Johns
gospel is woven through with themes of the "I ams. I am the door, I am the
good shepherd, I am the Light of the world" and signs and wonders. This
story of Nicodemus and Jesus is only found in John’s gospel and is placed after
the cleansing of the temple and the end-comment that “he entrusted himself to
no-one” and before the encounter with the Samaritan woman. It could be said to
illustrate that Jesus was the Messiah. I am the Messiah, the Son of God.
Nicodemus
was a Pharisee, representing those Jews of high office who thought Jesus is
maybe ok but has problems with some of his words and actions. Why did he come
at night? So he wouldn’t be seen? Was it that he wanted it to be a secret that
he’d sought out Jesus? Did he come at night so as not to be seen and appear and
disappear back into the shadows or did he come at night because it was the only
time he could catch Jesus alone and have a conversation with him? Jesus, we
recall has caused a disturbance in the temple so he will already be regarded as
a dangerous person.
"We
know" Nicodemus says. This is Pharisees-speak, the royal "we",
"that God has sent you", because Jesus can perform signs and
therefore God is with him. Interestingly we never discover either exactly why
he has made this visit or what he really wants to ask Jesus. Have you ever
noticed how people who feel superior to you start with statements? He
recognises Jesus only as a teacher, as someone sent by God, but not as the
Messiah.
Jesus
talks to him about being "born again from above". Nicodemus says
"How can a grown man be born a second time?" Jesus uses language
describing a "washing of the Spirit". "Don’t be surprised at
what I say to you. The 'ruach' ( Hebrew) , the breath of God, blows where it
wants. The Spirit of God is not controlled by Pharisees, by legalists. We
cannot box it in!
Nicodemus
is scathing. "How can things like this happen? "Don't you understand
these things?" responds Jesus, critical of Nicodemus' inability (and
Rabbinic scholarship) to understand what he is talking about ".
"Everyone who looks to Jesus, believing in him may have eternal
life". The purpose of the lifting up of Christ on the cross is that the
believer may have eternal life. As Moses lifted high the serpent in the desert,
so must the Son of Man be lifted up, in order that everyone who trusts in Him
may have Eternal Life- a central term in this gospel and used for the first
time here.
Nicodemus
displays his ignorance with his sarcastic response about it being impossible to
be born again. "The wind blows where it chooses" says Jesus.
Nicodemus quite clearly does not believe in him.
Nicodemus
is a typically pious Jew, a Pharisee. For Nicodemus, entering the kingdom of
God and being approved by God, is obtained by obedience to the Law (the 10
commandments etc and more laws in the Old Testament). As a Jew, he is one of
Gods chosen people but they needed to be obedient to the Law. The Law led to
holiness, it restrained evil and
shaped perfection in Gods people. Jesus opposes this view. The way to stand
approved before God requires a spiritual rebirth by the power of God. No
law-keeping can achieve this, rather it is only something God can do for us.
Eternal life is a gift of God and is given to everyone who believes even to a
terrorist or a paedophile!
Unless the Church
rediscovers the Spirit in whatever form, it will continue to die as we know it.
Its rituals without the Spirit are pure legalism. The call to the churches at
this time is to change and so to be the church for the 21st century. To embrace
the Spirit we may lose respectability, our pensions but it will be a happier
ride!
