Well, if you would, please open up your Bibles this morning to the Gospel of John.
The Gospel according to John. Last week we ended chapter 2, and we ended with the end of chapter 2, verses 23 through 25.
I'm going to read those verses again for us this morning for the sake of context,
because verses 23 through 25 of chapter 2 serve both as the end of chapter 2 and as a bridge here to the beginning of chapter 3.
So if you would, follow along with me as I read chapter 2, verses 23 through 25, all the way through chapter 3, verse 12.
Now, when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing.
But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man,
for he himself knew what was in man.
Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
This man came to Jesus by night and said to him,
Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God,
for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.
Jesus answered him,
Truly, truly, I say to you,
unless one is born again,
he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Nicodemus said to him,
How can a man be born when he is old?
Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?
Jesus answered,
Truly, truly, I say to you,
unless one is born of water and the Spirit,
he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
That which is born of the flesh is flesh,
and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Do not marvel that I said to you,
you must be born again.
The wind blows where it wishes,
and you hear its sound,
but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes.
So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.
Nicodemus said to him,
How can these things be?
Jesus answered him,
Are you the teacher of Israel,
and yet you do not understand these things?
Truly, truly, I say to you,
we speak of what we know
and bear witness to what we have seen,
but you do not receive our testimony.
If I have told you earthly things
and you do not believe,
how can you believe
if I tell you heavenly things?
This is the word of God.
Let's bow and pray once more.
Lord, we pray again and ask,
and as your word is preached,
that you would move with power
and accomplish the purposes for which you sinned.
We pray this in Christ's name.
Amen.
We are on sacred ground here
with John chapter 3.
Martin Lloyd-Jones, the famous preacher,
he preached 39 sermons
on this one chapter of John's gospel,
at least 39 that were recorded,
and I'm fairly certain
that if he were still with us today,
he probably would have preached
a handful more.
This chapter, John chapter 3,
probably more than any other chapter
in the New Testament,
possibly more than any other chapter
in the entire Bible,
is very familiar
in the minds of believers
and non-believers alike.
In it, we see two very familiar phrases.
We see a great condition.
You must be born again
to enter the kingdom of God,
and we see a great provision.
For God so loved the world
that he gave his only son,
that whoever believes in him
should not perish,
but have eternal life.
These are two familiar words
to most of us in the room this morning,
but let me caution you
as we begin John chapter 3
that familiarity can be deceiving.
Many are familiar with these words,
but do not truly understand
what Jesus is saying here to us.
So let me encourage you
as we begin our journey
into John chapter 3
over the next several weeks
to listen to these words carefully
with attentive ears
as if this were the first time
you were hearing these words.
Essentially, what I'm asking you to do
is I want you to place yourself
in Nicodemus' shoes
as we journey through John chapter 3 together.
As you hear these words of Jesus,
this command is not just for Nicodemus,
it's for you and for me.
If we would enter the kingdom of God,
you must be born again.
What does this mean?
I want us to see four answers
to that question this morning
in our passage.
What does it mean to be born again?
What does it mean to be spiritually reborn?
Four answers to that question.
First, spiritual rebirth
is a matter of necessity.
Number one, first,
spiritual rebirth
is a matter of necessity.
Two times,
once in chapter 3, verse 3,
again in chapter 3, verse 5,
Jesus tells us that
spiritual rebirth
is a matter of necessity.
Truly, truly, I say to you,
unless one is born again,
he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Verse 3,
and unless one is born again,
you cannot enter the kingdom of God.
Verse 5,
this is a necessary condition
that must be met
in order for anyone
to enter into the kingdom of God.
Chapter 3, verse 1,
it tells us that Nicodemus was a man,
which doesn't sound like much
of a detail to us,
but we've read the context,
and so we understand
that John is making a connection
for us
with the end of chapter 2
to the beginning
of chapter 3,
the end of chapter 2
where he says that
some believed in Jesus' name
when they saw the signs
that he was doing,
but Jesus, on his part,
did not entrust himself to them
because he knew all people
and needed no one
to bear witness about man,
for he himself knew
what was in man.
John is showing us
that many are seeing Jesus' signs
and do not truly believe
who he is.
They acknowledge something
special about Jesus.
They acknowledge something
miraculous is happening.
They acknowledge that
he is unique in his ministry,
but they do not truly yet believe
that Jesus is in fact
the Messiah,
the Son of God,
and Jesus knows the difference.
So chapter 3,
John says,
now there was a man.
If you mark in your Bibles,
I want to encourage you
to draw a circle around
that word man
at the end of chapter 2
as well as here
at the beginning of chapter 3
because again,
John is connecting
these ideas for us.
Verse 2,
he says,
this man came to Jesus by night
in the cover of darkness
and said to him,
Rabbi,
we know,
speaking on behalf
of the Pharisees,
that you are a teacher
come from God
for no one can do
these signs that you do
unless God is with him.
And of course,
he is partially correct.
He recognizes Jesus' uniqueness
and prophets
throughout the Old Testament.
They performed signs
and often performed
validating works
to validate their ministry,
to profess that they were
in fact speaking
on behalf of God.
But as we've seen already
in the Gospel of John
and will continue to see
as we move forward,
Jesus' signs are meant
to show us
he's not just a prophet,
he's the Messiah.
He's not just a teacher
teaching on behalf of God,
he is the very Son of God.
It's clear that Nicodemus
was familiar with Jesus,
familiar with his works,
but not yet convinced.
And Jesus,
in his omniscience,
he knows.
He sees right through
the state of Nicodemus' heart
and he utters these famous words
here in verse 3,
Truly, truly,
I say to you,
unless one is born again,
he cannot see
the kingdom of God.
It's a matter of necessity.
Spiritual birth
precedes spiritual sight.
Say that again.
Spiritual birth
precedes,
it comes before,
it's a necessary condition
for spiritual sight.
Here's the thing,
anybody with physical eyes
can see the signs.
Anybody with physical eyes
can look and can see
that Jesus is unique.
All sorts of world religions
claim to have a high esteem
for Jesus as a prophet,
as a teacher,
as one who did a lot of good,
as one who has a lot of followers,
but only those with spiritual eyes
can see who he is.
That he is God.
Unless you're born again
from the inside of the Spirit,
you cannot begin to see
or perceive the kingdom.
Simply acknowledging the signs
does not mean
that you acknowledge
the message of the signs.
Simply seeing the wonders
that Jesus did
does not mean
that you worship Jesus.
Simply being familiar
with who Jesus is
does not mean
that you have faith
in Jesus.
This was
the beginning
of the unraveling
of Nicodemus'
entire view
of everything.
His mind
is completely blown
to pieces
here
by what Jesus
has just said.
And here's the reason why.
Nicodemus
is limited
to physical sight.
He's limited
to physical understanding.
He does not have
the necessary
spiritual perception
to even begin
to understand
Jesus' words here.
He's only thinking
in terms of
what is physical,
what is tangible.
And so he asks
a very physical question.
Now,
they say there are
no dumb questions.
I disagree.
He says,
how can a man
be born
when he's old?
Can he enter
a second time
into his mother's womb
and be born?
Now,
clearly,
Nicodemus
was not dumb.
He was
highly educated.
He was a Pharisee.
In fact,
not just that.
It says he was
a ruler
of the Jews,
meaning he was
one of the 70 members
of the Sanhedrin.
It's a pretty elite
ruling class
that ruled
over the rest
of the Jews.
This man was,
as far as the physical
eye could tell,
he was the cream
of the crop
for the Jews.
And yet,
he simply
doesn't get it.
He can't,
he can't see it.
To a Jew,
the Jewish understanding
to,
the requirement
to be included
in the family
of God
was to be born.
Nicodemus
met that requirement.
He,
he was born
physically
into a Jewish
community,
into a Jewish
family.
He was physically
a descendant
of Abraham.
he was physically
circumcised.
He had hope
of a physical
kingdom to be
restored to Israel
with a coming
physical king
to reign here
and now.
In his understanding,
his relationship
with God
was on the basis
of his physical
identity,
his physical being,
his physical doing,
his physical belonging.
Jesus says,
all of that's great.
None of that
is necessary
to enter my kingdom.
what is necessary
for you
is to be born
again.
Not of flesh,
not of blood,
not of the will
of man,
but of the spirit.
We often wonder,
don't we,
why the world
doesn't see
the worth
of Christ?
Why don't they,
why don't they get it?
Why doesn't the world
understand the depth
of their sin,
the consequence
of their beliefs,
the consequence
of their actions?
Why are they so
unaware?
Why can't they
just get the beauty
and the worth
of God?
It's because they can't.
They can't see it.
They can't perceive it.
They're blind to it.
Until they are born
again of the spirit,
all they know
is the flesh.
So they think
according to the flesh.
They reason
according to the flesh.
They act
according to the flesh.
They worship
according to the flesh.
And so did we.
Until the spirit
of God came
and caused you
to be born
again.
Gave you
a new identity
from the inside out.
This is our
second point
this morning.
Second,
spiritual rebirth
is a matter
of identity.
Spiritual rebirth
is a matter
of identity.
Look there
to verse 6.
Chapter 3.
Jesus tells us
that there is
a categorical
difference
between those
who are
physically born
only
and those
who are
spiritually
born.
What does he say
there in verse 6?
He says
that which is
born of the flesh
is flesh
and that which is
born of the spirit
is spirit.
According to the flesh
Nicodemus had
everything going for him.
He was religious.
He was
highly educated,
deeply devoted,
well respected,
successful,
Jewish.
Jesus says
none of that
really matters
at all.
You may believe
that for whatever
reason,
maybe because of
your religious
upbringing,
maybe your
family line,
maybe your
religious devotion,
maybe you have
just a lot of
knowledge about
Christ and about
the Bible,
you may think
that because of
these things
that you are
in the kingdom
of God,
you would be
wrong.
Jesus says
that's not how
this works at all.
The very best,
most religious,
kindest person
you know,
if they have
not been
transferred
from the flesh
to the spirit,
they're still
flesh.
They're still
sinful.
They're still
hostile to God.
Jesus says
the requirement
for you to
enter into
his kingdom
is that you
must have
an identity
change from
flesh to
spirit.
You must
become something
entirely different
than what
you are.
How does
this happen?
not by our
doing.
There is
no amount
of effort
that you
or I
can put
into this
fleshly
identity
to cause
it to be
spiritually
reborn.
You can
change a lot
of things
about who
you are.
You can
change
behavior.
You can
change
attitude.
You can
change
actions.
You can
change
physical
appearance.
You can
change the
way you
dress,
the way
you talk,
the way
you act,
what you
drive,
what you
do,
what you
eat.
None of
that determines
your identity
because you
cannot change
who you
belong to.
I had a
seminary
professor who
used to say
all the time
the most
important thing
about you
is not
who you
are,
it's
whose
you are.
Not who
you are.
To whom
do you
belong?
If you
belong to the
flesh,
you are
flesh.
If you
belong to
God,
you are
of the
spirit.
I drive
a Chevy
Equinox.
It's fine.
It does
the job.
I'm not a
car guy
at all,
but I can
usually pick
out the
nice cars
when I
see one.
I tell
y'all what,
I've never
seen as
many Teslas
in my
life as I
see in
Mount Pleasant
when I drive
the boys to
school,
when I go
into town,
those things
are everywhere.
I saw one
this week
that had
this nice
shiny white
paint job.
I could
tell just
by looking
at it,
that car
was an
entirely
different
thing than
my car.
They were
entirely in
different
categories
all together.
That Tesla,
my Equinox,
not the
same thing.
Imagine
if I
went home
and took
a can
of white
spray paint,
took it
outside and
sprayed my
car white,
went back
inside,
came back
out with a
Sharpie,
wrote with
permanent
marker a
big Tesla
T right on
top of the
Chevy logo,
and then imagine
I drove that
car into town
and parked it
right there
next to all
the Teslas.
What did
they say?
you're crazy.
A little
paint and
a handmade
logo does
not make
a Chevy
a Tesla.
There is no
amount of
work that
you can put
in to
change that
car into
that.
It simply
cannot be
done.
In a way,
this is what
Jesus is
saying to
Nicodemus.
He says,
you think
your worldly
accomplishments,
your worldly
belonging,
is of any
value.
You are
just decorating
the flesh.
What you
need is to
be born of
the Spirit.
You need
something entirely
new in
your identity.
So how is
this done?
Look to
verse 5.
He says,
truly,
I say to
you,
unless one
is born of
water and
the Spirit,
he cannot
enter the
kingdom of
God.
That which
is flesh
is flesh.
That which
is born of
Spirit is
Spirit.
Many
suggestions,
as you can
imagine,
have been
made as
to what
exactly he's
talking about
here.
Water and the
Spirit.
Some see a
reference to
baptism.
Some see a
reference to
physical birth.
I'm convinced
this is a
reference to
the prophecy
that was read
this morning
from Ezekiel
chapter 36,
a passage
that Nicodemus
as a Pharisee
should have
been well
familiar and
acquainted with,
where the
Lord tells
the exiled
people of
Israel,
I will take
you from
the nations
and gather
you from all
the countries
and bring you
into your own
land.
Listen to
this.
I will sprinkle
clean water
on you and
you shall be
clean from
all your
uncleanness.
and from
your idols
I will
cleanse you
and I
will give
you a new
heart and
a new
spirit I
will put
within you.
I will remove
the heart of
stone from
your flesh and
I will give
you a heart
of flesh.
I will put
my spirit
within you
and cause
you to
walk in
my statutes
and be
careful to
obey my
rules.
How is this
done?
God does
it.
God does
it in
you.
Does this
sound like
anything we
can do
in the
flesh?
This is a
work of
God in
you to
give you
a new
identity
by purifying
you as
with water
and by
recreating
you with
a new
heart by
putting his
own spirit
in you.
This is a
miracle.
We can
describe it.
We can
see it
clearly here
in the
pages of
scripture.
We've
experienced
this.
If we're
in Christ
we have
experienced
this
firsthand
but I
have to
be honest
we cannot
fully
understand
this.
We can't
fully grasp
the depth
of what God
is doing
here and
giving us
his own
spirit and
recreating
our
identity.
It's a
wonderful
beautiful
spiritual
mystery
which is
our third
point this
morning.
Spiritual
rebirth
is a
matter of
mystery.
It's a
matter of
mystery.
It certainly
was to
Nicodemus.
We don't
see his
response
recorded here.
I'm just
speculating but
I'm just
going to
assume that
his jaw
had dropped
all the
way down
to the
floor.
Jesus says
in verse
7 do
not marvel
that I
said to
you you
must be
born again
and he
gives this
wonderful
illustration
the wind
blows where
it wishes
and you
hear it
sound but
you do
not know
where it
comes from
or where
it goes.
So it
is with
everyone
who is
born of
the spirit.
What's he
saying?
What's he
saying?
Well for
one he's
making a
play on
words here.
The same
word in
the Greek
for spirit
is the
exact same
word that
they translate
wind and
so he's
making a
connection,
a comparison
here,
a play on
words between
spirit and
wind.
He's comparing
the movement
of the wind
with the
movement of
the spirit.
Here's the
point I think
he's making
is the
movement of
the spirit
is a
mystery.
who can
predict
with 100%
certainty,
accuracy,
when someone
is going to
come to
faith in
Christ?
Who could
have foreseen
it in your
own life?
What would
happen to you
when the spirit
gave you life
and caused
you to be
born again?
Weathermen only
get their job
right maybe
half the time,
right?
Maybe,
if that,
predicting the
wind,
and we're
maybe,
maybe that
accurate in
understanding
the spirit.
In some cases
it seems like
someone should
come to
faith,
everything that
you can
perceive,
it seems like
they're a
great candidate
God.
What's going
on?
They're kind,
they're generous,
they seem
interested,
why won't
they believe?
And they
never do.
In another
case,
someone else
seems so far
from the
kingdom,
so hostile
to God,
so turned
off to the
things of
the Lord,
and yet
it's like
the wind
blows and
everything
changes.
All of a
sudden,
they're willing
to sell
everything
and go
and make
Christ
known.
How do
we explain
this movement
of the spirit?
We can't.
It's a
mystery.
But another
point I think
that he's making
here is that
the spirit,
like wind,
cannot be
controlled by
the flesh,
cannot be
controlled by
the flesh.
How do you
get born
again?
What must
I do to
be born
again?
You can't
do it.
You can't
control it.
You can't
manufacture it.
You can't
manipulate it.
You might as
well reenter
your mother's
womb.
It's an
impossibility
for the
flesh.
It's like
wind.
Where does
the wind
come from?
How do we
know where it
will go next?
You can
observe it.
At times,
you can feel
it.
You can
respond to
it.
You cannot
control it.
My boys
this week
have been
playing with
kites.
Out in the
yard,
they got some
kites.
They've been
running around
playing with
kites.
When the
wind blows,
the kite
lifts off.
It takes
off.
It has
life.
It flies.
When the
wind doesn't
blow,
guess what?
It lies
dead.
boys had
a great
time when
the wind
was blowing.
When the
wind stops,
they look
at me.
They,
Dad,
make my
kite fly.
I have to
say,
son,
I cannot
control the
wind.
Neither
can we
control the
spirit.
Nothing
that we
have done
in the
flesh
causes our
spiritual
rebirth.
We need
to understand
this.
nothing that
we can
do in
the flesh
causes our
spiritual
rebirth.
Walking an
aisle,
saying a
prayer.
Faith and
repentance are
the results
of rebirth,
not the
cause of
rebirth.
I'll say
that again.
Faith and
repentance are
the results
of spiritual
rebirth,
not the
cause of
rebirth.
earth.
The kite
can't fly
unless the
wind blows
and gives
it flight.
Dead men
cannot have
faith.
Dead men
cannot repent
unless they're
brought to
life,
born again
by the
spirit.
Baby
Christians
can't take
a single
step of
faith until
they are
first born
again of
the spirit.
Blind men
cannot perceive,
cannot see,
unless they're
first given
spiritual sight.
Think of
your own
story.
Christian,
you were
going about
your life
far from
the Lord.
Someone
comes along,
invites you
to church,
shares the
gospel with
you.
Maybe you
grew up in
church all
your life.
You were
like Nicodemus,
familiar with
the Lord,
but did not
yet truly
understand,
truly trust,
truly have
faith in
Christ.
But then now
all of a
sudden,
something happens.
All of a
sudden, you
feel this new
desire for the
Lord, this new
love for God.
Something awakens
in you.
You're aware
of the depth
of your sin.
You begin to
hate sin and
love God.
Where did that
come from?
You didn't
manufacture that
in yourself.
What did he
promise in
Ezekiel?
Again, I'll
read it again.
I will remove
the heart of
stone from
your flesh,
and I will
give you a
heart of
flesh, and I
will put my
spirit within
you.
I will cause
you to walk
in my
statutes.
I will cause
you to be
careful to
obey my
rules.
This new
birth is
God's work.
To us, it's
a mystery.
But here's
what we do
know.
We know
the means
that God
uses to
do it.
It's the
authoritative
message of
the gospel.
The
authoritative
message of
the gospel.
For everyone
who calls upon
the name of
the Lord will
be saved.
How then
will they call
on him in
whom they've
not believed?
How are they
to believe in
him of whom
they have never
heard?
How are they
to hear without
someone preaching?
How are they to
preach unless
they are sent?
as it is
written.
How beautiful
are the feet
of those who
preach the
good news.
But they've
not all obeyed
the gospel.
For Isaiah
says, Lord,
who has
believed what
he has heard
from us?
So faith
comes through
what?
Through hearing
and hearing
through the
word of
Christ.
Being born
again is a
work of God
in you that
he brings
about through
the proclamation
of the gospel
as you listen
to the word
of Christ
and believe.
Which means
fourth.
And finally,
spiritual
rebirth is
a matter
of authority.
Spiritual
rebirth is
a matter
of authority.
If you
want to
learn about
engineering,
ask an
engineer.
If you
want to
learn about
gardening,
ask a
gardener.
If you
want to
learn about
mathematics,
go ask a
mathematician.
And if you
want to
know about
being born
again as
a child
of God,
ask the
Son of
God.
If you
want to
know about
eternal
life,
life from
the dead,
ask the
one who
rose up
from the
grave.
If you
want to
know about
things of
the Spirit,
ask the
one who
sins the
Spirit.
Nicodemus
says to
him in
verse 9,
how can
these things
be?
Nicodemus
was a
man again
of great
authority.
His peers
had great
authority from
a human
perspective.
He was
the authority
on the
law,
on righteousness,
on God.
But Jesus
says,
are you a
teacher of
Israel?
And yet you
don't even
understand these
things?
Truly,
truly,
I say to
you,
we speak
of what we
know.
we bear
witness to
what we
have seen,
but you
do not
receive our
testimony.
If I've
told you
earthly
things and
you don't
believe,
how can
you believe
if I tell
you heavenly
things?
Jesus is
asserting
himself here
as an
authority of
all things
spiritual,
of all things
that we
need to
know and
understand
to enter
into the
kingdom of
God.
Jesus says,
I am the
one that
needs to
be listened
to.
And then to
add to his
resume here in
verse 13,
he says,
hey, you
know,
no one has
ascended into
heaven except
he who has
descended from
heaven,
the son of
man.
In other
words,
Nicodemus,
forget everything
you thought
you knew
and listen
to me.
We speak
of what we
know and
bear witness
to what we've
seen.
You still
don't receive
our testimony.
Why?
Because you
have not yet
been born
again.
You are
still of
the flesh.
To be
born again,
you must
set aside
all self-trust,
self-reliance,
self-righteousness
and believe
in your
heart and
confess with
your mouth
that Jesus
Christ is
Lord.
That he
alone is
the supreme
authority,
that he has
the authority
to lay down
his life and
take it up
again,
that by his
authority,
by his word
alone,
can anyone
enter into
the kingdom
of God.
And if the
Lord says
that the way
into the
kingdom is
you must be
born again,
the debate
is settled.
You must be
born again
to enter
in to
the kingdom
of God.
It is
amazing to
me how
anyone can
just assume
that if
they're good
enough,
they will
enter the
kingdom.
On whose
authority do
you base
that on?
Yours?
Somebody
else tell
you that?
It's just
what you
assume to
be true?
Any
other path,
any other
suggested
way to
be right
with God,
all the
many different
world religions
that claim
a path to
God,
it all comes
down at the
end of the
day to
a question
of authority.
Whose word
are you
trusting to
be true?
I'll speak
for myself.
If we're
talking about
eternity,
I'm going
to put my
trust in
the one
who rose
from the
dead.
only one,
only Jesus
has conquered
the grave.
Only Jesus
has died
for your
sin.
Only
Jesus.
He says,
I am the
way,
the truth,
the life.
No one
comes to
the Father
but by
me.
This
gospel
call is
for all
of us
here this
morning.
If you
would repent
and believe
in the
name of
Christ,
you will
be born
again.
This is
Lord willing
what we'll
see next
week.
An
incredible
detail as
we see
from John
3.16
this great
need of
ours.
How can
one be
born again?
How can
one be
given a
new heart?
It's not
by doing.
It's not
by earning.
It's not
by being.
But by
believing.
God so
loved the
world that
he gave
his only
son.
Whoever
believes
should not
perish but
have eternal
life.
But here
today,
church,
we need to
see that
this call
that Jesus
makes to
Nicodemus,
to the
Pharisees,
is not
just for
them,
it's for
us.
If you
would enter
into the
kingdom of
God,
there is
one requirement.
you must
be born
again.
We don't
know what
happened to
Nicodemus
immediately after
this encounter,
but I guarantee
you his head
was spinning.
I'm sure he
probably didn't
get any sleep
that night.
He was
probably tossing
and turning,
thinking,
reflecting,
reading on
the passages
Jesus was
referencing,
thinking back
to the words
of Christ,
probably went
home questioning
everything he
thought that he
ever knew.
Maybe when we
get to heaven,
we can ask
him.
Because I
believe that
this encounter
changed Nicodemus'
view on
Jesus.
And that he,
by the grace
of God,
was eventually
born again.
Why do I
say that?
Well,
we see
Nicodemus two
more times
here in the
Gospel of
John.
chapter 7.
The people
are disputing
and arguing
over who
Jesus is.
The Pharisees
wanted Jesus
arrested,
but Nicodemus,
who previously
had come by
the cover of
night to
avoid any
association with
this man,
he spoke up,
came to his
defense,
he faced the
social criticism
that he once
avoided.
The second
time,
we see
Nicodemus
again in
chapter 19.
After Jesus
was crucified,
a man
named Joseph
of Arimathea
asked Pilate
for the body
of Jesus,
and it says,
Nicodemus also,
who earlier
had come to
Jesus by night,
now came
publicly,
bringing a
mixture of
myrrh and
aloes,
about 75
pounds in
weight.
The average
Jewish burial
required five
pounds of
spices to
prepare someone
for burial.
Nicodemus
brought 15
times that
much.
So together,
Joseph and
Nicodemus,
they took the
body of Jesus,
they bound it
in linen
cloths with
the spices,
an abundance
of spices,
to honor the
Lord who
had changed
their lives.
Has he changed
yours?
let's pray.
Lord, we
thank you for
the mystery
of the new
birth.
This is not
something that
we can do
ourselves,
it's only by
the power of
your spirit
that comes as
you send it,
Lord,
that blows as
the wind.
We can't
understand it,
but Father,
we praise you
for it.
We praise you
for the new
life that you've
given us who
are in Christ,
and if there
are any here
who don't know
you, Lord,
we pray,
Father,
that that same
spirit would
blow and move
in their hearts
even now,
we ask in
Christ's name.
Amen.