Every Good & Perfect Gift
Notes
Transcript
We’re in the Gospel of John, and we’ve already noticed some pretty profound differences compared to the other three Gospels we have in our Bibles. Matthew, Mark, and Luke record a lot of what is not included in the Gospel of John. Roughly 70% of what we have in the Gospel of John is not included in any of the other three.
One of the characteristics of John is his focus on private conversations. Whereas the other Gospels often show Jesus preaching or teaching large groups, John chooses to focus on private conversations rather than those public discourses.
It’s the end of the day, it’s night, and Nicodemus comes to Jesus for a conversation. Now much has been made of why he came at night. In our Bible studies this past week it was brought up that he came at night because he was trying to be secretive, because he was in fear of being found out. This is a great time to remind us of the difference between interpretation and observation. Let’s look at the text specifically: John 3:2
This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”
The only observation we can make at this point is that he came by night. For our interpretations we begin with, “It could be…”
It could be that he was afraid of being found out.
It could be that he wanted to approach Jesus when he wasn’t surrounded by crowds.
It could be that he’d had a busy day and this is the only time he was free.
It could be that he wanted to have an extended conversation with Jesus alone.
Since the text here doesn’t specifically say each of these is interpretation. A support that it was fear of the other Pharisees comes to us in chapter 12:42 where we read: Jn 12:42
Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue;
Yet here, all we know is that he came by night. Some scholars point out the symbolic overtone of spiritual darkness. Nicodemus is seemingly in the dark as to the message of Jesus, the light of the world.
This conversation is likely a much larger conversation than the one we have recorded here, so this stands as a summary if you will of the conversation they had that night.
There’s something about the stillness of night that invites reflection and deep thoughts. I remember many late night discussions over pizza in college, around campfires at camp, or lying under the stars while hiking that moved from light hearted laughter to diving into deeper topics about how God designed our paths and the meaning of life. Jesus shared profound truths with His disciples during their night-time talks. These genuine interactions remind us that God often speaks through our late-night ponderings, blending joy with revelation.
That’s what we have happening here in our passage. Nicodemus comes to Jesus one Rabbi to another and affirms that he sees God is with Him. John 3:3
Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
This is a key point - don’t miss it. It’s like the author put it in bold or italics with the repetition of Truly, truly - “unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” But, how can someone be born again? Nicodemus asks.
Each of Jesus answers is longer than the one before. He is building. Here He speaks of being born of water and the spirit recalling the imagery 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.
The heart change needs to happen, but still Nicodemus isn’t getting it. “How can this be?” To which Jesus expands upon it in the longest response so far. He contrasts the things of earth and the things of heaven, pointing us to focus on things above. Jesus speaks of His own credibility as one having come from heaven, and foreshadows the purpose for which he has come in reminding them of how Moses lifted up the serpent and that he would be lifted up pointing us to the cross and ultimately resurrection and exhaltation to glory in heaven.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
This is the most famous summary of the gospel in the Bible, God’s great love for the entire κόσμος and gift of His only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
The Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, 2 Cor 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
Jesus then speaks to the judgment: John 3:19
And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.
This is the condition of the human heart. Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” And we know it. Few would try and profess that their actions are ALWAYS good. Jesus gets to the reality that our hearts love the darkness - that is our human condition.
We need that renewal. We need that rebirth. We need that cleansing. We need that change that Paul asserts to the Corinthians and that Ezekiel spoke of to Israel. We need these stony hearts to bne removed and replaced with a heart of flesh. We need God’s spirit to be put into us that we might not only desire to - but be able to - walk in God’s ways.
Yet we must guard ourselves against our own human nature. We tend to be very short sighted. We tend to seek what feels good int he moment. People will say, the heart wants what the heart wants. Yet the Scriptures say, Jer 17:9
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick;
Proverbs reminds us: Prov 18:12
Before his downfall a man’s heart is proud, but humility comes before honor.
Perhaps John the Baptist said it best in the latter part of John 3, when he says in verse 30, John 3:30
He must increase, but I must decrease.”
If you’re trying to figure out if your actions are demonstrating your change of heart the key question is, “Is this glorifying God?”
I have a good friend who God has blessed incredibly in his business ventures. At one point he was approached with the opportunity to invest in a winery. I’ll never forget when he shared with me his decision process. He said, “I told them I wasn’t interested in anything that didn’t further God’s kingdom.” He then told me that the reality was “The winery business is ripe for the harvest.” His business is his evangelism tool.
Over the past couple of decades it has been a treat for me to be able to hear the conversations and conversions he’s had.
What are you doing?
Where is your circle of influence?
Is your relationship with Christ a part of the conversation?
A pastor/mentor/friend of mine used to always ask me and my friends, “How’s your soul?” It’s a great question for us to ask of ourselves.
How’s your soul?
How’s your soul?
Is your soul tired?
Is your soul hurt?
Is your soul hungry?
Soul care is important. It is a part of self care. We need to rest - there’s the importance of Sabbath. We need to give our soul time and space to heal allowing the Great Physician in. Is your soul hungry? Feed and feast on God’s Word. Taste and see that the Lord is Good.
In Christ we are new creations. In Christ we are new. In Christ we are no longer the person we were before. It’s easy to beat ourselves up about our pasts, and though we may still bear the consequences of sinful decisions in our past but if those sins are confessed they are forgiven. We have been redeemed.
In Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount he implored us Mt 6:33
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Paul wrote to the Colossian church, Col 3:1-3
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
It’s not the darkness of legalism as the Pharisees so often presented it. We’re invited out of the darkness, to come as Nicodemus did to Jesus and to know the light.
John’s focus in his Gospel is to remind us that Jesus meets us in these private conversations. Jesus is inviting you, each one of you, into knowing Him personally. It’s not just going along with a crowd holding to a list of beliefs. It’s personal. It’s direct. He invites us into His light.
He is in every good and perfect gift, because Jesus is the good and perfect gift.
All to God’s glory! AMEN
