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Reading:          Jn.3:1-21

Text:                Jn.3:10 "Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not     understand these things?"

Have you ever been surprised by the way others react to a clear and simple explanation of the good news concerning Jesus Christ? I'm not talking about the reaction of hostility but of the kind of reaction that reveals that the message has not been understood at all.

The preacher has preached his heart out about the impossibility of anyone pleasing God by their own efforts and then moved on to speak about the wonderful free gift He offers of life to all those who will put their faith in Jesus Christ. Then at the door after the service a man goes out and says I'll be alright won't I after all I always do my best!

Our hearts ache – how could he have missed the point of it all? How could he have got it so wrong?

Well Jesus knew what it was to be misunderstood as He shared simple and clear truths with those who came to Him. Jesus' teaching was in line with what the OT had already taught and surely a famous teacher of religion in Israel would understand Him as He laid out God's criteria for entry into the Kingdom of God?

But no, Nicodemus failed to get it and his failure caused Jesus to express His surprise and astonishment found in the words of our text this evening.

What was it that Jesus taught that Nicodemus failed to understand? This is our subject this evening.

Jesus had begun the ministry phase of His life. The thirty or so years He had spent in obscurity in Nazareth as a boy, the carpenter's son, then as the carpenter Himself, were now over. Jesus was progressively moving on the public stage.

He had already called a number of men to Him to follow Him and to learn from Him as His disciples. He had already begun to accomplish some remarkable things. John has recorded for us the details of His first sign at Cana of turning water into wine and then has simply contented himself with telling us that other signs were being performed as well. (At the end of his gospel John specifically tells us that he had recorded only a small selection of the mighty things that Jesus did.)

As Jesus performed His signs others began to believe in though the nature and depth of this faith was questionable and Jesus treated these with caution refusing to entrust Himself to them because He knew all about them.

It would appear that Nicodemus was one of those who was impressed by what Jesus was doing and he wanted to find out a bit more about Jesus. And Nicodemus was not a nobody – he was a Pharisee and an important one at that: he had a place on the ruling Jewish council!

Now the Pharisees were religiously very strict at least so far as the externals of religion were concerned. But that was their problem. They focused so much on the keeping of external appearances of the law that they tended to totally overlook the attitude and intention of the heart. With all their focus on externals they became the archetypal salvation by works religious enthusiasts. The trouble with such is that they always tend to imagine that their own works are sufficient – others may falter but they never will!

Now this man Nicodemus has heard about Jesus and has been impressed by what he has heard. But it does not appear that this had led him at this stage to a genuine faith. He has heard about Jesus and now he wants to find out more about Him. He wants to know who He really is.

John records for us the fact that Nicodemus came to find Jesus by night but he never really overtly explains what if any significance there is in this fact. There are a number of possibilities that might help us understand just why this was.

a.      It has often been suggested that Nicodemus was fearful of coming publicly and openly to Jesus. After all he was a leader of the people and he was nervous of showing what might be interpreted as unhealthy interest in this man from Nazareth. This could contain an element of truth but this is very early in the ministry of Jesus and as yet the Jewish authorities have not settled in their opposition to Jesus. We must beware then of assuming that Nicodemus was acting in a cowardly fashion just because he came at night.

b.      The answer might be simply that both he and Jesus were busy during the day-time and that if he were to have any significant time with Jesus it would have to be once the business of the day had been dealt with. It was also the case that Rabbinic studies and debate would often take place in the evening going on sometimes long into the night.

c.       There is one further explanation which could help us understand just what is going on. Usually when John refers to the night he is not merely making a time reference but also a moral/spiritual judgment. The night is associated with darkness. As the story unfolds it is very clear that the spiritual condition of Nicodemus' own heart is one of darkness. He simply does not see or understand what Jesus says to him, Jesus seems to him to be talking about impossibilities.

 Nicodemus begins by addressing Jesus as a Rabbi. This is polite respect but it shows that he has no real understanding as to who Jesus really is. It seems that he is coming to Jesus to try to find out just what His credentials are. He wants to meet with Jesus so that he might evaluate Him.

That sounds reasonable enough doesn't it?

But who is Nicodemus to evaluate who Jesus is? What does he really know which would enable him to accurately assess the Son of God?

In responding to Nicodemus Jesus demonstrates the truth that has been expressed at the end of chapter 2. He knows all about people – He knows all about this man Nicodemus who in turn knows very little about Him!

There is no dilly-dallying around as Jesus responds to Nicodemus. Knowledge is the key here. Nicodemus has spoken of what he knows and now Jesus is about to tell him truths that he should have been in a position to understand but of which he hadn't the faintest inkling.

The subject Jesus tackles is that of the Kingdom of God and more specifically what is necessary if a man or a woman is to enter and enjoy the wonders of this Kingdom.

His opening sentence is simple and clear:

v.3 "“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

The OT did not use the expression Kingdom of God though it did speak very clearly about God reigning and ruling over all that He had made. However the OT did speak of a coming Kingdom, a kingdom that would come at the close of the age.

The ruler of this kingdom was variously described. He would be:

i.                    a son of David,

ii.                  the servant of the LORD

iii.                the LORD Himself

Thus the ruler was both identified with the LORD and differentiated from Him. (This is just like the description of the Word in Jn.1 where the Word is at one and the same time described as being God and with God.)

The theme of this kingdom was important to the Jews and to participate in it meant to experience eternal resurrection life.

But how does someone enter this Kingdom?

The predominant conviction in Jewish thought was that all Jews would be able to enjoy the blessings of Kingdom life with the exception only of those who committed deliberate apostasy or some other extreme wickedness. Thus a devout Pharisee like Nicodemus, a respected, conscientious Israelite and council member to boot would be confident of his place.

And as a Pharisee Nicodemus had doubtless taught other what he thought the conditions for entry into that kingdom were: he would have emphasised obedience to God's commands, devotion to God and submission to His will. In short he would have taught works-religion. He would have taught men what man had to do.

There are many in the UK who would think that Nicodemus was preaching the Christian message but he was a million miles from the truth!

Jesus made a broad sweeping statement that must have sounded on Nicodemus' ears like a seismic shock. In one brief sentence Jesus challenged his entire religious thought world and he is so stunned that he can't (won't?) take it in.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Entrance into the Kingdom depends not upon any work that man might do but on a prior condition being met that man can do nothing at all about. A man must be born again and this is a birth that only God can bring about. A man then is totally dependant upon God's intervention in his life – it is all about grace!

 The expression "born again" refers to the act of becoming a child of God as has already been spelt out in ch.1:

1:12-13 "But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God."

Jesus will go in this interview with Nicodemus to equate being born again with being born of the Spirit cf. vv.5+8.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God… So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

This comes as a bomb-shell to Nicodemus! If Nicodemus, with his knowledge, gifts, understanding, position and integrity cannot enter the promised kingdom by virtue of his understanding and works, what hope is there for anyone who seeks salvation along such lines?

The answer is none whatsoever.

Jesus here states that every man needs to undergo a radical transformation that can only be effected by the bursting in from another realm of the Spirit of God.

Natural birth, Jesus declared, gave birth to physical life but if spiritual life is to be known then a spiritual birth must take place. A man cannot save himself by adding a religious dimension to his existing life but rather a whole new quality of life must be imparted to him from outside.

Nicodemus is being forced out of his comfort zone. He has to start thinking outside the box of his familiar religious thoughts and he struggles to do so.

“How can these things be?” he asks v.9.

And yet the OT contained so much that should have prepared him to receive such truth. Jesus' question to him shows that he should have known better:

            "Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?"

Nicodemus was a man who taught others and should have known.

Sadly, this is true in many parts of the Christian world where there are teachers who teach but who themselves do not understand what it is that God is teaching in His Word. You must take care to listen to those who do know and understand God's truth. You must not receive the teaching of those who don't! That goes for all who preach and teach from this pulpit as well as to others!!

From his studies in the OT Nicodemus should have known and not been surprised by the following:

·         There is a great distance between God and man

·         Like produces like – eg. the creation account

·         The need for a God-given birth

·         The promise of a new heart

·         The promise of cleansing

·         The promise of the fullness of the Spirit

These things were to found in the Scriptures: Water was used for cleansing and the Spirit brought about heart transformation. There are several passages that teach this and they are clearly brought together in the prophecy of Ezekiel:

Ezek.36:25-27 "I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules."

Jeremiah taught along similar lines:

Jer.31:31-33 "Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people."

Ezekiel followed up on what he wrote in ch.36 with the remarkable ch.37 where he is called upon to preach to the valley of dry bones. As he does so the Spirit sets to work and new life is imparted to the lifeless dry bones!

There was plenty of evidence then in the OT, why did Nicodemus not understand then what Jesus was saying to Him?

The answer is straightforward and lays the blame not at the door of ignorance or lack of understanding alone. Nicodemus does not understand because he refuses the witness that Jesus brings.

Nicodemus didn't understand because at this particular moment he doesn't want to understand! He wants to evaluate Jesus but in his spiritual darkness he is in no position to do so. He too needs to be born again – a new spiritual life must be given to him and he must abandon fond dreams of being OK with God as he is!

Have you come to faith in Jesus-Christ? If you haven't it may be because you don't want to and you're merely dressing your refusal up in the more respectable terms of not understanding. Jesus words are crystal clear – you must be born again!

It is humbling to recognise one's complete and utter dependence upon God for salvation. Have you yet to realise that unless God intervenes powerfully and dramatically in your life whatever else you might be you are not bound for the Kingdom of God?  If you are not born again then you will never enjoy the delights of eternal life and resurrection life.

God must save and God alone. And hear this glorious news – God delights to save!

The dry dead bones in Ezekiel's day were humanly speaking an impossible congregation. What preacher could expect any response from such a collection of dry bones? I'll tell you. The preacher who preaches the Word of God!! Ezekiel was told what message to declare and what an apparently foolish message it was:

Ezek.37:4-6 "O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the LORD."

And as Ezekiel did so the Spirit acted: the bones came together, flesh recovered them and life was breathed into them.

The LORD explained the significance to Ezekiel a few verses later:

Ezek.37:14 "I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the LORD."

What is impossible with man is possible with God and He delights to give life and new birth and the instrument He chooses to use is the 'weak' instrument of preaching:

How glad we should be that the weakness of God is stronger than men and the foolishness of God wiser than men!

Peter could write in his first letter:

1Pet.1:23 "you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God;"

And Paul could declare that the gospel was the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes! He would later write that "faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ."

Friends "you must be born again." And may it please the LORD to grant new birth to us all.

Amen.