In John 3 Nicodemus - a pharisee - comes to see Jesus. He is curious. He has seen Jesus at work and believes that Jesus must be from God. He comes at night, and there is some debate as to whether that was to not be seen meeting with Jesus, or simply if this was the only time he thought he could get close enough to have this conversation and not be surrounded by the crowds. Either way this conversation gives us the most often quoted verse in the entire Bible - John 3:16. A verse so simple and widely known that people who never darken the doors of a church building can quote it, and yet at the same time a verse so vastly deep that it contains the entire Gospel in this one sentence. Yet, as I read this conversation that verse, that sentence is not the main point that Jesus is talking to Nicodemus about.
The main point is what Jesus says back in verse 3 - "no one can see the Kingdom of God, unless he is born again." John 3:16 explains why and how God makes it possible for us to be born again, but if we skip ahead to just verse 16 and miss verse 3 and all of the conversation in between then we have missed something incredibly important, and sadly many well intentioned folks in the church do just that. We come to Jesus and we read about how he loves us, how that is why Jesus was sent into the world, that He was given for us, so that we can believe in Him and have eternal life. But they just see all of that as an addition or an improvement to their current life. They just see it as something to add to who they already are, but that isn't what Jesus has been talking to Nicodemus about. He tells Nicodemus that he needs to be born again, that he needs to have an entirely new life. Nicodemus apparently has a little bit of Drax from Guardians of the Galaxy in him because he takes this idea literally at first - asking how can this be, surely a man cannot enter his mother's womb a second time. This has always been a very funny picture in our family. I am 6'5", my mother is 5'4", being born again in that manner would require some serious clown car magic. But of course that is not what Jesus is talking about - He is talking about a spiritual birth. He is talking about making us into a new creation, the old passing away, the new beginning as we are filled with His Spirit and begin to live a new life.
Often this is an easier concept for those with a more "dramatic" testimony. The people who have Saul on the Damascus road type changes in their life. But sometimes for people who grew up in the church, or who were relatively "good" people this idea becomes harder to grasp, and I imagine that might have been the case for Nicodemus. He is a well educated, religious man. Everything we know about him points to him being an upstanding citizen and a good person in most people's eyes. And I think there has to be some sense for him, and people like that, to ask themselves - is my life really so bad that I need a totally new one? Can't Jesus just come in and add a little, help fix the areas that could use a little help, do some touch-ups here and there? But do I really need a totally new life? Jesus answer is absolutely YES. Because no matter how good or bad you might be - it is still your life - and unless you have His life, unless you are born again with His Spirit - then it won't get you into the Kingdom of God, you won't get to see it unless you are born again.
Now, none of us remembers what it is like to be born the first time - thankfully. And I personally have no idea what it is like to give birth - also rather thankful for that - all you mothers are amazing. But I have seen both of my children be born and I can tell you this - it wasn't easy, and it wasn't comfortable. If my first birth wasn't easy or comfortable - why do we so often act like our second birth is going to be easy and comfortable? Yes God loves us - that's the reason He sent Jesus - and as verse 17 says Jesus came to save us - it is all good, awesome, amazing stuff. But He didn't do that just to improve the life we already had. He came to give us a totally new life, one that will require us to let go of the old one. One that will require us to do some difficult and uncomfortable growing at times. But it is a life that will last for eternity. An eternity we get to spend with the God who loves us and gave himself for us. We don't know how Nicodemus responded that night to his conversation with Jesus, but we do see him later on in the story of Jesus life. He stands up for Jesus and tries to encourage his fellow religious leaders to actually talk with the man before condemning him, and when that condemnation eventually comes anyway, Nicodemus is one of the men who cares for Jesus body after the cross, who helps bury him in that tomb. Of course we know that Jesus didn't stay there long - He came out with a new life, and He offers that new life to us, to all of those who would believe in Him.
Love you guys - see you soon.
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