Good morning, everyone.
If you'd like to grab your Bibles and just keep them open there,
if you already got them open at John 3.
But if you haven't, it'd be great if you could grab one.
I'm going to pray and then we'll take a look at that passage.
Gracious God, we thank you for the wonderful privilege
of being able to gather right now in this place
and to again look at the central message of what it means to be Christian.
We pray that you would help us in our understanding this morning
as we look at the person of Jesus,
that we would not be clouded by darkness as Nicodemus was,
but by your Spirit help us to see Jesus
and to see what he's done for us
so that we may long for and may receive new birth,
that we might be born again.
And we thank you for the wonderful testimony we just saw
of someone who, of Laura, who responded to you,
was born again last year at this time.
We pray that there might be many more.
Come to that point this morning, we pray in Jesus' name.
Amen.
Some of you have heard the less than true story
of four people on a plane that lost all its power.
The pilot announced an imminent crash
and added that there were four of us,
but there was only three parachutes.
And he added, it's my plane and my parachute,
so I'm taking one of them.
He strapped on a chute, jumped to safety.
No one sort of disagreed with that.
The three left on the plane were a brilliant professor,
minister of religion, and a backpacker.
And the professor jumped to his feet
and insisted, I'm one of the greatest minds in this country.
I need to survive.
This country needs me to survive.
I must have one of the remaining parachutes.
He grabbed one of the chutes,
strapped it on and jumped out the plane.
The minister pipes into the young backpacker
and says, look, I've lived a long life.
I don't fear death.
I know where I'm going after death.
And so you take the last parachute.
And the backpacker stopped him
before he could finish and said,
no, no, no, it's fine.
The brilliant professor just jumped out
with my backpack strapped on.
Obviously, it's a really good joke,
or maybe you haven't heard it as much
as I thought you might have.
I didn't think it was that great.
But anyway,
there's something great about that story.
There's something inadequate about a PhD
in that moment.
None of us,
none of us is an expert in everything.
It's an obvious statement.
I know it's an obvious statement,
but it is worth letting it sink in.
Despite the collective brilliance
represented here this morning,
what we don't know
and can't do
far exceeds
what we do know
and can do.
And so,
expertise in one area
counts for little
in another area.
And so, therefore,
humility
is just plain common sense.
It's common sense.
None of us
knows everything.
And it's true
when we come to the subject
of God, Jesus,
and the truth
surrounding the first
Easter weekend.
We all have our opinions.
And on the most part,
we'd say that we would believe
in Jesus.
That's why we've come here
this morning, I assume.
And are positive
towards Jesus.
And we get this great encounter
here in John 3
about a man
or with a man
who kind of figured
he had all God
worked out.
He was positive
towards Jesus.
He was positive
towards God.
He believed in Jesus
as we see
at the end
of chapter 2.
Interestingly,
it was, in fact,
his area
of expertise.
He was a teacher
of the law,
of God's law.
But his PhD
on God
was about to be
revealed
as lacking.
Nicodemus is a Pharisee.
He's a member
of the Jewish
ruling council.
He was a very religious
man.
He was zealous
to obey God's law.
He was even a teacher
of God's law
to others.
His morality
and his piety
was well respected
in the community.
From one perspective,
you'd look at a Nicodemus
and you'd just say,
this guy has got
it all together
when it comes
to God
and religious matters.
And that is why
this encounter
between Jesus
and Nicodemus
is so crucial
for us to see.
You see,
Nic hasn't got it
all worked out
just yet.
It says he came
to Jesus
at night.
He came secretly,
but more specifically,
it wasn't just
that he came secretly
under the cover
of darkness,
but that he came
blindly.
He came
in the dark.
This clever man
was in the dark
when it came
to Jesus'
true identity
and what it meant
to have belief
in him.
He was one of those
people who,
at the end of chapter 2,
saw the miracles
of Jesus,
saw all the great
things Jesus did
and believed,
it says.
He didn't doubt
that Jesus
performed miracles,
but merely seeing
the miracles
wasn't in itself
faith.
He hadn't understood
who Jesus really
was because right
at the very beginning
here it says
he comes and calls
Jesus rabbi,
teacher.
And so,
Nic puts Jesus
in amongst the
category of a bunch
of other teachers,
possibly even comes
asserting himself
over Jesus
as he himself
is a teacher
of the law.
Nicodemus,
though clever
and highly accomplished,
stumbles around
in the dark
blindly to the
true identity
of Jesus.
His confusion
is pretty obvious
in the next number
of verses
as we go through.
He thinks Jesus
is a teacher
come from God
and yet Jesus
says something
apparently
completely
bluntly
and had nothing
to do with the
topic at all.
Jesus comes
back to him
in verse 3
and says,
I tell you the
truth,
no one can see
the kingdom of
God unless he
is born again.
Now,
Nicodemus is
really confused.
How on earth
can a person
re-enter their
mother's womb?
Jesus then
responds in
verses 5
to 8
that he's
talking about
spiritual birth
and unless
you experience
it,
you will never
enter the
kingdom of
God,
you'll never
be part of
God's family,
you'll never
be reconciled
to God,
forgiven,
you'll never
be able to
receive eternal
life unless
you are born
again.
Then he adds
that it is
God who
causes this
new birth
and not man,
it is a work
of God,
it is not a work
of a clever
man with a
PhD in religion,
not even the
work of good
people like
Nicodemus.
And in
verse 9 we
see that Nic
is still at a
loss,
Jesus marvels
in verse 10
that a teacher
of God's
people doesn't
even understand
how it is
that you enter
to be part of
the family of
God.
And then in
verse 11
Jesus reveals
the problem.
Even though
Nic is hearing
reliable truth
about Jesus,
he isn't
receiving it.
That is,
it's an issue
of belief
in the heart.
That's the
problem.
And so in
verse 12,
Jesus sort of
says to
Nicodemus,
you keep
pushing me
here for
clearer and
clearer explanations
of being born
again so that
you can get
your mind
around it
and you can
fit it into
your theological
systems,
but a
heart of
unbelief
can't
understand
the sort
of
explanations
that are
needed
here.
And it's
at this
point we
see this
remarkable
transition
in this
encounter
with
Nicodemus.
Jesus
now makes
a shift
and he
starts
talking about
himself not
so much as a
teacher of
God's people,
telling people
that you need
to be born
again,
he now
starts saying
I am the
son of man
from heaven
who came to
do the thing
that makes it
possible for you
to be born
again.
Jesus makes
the claim to
be more than
just a teacher
about God
but as the
one who came
from God
to reveal
God.
And so as
Nicodemus,
PhD in one
hand,
comes with
these clever
arguments to
try and
understand
Jesus,
the expert
in the law
comes,
Jesus says
in actual
fact,
Nic,
I am the
expert on
God.
I have
just come
from God.
I am
God.
And so
listen to
me.
And as
the expert
on God,
Jesus says
there is an
obstacle to
being born
again and
entering the
kingdom of
God,
being part
of his
family.
Something
has to
happen to
remove the
anger of
God for
our sin
and unbelief
and rebellion.
And to help
Nic understand
what Jesus is
talking about
here, he
picks up an
analogy from
the Old
Testament.
and it
gives us a
picture of
what Jesus
is about
to do,
what he's
about to
do to
remove the
obstacle so
that we can
be born
again and
be part of
the family
of God.
Verse 14,
just as
Moses lifted
up the
snake in
the desert,
so the
son of
man must
be lifted
up,
that everyone
who believes
in him may
have eternal
life.
And so
Jesus is
referring to
Numbers 21,
that first
passage that
Lindy read out
for us,
where Israel,
they have
arrived at
Mount Hor,
they have
been there
before,
about 40
years before
in fact,
their trip
from Egypt
to the
promised land
should have
taken a
couple of
weeks,
but the
trip from
slavery to
freedom under
God's rule
had taken
much longer.
Israel had
proven unworthy
to enter the
promised land
because they
did not believe
in God's
power,
all God's
promises,
repeatedly they
had been
tried and
found wanting,
but now they
are back.
They are back
at the borders
of the promised
land,
40 years
later.
But it
would appear
from that
passage that
Lindy read out
that little
has changed.
They grumble,
they whinge,
they moan,
they grumble
about their
lack of water,
they grumble
that there's
too much
food.
They grumble
against their
leadership,
they grumble
against God
because they
reckon that he
only rescued
them so that he
could lead them
out in the
desert so they
would die.
40 years of
God's provision
hasn't changed
the hearts of
these people.
They grumble,
grumble,
even about
good things,
they grumble.
people.
And God
responds by
punishing the
Israelites,
by sending
poisonous snakes
to bite a
number of
them and
many die as
a consequence.
The good
thing is that
the people
work out for
themselves that
they've been
pretty dumb
and that
they've been
pretty much
bad-mouthing
God and
Moses and
so they
ask Moses
to pray so
that they
won't be
punished by
God anymore.
And Moses
does pray and
God responds
in a very
strange way.
God says,
make a
snake and
put it on
a pole.
Anyone who
is bitten can
look to the
snake on the
pole and
live.
And so
Moses made a
bronze snake
and put it
up on a
pole.
Then when
anyone was
bitten by a
snake and
looked at the
bronze snake,
he lived.
That's a
weird answer
to prayer.
So notice a
few things
here from
Numbers 21.
Notice that
the snake on
the pole did
not prevent
the people
from being
bitten.
It was for
those who
were bitten.
Notice it
was God who
sent the
snakes.
God was
angry with
his people
because of
their ingratitude
and their
grumbling and
their complaining
and their
whinging and
their rebellion.
Notice that
the way God
chooses to
rescue the
people from
his own
curse, God's
own curse that
he put on the
people, is a
picture of the
curse itself.
And notice
that all they
had to do to
be saved from
God's anger
was to look
to God's
provision.
Hang it on a
pole.
If someone
was bitten by
a snake, they
looked to the
bronze snake
that Moses had
put on the
stick and they
wouldn't die.
The solution
to their
punishment is
to believe
God's answer
and to look
at a bronze
snake on a
pole, a
bronze snake
being a symbol
of their
punishment and
their judgment
and then they
would be saved
from certain
death.
So if an
Israelite
looked at a
bronze snake
which was
their own
judgment
portrayed on
a pole and
they believed
they would be
rescued from
certain death
and in the
very act of
looking is a
trust in God's
provision.
God provided a
way for these
sinful people to
be saved
and every
time they
looked
then they
would be
reminded that
their rebellion
against God
means death.
Especially
notice then
that having
taken Nick
to this
shocking picture
in Numbers
21
Jesus
then follows
that picture
with the
most famous
Bible verse
in the
world.
For God
so loved
the world
that he
gave his
only son
referring to
himself
Jesus is
here
so that
whoever
believes in
him would
not perish
but have
eternal life.
Jesus is
the one
who was
raised up
like the
snake.
He will
be the
powerful
portrayal
of God's
anger and
judgment.
When we
look to the
crucifixion of
Jesus which
is what we
are doing
here this
morning we
are supposed
to see the
consequences of
our sin.
We are
supposed to
say to
ourselves that
should be
me that is
what I
deserve.
The
crucifixion
of Jesus
doesn't
hide our
failures.
They are
uncovered in
all their
ugliness.
We are to
be confronted
with our
sinfulness and
our shame and
our death and
our complaining
and our grumbling
and our whinging.
When we
look we are
to see our
sin, our
rebellion, our
judgment.
Jesus in the
place of the
snake is
portrayed as
sin, evil,
rebellion, guilt
as a curse.
Another part of
the Bible says
this about
Jesus'
crucifixion.
God made
him who had
no sin to
be sin for
us so that
in him we
might become
the righteousness
of God.
In becoming
like the
snake, Jesus
was the
embodiment of
our sin and
becoming for
and in
becoming sin
for us, he
took our
sins away as
our substitute.
And so in
what is
apparently a
fleeting reference
to a strange
event in the
Old Testament,
Jesus was
telling Nicodemus
that he,
Jesus, would
be the bearer of
the judgment of
God and that
through his
judgment we
can find hope
and rescue and
salvation.
That is why
it's called
Good Friday.
Because the
crucified one is
a gift from
God.
It is because
God so loved
the world that
he gave his
only son.
Without this
gift we would
perish like the
Israelites did in
the wilderness.
Our only hope is
to look at the
cross and
believe that
God has made
a way back to
himself through
the death of
his son.
As strange as
it may be, to
look to the
cross is all
that's required to
believe in what
Jesus has said
and says,
look to me.
The wonderful
news is that
Jesus in the
place of the
snake is the
source of
healing, the
source of
rescue, the
source, the
rescue from the
poison of sin and
the anger of
God.
what he gives
us for the
cross is eternal
life.
When our sin
and God's
anger are taken
away, it means
that God is
totally for us.
And if God is
for us, we will
never die but
live forever with
him.
And so Jesus'
call to Nick
here and to us
is to believe in
what God has
provided for our
rescue.
you see, the
Israelites had an
option in the
wilderness.
Believe in God's
provision and
look or say
that's ridiculous
and look for some
other alternative
for medicine.
Verse 14 says,
just as Moses
lifted up the
snake in the
desert, so the
son of man must
be lifted up,
look to Jesus.
Nicodemus, if you
want new birth and
you must have new
birth in order to
get into the
family of God, you
must look to Jesus
on the cross.
I think this
conversation between
Jesus and Nicodemus
under the cover of
darkness is so
crucial for us to
be listening in on.
The expert still
had some things to
learn and Jesus
encourages him here
to move on from
a shallow,
superficial belief in
Jesus.
Before this
encounter,
Nicodemus believed
in Jesus, it says,
at the end of
chapter 2.
And Jesus says
here, your belief
is not enough,
it's a superficial
belief.
Move from it.
After all, Satan
believes in Jesus,
but he doesn't look
to him for
salvation.
The encouraging
thing is that
Nicodemus didn't
give up when it
got confusing.
He didn't give up.
He was there at the
end, at the
crucifixion.
He was there
taking the body
down off the
cross.
And he prepared
it for burial in
a significant
act of devotion
to Jesus.
He did look to
Jesus in the
end.
No doubt we
are gathered here
this morning because
we acknowledge some
sort of belief in
Jesus.
But is it a
belief that
recognizes who
Jesus is as
the heaven sent
son of man, the
expert on God?
As with
Nicodemus,
religion is a
common cover for
not being born
again.
Each of us
churchgoers should
examine ourselves
to see if we are
truly born again
or is it just
religion?
Shallow belief
that doesn't in
the end look to
Jesus.
Does our belief in
Jesus recognize
he was crucified
as our substitute
to turn away
God's anger from
us and to
deal with our
sin?
Does our belief
in Jesus
recognize that
he is the
heaven sent
son of man,
the expert on
God who calls
us to follow
him, to love
him, to
obey him?
Is it a
belief in the
promise that
whoever believes
in him should
not perish but
have eternal
life?
look to
Jesus.
If that's
something that
you want to
do this
morning as we
found out a
bit earlier,
Laura did
this time last
year, I would
invite you to
come down and
pray with me or
some others at
the front at the
end of the
service.
Let's pray.
Father God,
we thank you for
the provision that
you have made for
us in the Lord
Jesus.
Jesus, thank
you that we, as
strange as it
seems, all we
need to do is to
look to Christ,
look to Jesus, to
find our rescue and
our hope.
And we thank you
for the gift of the
Lord Jesus and the
opportunity to be
reminded of it again
this morning and we
ask it for your
sake.
Amen.