“Encounters with Jesus: Nicodemus”
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ. Amen. About 50 years ago, most Christian denominations adopted a new
three-year cycle of Scripture readings for use in worship services. Not
all denominations follow such a system of appointed readings, but it is pretty
amazing that on most Sundays the readings used around the world, in Christian
churches of many different denominations, are the same. The first three Gospels in the New Testament, Matthew, Mark, and Luke,
are called the “synoptic” Gospels, meaning, “to see together,” “to have the same
point of view.” They are called synoptic because for the most part
Matthew, Mark, and Luke parallel each another very closely. The three year cycle of Scripture readings is based on these three
synoptic Gospels. Last year was Year A, with the Gospel Readings mostly
from Matthew. Next year will be Year C, with the Gospel Readings mostly
from Luke. And because Mark is the shortest Gospel, for the current Year
B, the Gospel Readings are taken from both Mark and John. According to tradition, the fourth Gospel was written last, by the aged
Apostle John, who was an eyewitness to many of these events. Whenever they
make a movie based on a book, they always have to leave out lots of things from
the book, because it just isn’t possible to squeeze it all in a two-hour movie.
In the same way, in the last verse of his Gospel, John explains to us that it
was likewise impossible for him to include in his account everything that had
happened during the three years of Jesus’ ministry: “Jesus did many other things
as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole
world would not have room for the books that would be written.” So, John leaves out some things which had already been reported by
Matthew, Mark, and Luke. But, John often adds unique material not found in
the other Gospels. It seems that in his Gospel, John wanted to fill in
things not already covered by the synoptic Gospels, and to leave for us a
personal account of his recollections as the last surviving Apostle. So, John’s Gospel is like a DVD “extended bonus edition”:
“Includes previously unreleased material.” A big part of this bonus
material in John is detailed stories of encounters Jesus had with particular
personalities. Several of these prominent characters occur only in John’s
“bonus” edition. Others appear in the synoptic Gospels, but in John we
have much more detailed descriptions of their encounters with Jesus. Beginning today and for the next several weeks we are going to be
looking four such “Encounters with Jesus” recorded in the Gospel of John: Mary,
Martha and Lazarus; the Man Born Blind; the Woman at the Well; and, from this
morning’s Gospel Reading: “Now there was a man of the Pharisees named
Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night.” The first question is: Why did Nicodemus come to Jesus at all? In
the previous chapter of John, Jesus for the first time, at the beginning of his
ministry, did something he would do again three years later at the end of his
ministry, on Monday of Holy Week: “In the temple courts he found men selling
cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So
he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the Temple area, both sheep and
cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their
tables. To those who sold doves he said, ‘Get these out of here! How dare
you turn my Father’s house into a market!’ His disciples remembered that
it is written: ‘Zeal for your house will consume me.’” Needless to say, his zeal did not endear this rabble rousing rabbi to
the authorities operating the Temple. So, why is it, probably later that
same day, that one them, Nicodemus, comes to see him? Some think Nicodemus was a spy, like those we are told were later sent
by the religious authorities, “looking for a reason to accuse Jesus,” and trying
to “catch him in his words.” But, I think Nicodemus was sincere. I
think Jesus’ very stern preaching of the Law in the Temple earlier that day had
hit home with Nicodemus. That also answers the second question: Why he is coming to Jesus “at
night,” under the cover of darkness? Because he doesn’t want his fellow
Pharisees and members of the ruling council, the Sanhedrin, to know that he
actually agrees with this rabble rousing rabbi. “Rabbi,” he begins, “we know you are a teacher who has come from God.
For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with
him.” Who does Nicodemus mean when he says, “WE know you are a teacher who
has come from God”? One of the other features of John’s Gospel is that these personalities,
these characters he focuses on, in telling us the life of Christ, often appear
again, later in the story. So, in the seventh chapter of John we meet
Nicodemus again, this time boldly defending Jesus before his fellow members of
the Sanhedrin. And in the 19th chapter, John writes: “Later, Joseph of
Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of
Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews. With Pilate’s permission, he
came and took the body away. He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who
earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and
aloes, about seventy-five pounds. Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped
it, with the spices, in strips of linen.” Luke tells us that Joseph of Arimathea was also, “a member of the
Council, a good and upright man, who had not consented to their decision and
action” to condemn Jesus to death. So, Jesus had at least two friends on
the Sanhedrin, who eventually became his followers. It seems to me that is
what Nicodemus means, and he is sincere, when he says, “Rabbi, WE know you are a
teacher who has come from God.” Everyone knew the high priest was a scoundrel, in it only for the
money. He HAD turned the Temple into a marketplace. This state of
affairs sickened people like Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea. It was
shameful, and time to do something about it. Perhaps God had sent this new
teacher to set things straight. But, they still don’t quite understand Jesus isn’t just a rabble
rousing rabbi. He isn’t even just, as Nicodemus says, “a teacher who has
come from God.” He is THE Teacher sent from God. The promised
Prophet, the long-awaited Messiah, the Son of God, and Savior of the world. As a Pharisee, Nicodemus studied the Old Testament Scriptures
continually, and he knew them thoroughly. But, for all his knowledge of
the Scriptures, he didn’t really understand them. Because, he and the
other Pharisees had forgotten what these Scriptures were really all about.
As Jesus told them, “You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that
by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about
me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” Nicodemus and the other Pharisees thought they didn’t need a Savior,
because they smugly believed they could and would save themselves, earn for
themselves eternal life. But, earlier that day, Jesus’ stern preaching of
the Law as he cleared the Temple was like a needle that had punctured and burst
Nicodemus’ inflated, self-righteous ego. Perhaps for the first time in his
life, this unsettling event left Nicodemus with doubts: Was he righteous?
Had he done enough? Would he possess eternal life? Or, was he one of
those hypocrites this new teacher denounced? Nicodemus was coming to Jesus with the same question as the rich young
man recorded in the synoptic Gospels: “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit
eternal life?” In response to that question, Nicodemus was probably
expecting Jesus that night to do what all the other rabbis did: Give him an
annotated list of do’s and don’ts, some extra assignments he can do for
spiritual extra credit. In the verse right before today’s Gospel Reading, John says about
Jesus, “He did not need man’s testimony about man, for he knew what was in a
man.” So, Jesus already knows why Nicodemus has come, and that is where
Jesus immediately turns the conversation: “In reply Jesus declared, ‘I tell you
the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.’” Jesus knows Nicodemus is still thinking that he can do it himself.
If only this new teacher from God will give him the rules and regs he has to
follow, he can do it, he can make himself righteous, he can earn his own
salvation. That’s why Jesus hits him right off with something he can’t do,
as Nicodemus immediately recognizes: “How can a man be born when he is
old? Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be
born!” That is exactly the point of the Biblical imagery of being “born
again.” Babies don’t choose to be born. Their life is a gift from
their parents. In the same way, spiritual rebirth is a gift from above,
from your heavenly Father. “‘You are Israel’s teacher,’ Jesus says, ‘and
do you not understand these things?’” Jesus now points Nicodemus back to a story from the Scriptures he is so
familiar with: “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.” Nicodemus knows all about this incident from the Old Testament, but he
doesn’t know its true meaning—until now. It is a picture prophecy of how
the Messiah will earn salvation, with his death on the cross. “The Son of
Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever
believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Through the preaching of the Law, Jesus has brought Nicodemus to the
realization that he is a sinner, who cannot save himself. Now, Jesus
proclaims to him the beautiful Gospel, the wholly unexpected answer to the
question Nicodemus came with that night, “What must I do to be saved?”
For, the answer is not more bad news, of what we must do, but the Good News, of
what God has done for us in sending his Son. “For God did not send his Son
into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” It was this Good News that changed Nicodemus. Here in John
chapter three, “He came to Jesus at night,” because he started out afraid even
to be seen going to Jesus. By chapter seven, he is boldly defending Jesus
within the Sanhedrin. And by chapter 19, he is even more bold lovingly
helping to bury Jesus’ body. The Good News of John 3:16 led Nicodemus from timid fear to bold faith
in Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God, his Savior. John 3:16 is also
God’s Good News for you. For God so loved YOU that he gave his only
begotten Son. Believe in him and you shall not perish but have eternal
life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn you, but to
save you through him. How grief-stricken Nicodemus must have been as he helped Joseph of
Arimathea arrange Jesus’ body in Joseph’s tomb. No doubt Nicodemus
remembered sadly that first encounter with Jesus three years before. But,
what an extraordinary joy it must have been when Nicodemus heard that the body
he had laid in Joseph’s tomb was no longer there—that his Savior Jesus Christ
had risen from the dead! That first encounter with Jesus led Nicodemus to an eternity with him,
and it is the same with you. Through your encounters with Jesus, in his
Word, in Baptism, in Communion, he will take you to encounter him forever in
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