who believed and acted out in faith.

It’s funny how the Pharisees question the man as to how he was healed. He made mud and told me to go wash. Come on! Can’t you see, I can, see? But that’s not what the Pharisees were driving at. They believe that their laws have authority over what can and can’t be done on the Sabbath, even if it is for the good of this blind man that now sees.

So, the Pharisees get in a huff about Jesus. They declare that Jesus can’t be a “Man of God.” He wouldn’t do such a thing on the Sabbath! How dare He?! So, like it seems to happen here, and in the church of today, an argument and a split takes place.  Go figure!

And then, as if this blind man, who now can see, they question him again how his healing took place. Like an ongoing inquisition is going to change the truth of the matter. So, let’s not believe he was blind from birth. Really? How does that change anything? He was blind but now he sees. So, let’s go get the blind man’s parents and find out if this man was really born blind. Talk about fishing for some excuse to deny reality!

Well, that takes the Pharisees nowhere. The truth of the healing is still the truth, no matter who is questioned.

As the parents are afraid to “rock the boat,” they refer the Pharisees back to their son for his testimony again. And testify, this healed man, certainly does, even if it is to the displeasure of the authorities. That says something for having the internal fortitude that God gives people who have been changed by God to speak truth to the face of worldly power. May we all stand up when called!

Well, now the Pharisees call forth the previously blind man and question him as to how he gained his sight. Now who is blind? The Pharisees believe that Jesus is a sinner, because he did not uphold what they believe to be the truth of Law, that forbids Jesus’ healing this blind man on a Sabbath. Seems, to me, that now the Pharisees are blinded by their own misunderstandings.

How many times have I been blinded by my misunderstandings? Especially when I judge another person unjustly. When I place my actions over and against the good actions of another neighbor, then I am the blind one. Judging by your own standards, or even misunderstood standards that are created upon what I think God desires, is a sin. I need God to point this out to me. I need to seek forgiveness as well, just like the Pharisees, have judged Jesus to be a sinner, because he loved a blind man and healed him, even on the Sabbath.

The blind man responds to the Pharisees judgment of Jesus as a sinner with honest truth, and not further judgment. He knows that now he can see. He doesn’t judge Jesus as sinner or not. His spirit is now awake to the love of God in Christ Jesus, and he let’s the world know that! The blind man’s physical eyes are now open along with his spiritual eyes as well. Shouldn’t we all face this openly and acknowledge how God opens our eyes, and tell all the world how that was done for us, on a personal level?

But, even with this testimony, some will question the truth of it all. You can’t do much about that but to proclaim the truth of God active in your own life and let others think what they will. In this case, the Pharisee’s are spiritually blind. So, pray that God may open their eyes as well, someday, somehow.

Then I think the blind man had had enough of all this questioning of how he regained his sight. And he gets a little snarky with the Pharisees. I can’t blame him. I’m afraid I would have sinned with some smart remark much worse.

And this is when the Pharisees become defensive. This will lead to no good solution. And the insults begin to fly. Sounds so familiar with how today, we commonly interact with one another, especially over subjects that are closer to our hearts. It goes nowhere good.

Just like what would later happen to Jesus at His crucifixion, and His coming rejection by the religious leaders; the Pharisees, threw the blind man out for his testimony about Jesus. Expect to be rejected for your testimony of Jesus yourself. It’s not uncommon, but you must be a true disciple and follower of Jesus.

After the blind man was thrown out of the presence of the Pharisees, Jesus finds him. Don’t you just love how Jesus comes when we need Him? Jesus tests the man’s faith and testimony, by asking him if he believes in Him (Jesus) as the Son of Man. Why? So, that the blind man can attest to his belief and move to a deeper understanding, from physical healing to spiritual healing. Jesus is always teaching us along the way, and leading us into the presence of the Holy Spirit.

The man truly wants to know Jesus. This shows his desire to understand on a much deeper level just who Jesus really is. Reminds me of the questions Nicodemus had, as well. This search, even in the presence of God, is a good thing. If we doubt, we can surely turn directly to God, here in Jesus, to seek knowledge that will lead us to believe in God.

And Jesus answer to the man born blind? Jesus tells him that He is the One. Jesus tells us many times that He is the Messiah. Listen to Him, hear the Word, look and see the Light, and believe! Confess your belief in God and worship God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Jesus now confirms that he came, physical in flesh and blood, to lead us to the spiritual reality with Him, that ALL may come to believe. He came to open the eyes of the spiritually blind, and for those who choose otherwise, well that’s up to them to turn away.

And some of the Pharisees find out that they may be able to physically see, but their spiritual sight isn’t present as of yet. Will this change? We pray so, for this is, as Nicodemus learned, a spiritual rebirth, or born again.

So, as I follow along with this passage of Scripture, I realize those times that I may too be spiritually blind. What do I do with this? For me, it is turn to Scripture, Sacraments, like Baptism and Communion, and look and listen for what God has to say. To run to Jesus to confess my sin, and to seek Him out to open my eyes to what He would have me hear and see. And it seems that when I run to Jesus, I find that He has already noticed me and is seeking me out, to open my eyes to Him.

And then it’s to obey the commands of Jesus. And then it’s to stand up tall and worship Him even in those difficult encounters with both the religious leaders and the political leaders of this day. All the while professing what God has done, personally in my life, telling the truth of it all in a straightforward, honest, testimony, of God’s presence with me in my life.

At times we all are blind. At times we can’t see. At times it looks like a fog. But only through the power of Jesus can this fog be lifted, our sight be made clear, and our message be of truth.

Sure, “Come, Lord, Jesus, Come!” … today… tomorrow… and forever. Thanks be to God!

Please enjoy this YouTube Music Video that I used during this reflection for inspiration…

“And Now My Lifesong Sings”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLXDsWDetak&list=RDiLXDsWDetak&start_radio=1

 

photo courtesy of http://www.gerhardy.id.au/lent4_08.htm

 

I AM He - John 4:5-26 - Third Week of Lent

 

John 4:5-26 NIV

⁵ So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. ⁶ Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon.

⁷ When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” ⁸ (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)

⁹ The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)

¹⁰ Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”

¹¹ “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? ¹² Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?”

¹³ Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, ¹⁴ but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

¹⁵ The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”

¹⁶ He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.”

¹⁷ “I have no husband,” she replied.

Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. ¹⁸ The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”

¹⁹ “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. ²⁰ Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”

²¹ “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. ²² You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. ²³ Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. ²⁴ God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

²⁵ The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”

²⁶ Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”

I AM He

Jesus is teaching here again about The Kingdom, Spiritual Life, Eternal Life, Salvation and so much more. Similar to teaching Nicodemus in the dark of the night, Jesus teaches here a woman at a well. Both personal conversations, both contrasting what is seen here on earth and what is seen in heaven.

What? Like, a mother giving birth once again to a full-grown man, yet the spiritual concept of being born again. Here Jesus comes to the well thirsty for a drink of water to quench His thirst, yet He speaks to the woman with the means to give Him something to drink from the deep well; but Jesus speaks of “Living Water” that never runs out. And that “Living Water” comes from Jesus Himself.

Well, if You, Jesus, are this well of “Living Water,” why do you seek the water from which this woman can draw forth from this deep well to quench your thirst, here and now?

Do you see what I mean? Jesus seems to be teaching and contrasting, what you, and I, see as reality, to the reality that Jesus observes from the Kingdom of God in eternity.

In Exodus 17, God taught the Israelites in the desert the contrast between Spiritual Gifts and Earthly needs. The Israelites were moaning and groaning for water and wanted Moses to do something about it. So, Moses moans and groans to God about what his role in providing for the thirst of the Israelites is, in this case. What does God do?

God has Moses go in front of the people, take the staff that he used for all of those plagues in Egypt and hit a rock for water to come forth, so that the Israelites thirst would be quenched. And there it is! Something real, as we would recognize, like water and rock, coming out of nowhere! This is a gift from God, like “Living Water.” A Spiritual, “God thing” from a physical “Earth thing.” A Spiritual, Kingdom of God water, feeding the physical needs of the Israelites.

Can you see it? Psalm 95 points out a praise to God for the “Rock of our Salvation.” Something physical, the rock, connected to a Spiritual gift from God, Salvation. Salvation is FROM God! And there is that connection also to Jesus when we sing to Him as the “Rock” of our salvation. Physical, what we may be able to grasp, connected to Spiritual, Jesus our Salvation.

Jesus demonstrates, at the well, how we come before God. Remember from that passage above; Jesus was thirsty, but he didn’t have a physical means to draw the water from the deep well to quench His thirst.

We, likewise, come before God in our physical need for something. Like the Israelites were thirsty and needed water to survive. As Romans 5 points out, when we are powerless, Jesus comes to us, the ungodly, and demonstrates His own love for us and dares to die for us to save us, from the physical to the spiritual.

So, what’s the connection?

Just as Jesus knew the woman at the well completely, He was able to expose her sinfulness; He knows us well enough to show us our sinfulness. Why? So, that He can point us away from our physical sinfulness, to expose us to His forgiveness of that sin and give us “Living Water,” that will draw us to Him and into the Kingdom of God. And there it is again, a connection from the physical of our sinfulness, here and now, and the spiritual forgiveness that only Jesus can give to us. As Paul points out in Romans 5:8b, “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

So, there is water that quenches our thirst, but there is also water, “Living Water” that leads us into the everlasting grace of God, in the Kingdom of God, through Jesus, life, suffering, death, resurrection and ascension back to heaven. And guess what? Jesus is coming again to take us too, with Him, from the physical to the spiritual, and from the spiritual to God’s given physical with a new body, and a New Jerusalem, with all the believers for eternity. Come, Lord Jesus, come!

Jesus became physical. Jesus, our God and Savior, came from heaven and took on physical flesh and blood, to show us the spiritual aspect of being with God in eternity. And that happens through what Jesus gives to us freely. That’s “Living Water!” That’s “Living Water” from the Rock of Salvation!

Recall John 4 verse 21…

²¹ “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. ²² You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. ²³ Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. ²⁴ God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

This is the invitation to an eternal Church. Jerusalem is no longer a physical place that we need to return to, it is a spiritual place that we all CAN go to. How? Not through the physical city of Jerusalem, but through the New Heavenly, spiritual Jerusalem, now open to ALL people and ALL races. Why? Because like verse 24 states, “God is spirit, and His worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

Jesus bluntly makes it clear to the Woman at the Well, to Nicodemus, to you, and to me, and to all the world, that HE IS THE MESSIAH. Spiritual, to physical, to spiritual, to physical, for Him and as a gift for us as well, who believe what He tells us…

I invite you to humor me with a bit of a journey.

Imagine you are on a hard rocky, stony, road. A road of your life, before and in the present. You have been in a struggle. You have been in need. You are at the end of yourself.

Now leave this road and step down a smaller road. A road covered in trampled grass. A road with red clay dirt beneath. A road with ruts and grooves worn down by travelers, like yourself. As you pass down this road, you see in the distance a small body of water.

You slowly approach to see a small stream of water, cool and fresh. You hear the sounds of the water trickling over smooth rocks. You see the reflection of sunlight on that water. In this brook you find a small depression big enough to take a dip in. So, you remove your shoes and step into the water, stepping stone by stone, towards this depression in the brook.

As you arrive to this depression in the brook, you remove your clothes. You are naked, standing in this water on a stone. Next, you do it. You take a leap from the stone on which you have been standing, and plunge into the water. The water covers your entire body. Your head goes under the water, and you hold your breath.

As you rise to the surface of the water, you look up and the sky opens up to your view. You see Creation in the sky. You see the open arms of Jesus coming from the clouds, you see the Heavenly Dove descending on you! You feel the connection between earth, sky, water, and the oneness of God.

Yes! You have been raised to new life. New life in the waters of your baptism. You have been graciously saved from your sinful life on that hard road of the past. You have been given the gifts needed to profess a connection, between the physical life of the here and now to the spiritual life, now freely given through Jesus.

As you have experienced this connection, you are pulled, out of the water. You put your clothes back on, step stone to stone out of this babbling brook. You notice the horses in the rolling hills beyond you, peacefully feeding on a clump of hay. Now, you step back on to the red clay path, with the trampled grass, and walk slowly down the lane. You feel the presence of a gentle breeze in your face. You smell the fresh mown field and the scent of new flowers, blessing your life with rich fragrance. As you exit this path, you step back onto that hard surface road of life.

But you’ve changed. You’ve changed and even though you are still on that rocky road of life, things are vastly different. For it’s God that brought you from the physical to the spiritual. God set you back on your path with the full knowledge that once again, someday, perhaps someday soon, He will pull you from the physical to the spiritual. Perhaps over and over again, day after day. But that day will come, when you will once again, look up from this creation, and into the clouds, you will hear a sound and see Jesus, once again, on the clouds, to welcome you eternally into the Kingdom of God, and into that heavenly realm with the New Jerusalem descending and ascending, to spend eternity with God in a New Creation. And that life has already begun…

And Jesus spoke to the Woman at the Well…

John 4:26… Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you – I am he.”

And that holds true… today… tomorrow… and forever. Thanks be to God!

Enjoy this YouTube Music Video about the Woman at the Well

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIZqVds3T_U&list=RDEIZqVds3T_U&start_radio=1

The Everyones - John 3:1-17 - Second Week of Lent

 

John 3:1-17 NIV

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 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.”

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

The Everyones

Nicodemus was a Pharisee. Pharisees focused on God’s law. Pharisees were like the cream of the religious crop of the day. This focus on the law would often times fall in conflict with what Jesus taught. But the conflict arose in the understanding of the law. Well Jesus, really knew the Law, not some enhanced version of the law that had developed over time. So, Nicodemus coming to Jesus, even if it was in secret and at night, was a way for Nicodemus to check out what he could learn from Jesus.

And that’s a good thing. Shouldn’t we all check out what we could learn from Jesus? We come to Jesus with our own perceptions and misunderstandings and our own view points. In this we need to check out what Jesus really teaches and get beyond our own ways of thinking.

But why at night? Was Nicodemus afraid of being seen? Was it because he really believed but didn’t understand, or maybe he did understand. Listen to how Nicodemus referred to Jesus as “teacher,” maybe Nicodemus really understood more than we give him credit for. He even admitted that Jesus came from God. And he says “we.” Does this “we” include many others, or perhaps most? Nicodemus could see what Jesus was doing and the Godly signs that Jesus has already shown to the crowds and His disciples. I really think Nicodemus was aware that Jesus was the Messiah, he just didn’t want to say it out loud, as of yet, for fear of rejection by his colleagues.

Jesus speaks to Nicodemus, and all of us as well, with authority and truth. This “truly” bit from Jesus in Greek is “amen, amen.” Remember how Luther explained the “Amen” in the explanation to the Lord’s Prayer? It was “Yes! It shall be so!” Kind of like shouting it out with authority. We looked at this last week as well. So, here being “born again” is without a doubt necessary to enter the Kingdom of God. And the Kingdom of God covers more than just what we see here on earth, in the physical realm in which we live. We also live in a spiritual realm with God. Jesus speaks of the “Kingdom of God” over and over in His teachings. The Kingdom of God is a central reason that the Father sent the Son to this world in flesh and blood. Why? To usher mankind back into an eternal relationship with God through the gift of faith. So, it is like being born all over again in some way.

But this “born again” concept is foreign to the thinking of Nicodemus. Nicodemus was familiar with the Law, of here and now. The Law of how to live life as obedient to God. So, in some sense, Nicodemus has a literal interpretation of the Law. Jesus was going beyond the literal interpretation, to the spiritual and eternal reality with God. So, being born again, sounded ridiculous to Nicodemus, but not at all ridiculous to Jesus. It’s a change of mind brought on by God that leads us all to a new heart and new spirit as a new creation in Christ. So, yea, born again, in this way makes sense. But born again in the physical sense of coming out of your mother’s womb, doesn’t.

Then Jesus shifts the focus a bit about entering the kingdom of God, to being born of water and the Spirit. Sounds a bit like baptism to me. And baptism is a gift from God where we die to self, under the waters, to raise to NEW life in the Spirit. So, yea, “Born Again.” Born again with the gifts and guidance of the Holy Spirit to act out our lives in the plans that God has set for each of us, using the gifts God has given us, to bear the fruit which God produces in our lives FOR Him. That’s all new stuff there. A new life, new gifts, changed focus and an inward change in us that springs forth from ourselves, through God’s action in our lives. Talk about some water and Spirit!

Do you see how Jesus is drawing us out of our sinful flesh to new life with God in the Spirit? All through baptism. A baptism that sort of looks like resurrection. We are buried in the water to be raised again to new life. So, if you haven’t been baptized, what are you waiting for? Seek out someone, some church and DO IT! It’s a free gift of God! Don’t neglect to accept God’s gifts. Why would you?

So, like Jesus told Nicodemus; don’t be amazed that Jesus emphasizes that “You must be born again.” It’s a big deal folks!

In baptism, the Holy Spirit blesses you. Like the wind, it blows around and does what you may not expect. You can’t predict or plan this stuff out. Why? Because your life in the Kingdom of God is not your plan. But it’s God’s plan to be one with you into eternity and into everlasting life. God takes your sinfulness, and the sin of your life, and makes something altogether new and exciting. So, God promises a new heart and a new spirit for His people.

Jesus’ teaching here goes beyond the typical lineage and background of the past. Jesus’ teaching here goes beyond the letter of the Law. We can read the letter and gain an interpretation. Jesus’ teaching goes into the Spirit of the Law. It’s something many of us in our literal worlds have a tough time grasping. So, I can see how Nicodemus wanted more from Jesus. And shouldn’t we all seek to understand more of what Jesus teaches. We, disciples of Jesus are learning, bit by bit, all through life. So, it’s good to question, it’s good to show honest doubt, it’s good to go to God in prayer for knowledge and guidance throughout life. So, to make it plain. Study, and return to Jesus’ day after day after day. He will lead and guide you along the way. Make it a habit.

Dig deep, and don’t go on the defensive. Learn about spiritual matters. Hear what Jesus has to say, and research what other disciples have learned on the way, throughout the centuries. Challenge yourself to grow in knowledge and understanding, not only of the written Word, but of God’s spiritual Word as well. Jesus reveals spiritual meanings to us as well as physical meanings and healings. Love Jesus for this!

And you can depend on what Jesus teaches. He knows what He is doing! He is our guide, our leader, our Savior. Accept Jesus’ testimony of God’s action! It’s a gift from Him to you. Rejoice in that gift.

Jesus shows us earthly things that we don’t hold on to, or understand. But those miracles are gifts as well. Gifts designed to draw us to believe in all that God has done. Gifts that pull us back to God in a way that we can’t help but to have faith and believe. But, wait there’s more! Just imagine how great the heavenly things are, and will be. See the difference between heaven and earth. Only Jesus can show us this. Why? Because He knows both. Without a doubt. He came from heaven to earth, to show the way, like that little tune goes.

In the wilderness the Israelites complained against God and Moses. Venomous snakes killed many of the Israelites. So, God had Moses make a bronze snake and put it on a pole. If you were bitten by a snake, you were instructed to look at the bronze snake on the pole and live.

As we see Jesus on the cross, we can see what He had to go through, to save us from our sin. And we also see how looking to Jesus draws us into faith and healing and the gift of eternal life. Why? Because of what God did in Jesus, for us and all the world.

When you look at Jesus upon the cross, see your own sin. See the sin and the punishment you deserve. Yet, also see God taking on your sin, to put it to death. So, sure, like the Israelites were bitten by poisonous snakes, we have been bitten by sin. And like the snake on the pole in the wilderness, we see OUR sin, on the cross, in Jesus. And recognizing OUR sin, as the Israelites recognized the snake on the pole, and were healed, we too recognize our sin, on that cross in Jesus, and God heals us, and forgives us, and saves us, from the power of sin. Like the Israelites were saved from the poison of the snake as they looked on the pole, we are saved by the power of Jesus on the cross, defeating the power of sin forever.

I encourage you to latch on to the word “everyone” that Jesus speaks to Nicodemus. Everyone who believes. For much of the religious leaders of the day, there wasn’t an “everyone.” It was the Chosen Race of the Jewish people, particularly descendants of Abraham. But here, Jesus emphasized “everyone.” This opens up salvation to “everyone.” Yet, if you look closely in the Old Testament, this “everyone” really did exist in word and meaning. It was just easy to miss it. So, Jesus opens up this thinking, beyond race and descendancy to “everyone.”

And then the, “believes in Him” leaps out. We believe in Jesus, not just some prophet, priest or king to grant us eternal life, but Jesus. This eternal life begins here and now and extends on from this life on earth, to heaven, and the New Jerusalem, forever. What’s that about? Eternal life begins when we receive all the faith we need to believe in what Jesus has done for “everyone.” In our eternal life, as we believe, the Holy Spirit leads us and guides us and causes the fruits of the Spirit to be given to the “everyone” in our lives here and now.

And then the punctuation mark of the great exclamation by Jesus. Even the guy with the wild hair at the football games proclaims and shows this passage of Scripture. John 3:16, tells us God the Father’s plan, God the Son’s carrying out of that plan, and God the Holy Spirit’s guidance all along the way of that plan. God loved the world that He created, from the start, so much that His plan, all along, was to save mankind from any failure to sin. This giving of His Son is played out, throughout the ages, told of in the Old Testament. God has been showing “everyone” His plan all along, yet now, we can see the results. What are these results? Jesus! Believe it! God gives us eternal life through the faith that God plants in us, and, we believe. Either we believe, or we deny.

Let’s look at this eternal life Old Testament prophecy and its fulfillment…

Isaiah 65:17 NIV

¹⁷ “See, I will create
    new heavens and a new earth.
The former things will not be remembered,
    nor will they come to mind.

 

Revelation 21:1-4 NIV

21 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. ² I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴ ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

That’s the eternal life Jesus speaks of in John 3:16, for all the “everyones” who have faith and trust and believe in Him. Believe what? Believe that Jesus is the source of life. The source of life all along, from creation to today and into eternity. All provided for by God the Father, inspired by God the Holy Spirit, because God wants us to live with Him in His Kingdom into eternity.

God didn’t send Jesus to put us away, rather God sent Jesus to save us. And, that there, IS Grace!

Romans 3:20 NIV

²⁰ Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.

So, back to Nicodemus and his life of examining the Law of God. Jesus sets him straight. It’s not about how well we do in keeping the law, that saves us. It’s about how Jesus forgives us, and keeps the law, FOR us. It’s not our works or efforts into keeping the law. We won’t be able to keep the law in this state of sinfulness in which we live. But the law does make our sinfulness obvious, to the point that when God spins us around, maybe, just maybe, we will acknowledge our sin and see our need for a Savior. A Savior that God provides in the life, suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus freely given to us, as Jesus forgives us and draws us into His arms to live with Him into eternity. Eternity IN the Kingdom of God. How great is that?!

Do you want this gift? Accept it! Believe it!

And then what?

You will still sin, but the power of sin is gone. You will still die, but death has been defeated. And you will rise again on the Last Day. Why? Because of the plan God provided, from the start, to offer salvation to, who? To “Everyone!”

Sometimes God calls us to go to places that just don’t make sense to us. Why does He do this? Why did God tell Abram to go to some place, unknown to Abram, when he was 75 years old? But Abram went anyway. God was taking Abram to a land that God would show him. Do I trust God to take me to a land that He will show me? This takes, trust, faith, and the willingness to believe that God has my back, that God loves me, that God will take care of me.

Don’t you just love how God watches over you in life? In the finality of it all, you are taken care of with His love, not only just for you alone, but for all the world, yep those “everyones.” It’s like a building up to the climax of everlasting life with God, beginning here and now.

For Nicodemus, and you and I as well, it’s not about the hard reality of the Law that everything depends on. Another words, it’s not only about this physical world in which we live. Jesus leads us to learn about the Kingdom of God, that for sure, contains the here and now, but also leads us to His grace beyond, our here and now, in this world. And this is where the gift of faith, that leads us to believe in things that just don’t make sense, to our literal vision, brings us to believe in Jesus’ gift of grace. It’s about God’s love for His people, and how God chooses to bring us back to Him. It’s about God’s gift to the world, that He gave His only Son to lead us to believe in Him, that we may have eternal life.

I’m so glad that this encounter between Nicodemus and Jesus was recorded for all of us to peek in on, to see just how much God loves “everyones.” I’m so glad of how Jesus teaches with authority and strength. I’m so glad that God laid out a plan of salvation, in and through Jesus, right from the start of creation. Probably even before creation, maybe, just maybe. This is THE story of a gracious, and merciful God. A God that loves His children to death. A God that saves… today… tomorrow… and forever! Believe it! Thanks be to God.

I leave you with this YouTube music video that inspired me this week as I reflected…

“Lord I Lift Your Name on High”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6I6orjM3NI&list=RDU6I6orjM3NI&start_radio=1