God Exposes

Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 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.” Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 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. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

John 3:1-1

Nicodemus- he represented the best of His nation

Pharisee- teacher of the law- a religious leader

ruler of the people- judge

sanhedrin- The high court of the Jews, presided over by the high priest. Its 71 members included chief priests, elders and teachers of the law.

The high court of the Jews, presided over by the high priest. Its 71 members included chief priests, elders and teachers of the law.

yet his interaction with Jesus did something in life that changed him

Nicodemus rebukes His fellow pharisees for condemning Jesus to death without Hearing Him

Manser, M. H. (2009). Dictionary of Bible Themes: The Accessible and Comprehensive Tool for Topical Studies. London: Martin Manser.

we see Nicodemus bring 75 pounds our spices and aloes to burry Jesus.

What happened in this encounter with Christ that Changed him?

Jesus says two things first off

“you must be born again” and “of water and Spirit.”

You see up until this point Nicodemus had lived a life that he had built

it was His accomplishments that got him to this status where he was ruling over people.

a lot of it probably had to do with a birthright more then anything else

but Jesus says you must be born again

you must lay down all those things that you have built your life upon

Philippians 3:3–9 ESV

For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh— though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—

when we try to build this life on our own we are left with a void and we try to fill it with more things

more relationships

more friends

more things

more selfies

but christ came to expose our motives and our hearts

Nicodemus had built a kingdom of himself much like Paul had

and we do the same thing

we built our lives by our actions and by the opinions of others

our kingdoms often look completely different

Nicodemus had the life- he lacked nothing

money

power

but yet something was missing

we see the women at the well and we see the kingdom she had built

passed around by guys

no value

no friends

alone

but yet Jesus meets her and changes everything for her too

John 3:16–21 ESV

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 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. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

verse 16- God’s motivation towards people is love

the reason why He came- it is a gift for all

Ephesians 2:8 ESV

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

Eph

Romans 6:23 ESV

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 3:24 ESV

and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

God motive is our Gift- love

Jesus challenges everything that Nicodemus believed

John 3:17 ESV

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

the Pharisees ruled over the people and brought condemnation on them

Luke 18:9–14 ESV

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

but Jesus says God doesn’t want condemnation but to save the world

when christians start condemning the world we have missed the heart of God

the Pharisees had missed the heart of God

Romans 8:3 ESV

For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,

rom

Christ came to condemn sin not people

Romans 8:32 ESV

He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

God doesn’t delight in the death of the “wicked”- or those who are still lost

Ezekiel 18:23 ESV

Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?

Ezk18:

Ezekiel 18:32 ESV

For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn, and live.”

Ezek

and he even says to the Pharisees

Matthew 9:11–13 ESV

And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Verse 18- Light has come into the world

light exposes

John 1:4–5 ESV

In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

For Nicodemus it exposes that He didn’t even know God- he was stuck in the darkness of a religious system

For

when we encounter Christ it exposes us

it expose the wicked things we have done

it exposes that we aren’t good enough and we fall short

but is also exposes who we are in christ

in Him was life-

there is a life in Christ for us that goes way beyond what this world offers

and it speaks truth were our own thoughts and emotions fail us

The women at the well- light exposed that

she was valued- God met her

she wasn’t what her past actions made her

she was offered the free gift of a new life

Her identity wasn’t what everybody else told her

but her identity was is Christ

2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Jesus also said born “of Water and Spirit”

water- repentance

Romans 6:4–7 ESV

We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin.

Romans 6:

we are no longer enslaved to the old ways

we don’t do the same-things

and we don’t think the same thoughts

we say God I’m sorry for the lies that i have believed and that I allowed to tell me who am.

Spirit- Holy spirit who is at work in our lives

John 3:8 ESV

The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

John 3:8

as the spirit of God does the work in our lives what we find is the old things that we were enslaved to have no control over us anymore

Galatians 5:22–25 ESV

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.

Gal 5:

this new life replaces the old with New fruit

the spirit of God moves in our lives even though we might not see it like a self help book