A Visit in the Night

Jn 3:1-15

When Mickey and I play golf together, we have a special procedure we can do once per 9 holes. It’s called a do over. I could use a lot more than one, but am thankful for that one. Wouldn’t it be great if life had a do over? You really messed up with a relationship. Did something, said something you really regret, so you shout “do over” and get a second chance to redo the situation.

When you look at Jesus comments to Nicodemus that is exactly what he is saying. A chance to redo the mistakes of life and become a new creature. We get a do over in life.

PRAYER

I. The Risk

A. Nicodemus

1. He was a Pharisee

a) These were a group of Bible scholars who became religious leaders sometime after the OT was written.

b) There were two groups, the Sadducees and Pharisees.

c) The Sadducees were more political.

d) The Pharisees were more religious and more accepted among the people.

e) The two groups had very little to do with each other accept that they both were part of the Sanhedrin, a religious ruling body of the Jews of Jesus time.

2. He was Rich

a) Tradition has it he was the brother of the historian Josephus.

b) If he was that Nicodemus, he was considered the 3^rd richest man in Jerusalem.

c) We know he was wealthy enough to assist Joseph of Arimathea in gaining the body from the Romans and providing the burial of a wealthy man.

d) Tradition also says he lost all his wealth after he admitted to being a follower of Jesus and was expelled from Jerusalem.

3. He was timid

a) He approached Jesus in the middle of the night so no one would know about his interest in learning more about Jesus.

b) In Jn 7 when he spoke up for Jesus during a council meeting, quickly shut up when he was taunted and asked if he was a follower.

4. Everything we know of him from scripture, suggests he was not willing to risk all for Jesus.

B. Us

1. Many of us can see ourselves in Nicodemus.

a) We may believe in Jesus and go to church every Sunday, but that is safe in our nation.

b) On Monday, we become closet Christians.

c) If someone questions us, we quiet down.

2. We are not willing to make a big risk

a) We may worship him in safety of our cultural setting.

b) We may pray, study, and meditate on him, but only in secret.

c) We don’t want people to think we are Jesus freaks.

d) When friends come over we hide our Bibles or at least never turn a conversation towards Christ.

C. It’s scary to risk

1. Nicodemus wanted to be a follower of God, but he had so much to lose by becoming a Christian who spoke up for his faith.

2. Many of us want to follow God, but are afraid to take a risk in speaking up for our faith.

3. We visit God at night.

4. We are secret Christians.

5. It is interesting to note that Jn 7 and Jn 19 imply that Nicodemus became a Christian, but never told anyone at that point.

6. It indicates we can be Christians and not speak up for our faith, but is that the desire of God?

a) Imagine the influence he might have had if he was willing to speak out.

b) How do you think he will feel standing before God on his judgment and knowing how many opportunities passed him up because he was unwilling to risk.

c) Do you think he could look Jesus in the eye. He would wouldn’t risk at all looking at the one who risked everything.

7. This week I was at a minister’s seminar. For the most part it was pretty good. However, the last day, two of the scholars made a point of challenging one of the very core issues of Christian faith. They said you couldn’t use the Bible as your only basis for knowing right and wrong. My Dad spoke just before I was going to and challenged one of them on that and wasn’t willing to back down, even though is seemed like many in the room were willing to go along with what the speakers said. After Dad spoke up, several men came and thanked him for what he said. What if Dad hadn’t spoken up? A heresy would have gone unchallenged. Other ministers in the room would have felt they were alone in what they believed and might have let that dissuade them from holding fast to the truth.

8. Dad risked much as the organizer of this seminar is his teacher at the college where he is finishing his degree.

9. One of the teacher’s is a colleague of Dad’s in Indianapolis.

10. He didn’t know if other would support him or mock him as unenlightened.

11. Yet, he had to take the risk. It was worth whatever consequences came with it.

II. The Message

A. Born again

1. When Nicodemus came to Jesus, Christ knew this was the time to share the gospel.

2. He said you must be born again.

3. Nicodemus didn’t get this at first and thought Jesus was referring to being physically born again.

4. He missed a very obvious truth for several reasons.

a) The Jews practiced baptism by immersion, so Nicodemus should have picked up on the implication.

b) Even the Jewish baptism was a rite of passage from being a gentile to being a proselyte Jew

c) Water was the essential part of the purification rituals of Judaism

5. vs 10-11 makes it clear that Nicodemus should have understood: John 3:10-11 "You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus, "and do you not understand these things? I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. NIV

B. It was the way into the kingdom

1. This is consistent throughout the entire New Testament.

2. Every single person who became a Christians, repented, confessed their sins, and was immersed in water.

C. Water and Spirit

1. It seems that the religious world always want to react to one extreme or another.

2. For so long we pushed the water aspect of baptism because other groups stress the spirit aspect.

3. It takes both.

a) Without the spirit you just get wet

b) Without the water you are not obeying the spirit.

4. The water ceremony is just like a wedding ceremony, it is a public and personal statement of giving your life to God.

5. But just like a wedding, it must be sanctioned. God must be a part of this ceremony.

6. It’s his blood that does the cleansing not the water.

7. It’s his grace that does the saving not your actions.

D. It was because God loved the world more than you can ever imagine.

1. READ vs 16-21

III. The Response

A. It’s interesting that John tells this story, but never tells us how Nicodemus responded. Why?