Today’s overview captures John 31-21, the crux of the message measures the heart of Nicodemus, the religious authority, realizing Jesus’ authority over the things only God can have authority over.
Note these things as we gather information today.
How we view the cross reveals our view of Jesus.
Is it a symbol of power and fear or what God used to erase the gap caused by sin?
The evil intent used to torture mankind God uses to erase the gap caused by sin.
The depth of love is measured by the value of the gift.
John 3:16 is everywhere! Sporting events, highway signs, buildings, yard signs, tattoos.
It may be the most recognizable post of Scripture anywhere…
Have you seen it? Once you see it you can’t unsee it. It’s like the car you bought because it caught your eye on the lot. Next week they’re everywhere. You can’t unsee that either!
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Let’s remember John’s goal for his writing, to adhere to the Spirit’s desire that the reader may believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and by believing you would have life in his name. Eternal life, a new birth, born of the spirit that never dies.
You may also remember that last week chapter 2 ended with these words:
“many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his name but Jesus would not entrust himself to them for he knew all men. He did not need man's testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man.
Scripture has no break in the original language… remember there were no sub-titles.
Immediately following that statement came the man, Nicodemus.
Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
For the record, Nicodemus is a Greek name, 2 words it means Victory – People or victorious among the people = conqueror.
We understand from John’s description that he was a member of the Sanhedrin, a ruling council of the ceremonial and moral law of the Jewish people. Maybe, no one more suited to approach Jesus about Old Testament statements.
And he came at night. Too busy in the day or Too nervous to be seen with Jesus? But he comes nonetheless.
Even if lightly sarcastic as some may think, his calling Jesus Rabbi, was a show of respect.
“Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
By his greeting of Jesus, there came the testimony of men Jesus did not need. Actually, Nicodemus wasn’t correct. Not all signs were God sent.
Pharaoh’s magicians turned sticks into snakes. There were diviners, sorcerers, those who consulted the dead. The witch at Endor. Paul warns us the same in 2 Thes 2:2-11
Jesus makes sure to remind the disciples of this Mt 24 many false Christs & false prophets “will come in my name” will perform great signs and wonders.
2 Thes 2 - Paul warns about the man of lawlessness – He will be in accordance with the work of Satan displaying all kinds of counterfeit miracles signs and wonders for this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie. And the reason because they refuse to love the truth and be saved.
They don't trust in God's goods purpose for their life – (They’re not alone, are they!)
Jesus responds… seemingly from left field -
3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
Jesus knows what Nicodemus knows, either he’s playing dumb or he’s really bewildered. But I think Nicodemus has a pure heart, truly in God’s service.
4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”
Nico must be a visual learner…
5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit[b] gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You[c] must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
Or what he’s hearing is blowing his mind, Nico knows the prophets, Ezek 36:25-27 says God will sprinkle them with water, change their hearts and lead them with a new spirit. Jer intimates that God will give them a new spirit as well. Nicodemus may be shocked to hear that the water of repentance or a ceremonial cleansing is due by him too. Or maybe he’s never connected the death God spoke to Adam and Eve to be spiritual only physical.
9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked. 10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? 11 Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony.
12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.
Now to the meat of the message: 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,
Lifted up. It’s a play on words, exalted, paid honor or respect- or lift up high.
The bronze snake was provided in the wilderness as an antidote to those who were bitten by the poisonous snakes.
Why were they bitten by poisonous snakes?
Because they did not trust God with their life in the desert. Their self-centeredness pushed them to impatience. They accused God of haphazard planning in bringing them out to the desert ill prepared. Their plight of no food or water brought them to a place they’d never been and not just in location. They may have been slaves and oppressed but they were slaves with full bellies and a place to rest their heads. Israel’s deliverer must be reeling at this point. As punishment for speaking against God and His servant, the Lord sent venomous snakes among them and many Israelites died. The people came to Moses in shame and repentance, “we have sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. They well remember the vow made at Sinai that they would do whatever the Lord commanded - they reneged, facing that they asked Moses to pray for them.
Regardless of the accusations against God and himself Moses intercedes for the multitude. God instructs Moses to fashion a bronze snake head, lift it high up on a pole and have the people look at it and they would be healed. The full account is in Numbers 21:4-9.
So, why was looking on the snake able to heal these people. They confessed their sin – in that they didn't trust God to deliver them. The wages of their sin was the poisonous bite. Looking on the snake was facing/acknowledging the sin that poisoned their relationship with God and with obedience, trusting him with the outcome. Another moment in our story that Paul speaks to in Ephesians 2, we read that in our call to worship, “8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.”
The Israelites were brought to a moment they realized they were powerless to save themselves, all that was left was to trust God. He is the One that is faithful. These now become the remnant God spoke of to Abraham.
What they got in the desert a glimpse of what the world saw on or around April 3 30AD when Jesus was lifted up high on the cross, except this was no bronze snake on a pole. It was God’s only Son! Battered and bruised, His skin was hanging off his body from the lashing of leather and cords laden with bones and shards of glass. His ribs were showing, gaunt from the loss of blood and the beating He took, partially just to appease His accusers. This was a real person, history testifies, on a real hill, in a real city, on a very real day, with real witnesses. The truth.
That was necessary in giving God's people who had sinned against him in the days they had been given. God’s grace never ceases to amaze me, just as in the garden with Adam and Eve, that there would be a moment where they could confess their sin and be forgiven. They saw the bronze snake; we see the cross. We look on Jesus nailed to the cross eliminating the space sin creates between US and God. As a sinful man nailed the sinful flesh, that we all have, to the cross.
That was the backbone of God’s plan. Knowing from the start we were broken.
Giving His creation, His Crowning glory, who had sinned against him by not believing in the one He had sent, in the days they had been given.
How we view the cross reveals our view of Jesus.
Is it a nice ornament or a reminder that Jesus is not on the cross but in your heart? Is that the place where the King of Glory took on our sin because God SO loved us, or just a cross on a building that you think nothing of?
1 Cor 1:18 - For those who are perishing the message of the cross is foolishness… But for those who are being saved, the message of the cross is life.
Is it a symbol of power and fear or what God used to erase the gap caused by sin?
Sin in the body presses close to the cross – no gaps.
Who will you serve, the cross or Jesus – death or Life.
Life chooses both – death only one.
The old rugged cross, where the dearest and best, for a world of lost sinners was slain.
The evil intent used to torture mankind God uses to erase the gap caused forgive our sin against Him.
The depth of love is measured by the value of the gift.
Now hear or read from John 3 what became so dear to us and a man named Nicodemus willing to trade his religion for a relationship with God in the flesh.
“15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.”
As Jesus’ life was emptied on the cross, God emptied the weapons darkness holds over us – sin, Guilt, shame & death.
Jesus sweeps away the rigors of religion, fostering relationships in life.
As those signs alarmed Nicodemus, believing is one thing, living it is another.
I can’t unsee that.
