New Life – New Birth – New You

John 3:1–21 LEB

1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees whose name was Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to him at night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one is able to perform these signs that you are performing unless God were with him.” 3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly I say to you, unless someone is born from above, he is not able to see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is an old man? He is not able to enter into his mother’s womb for the second time and be born, can he?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly I say to you, unless someone is born of water and spirit, he is not able to enter into the kingdom of God. 6 What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘It is necessary for you to be born from above.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from and where it is going. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” 9 Nicodemus answered and said to him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and you do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly I say to you, we speak what we know, and we testify about what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony! 12 If I tell you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 And no one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven—the Son of Man. 14 And just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, thus it is necessary that the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.” 16 For in this way God loved the world, so that he gave his one and only Son, in order that everyone who believes in him will not perish, but will have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world in order that he should judge the world, but in order that the world should be saved through him. 18 The one who believes in him is not judged, but the one who does not believe has already been judged, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: that the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone who practices evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds be exposed. 21 But the one who practices the truth comes to the light, in order that his deeds may be revealed, that they are done in God.

Pharisees

Pray

Nicodemus the Pharisee

Often get a bad rap because Jesus is really hard on them. But I believe that the reason he is the hardest on them is because they are the closest to being right. They just became to religious and got caught up in tradition to much that they as a group had a hard time Seeing Jesus for what he was. So they mistrusted Him.

One think I try to remind myself and many of us here is that many of us would have been Pharisees. They were the “good” jews of the time. They were the ones who went to church every Sunday and Tuesday and Tithed and followed the rules to the best of their abilities. The Pharisees just lost Their way. They added on to the scriptures and turned wonderful passages in to checklist. They had made themselves so heavenly they were no earthly good.

We have to be careful that we don’t loose are way.

They questioned Jesus.

They saw him as a heretic.

They were all about religion. Which religion is a good thing but has to be coupled with faith and relationship and love. We can’t do away with religion. When we do away with faith its also a bad thing. They were spiritually bankrupt though religiously faithful.

I wonder how many of us Christians would fall under the category of being Spiritually bankrupt but religiously faithful.

Are we open to see what God is doing, while resisting the teachings of the world?

Under the Night Sky

Nicodemus represents the men who specialize in the law, who led in synagogue worship and instruction. And he comes to Jesus and we have a snippet of their conversation. Just the bit that we need. We see here that Nicodemus believes in Jesus, so not all the Pharisees are the bad guys.

This Pharisee came at night to hide his actions? Or is this just when men talked about these things?

It doesn’t really matter.

It was night, under the stars. This is a fitting place to talk about new life. In the darkness before the dawn when things are asleep and we can look up and think about the past and the future. When a philosophical man (I can only speak from experience) looks up into the sky it’s a place for thinking thoughts a big as the sky above.

The stories of the consolations prove that we look up to think about where we have been and where we are going. Too much light pollution can be more than just bad for our physical health. I can only imagine it then and there. Look up and see the milky way which I have seen (just not here). Look up and see light that takes years to reach our eyes. The sky alive with light that isn’t from the ground. And these men meet to talk about new life about being born again

Being born into the true light. The light of God And not the darkness of the world. That hides the light. Joining a new family.

What a challenge that would be. In antiquity the extended family meant everything. It was the source of Honor, Primary economic unit, Religious education and social network. Loss of family was a loss of these vital connections. A loss of connection to the land, To a person already detached. To outcast this was welcome refuge.

But to someone like Nicodemus a well-connected elite, It meant breaking the connection of life and joining a new connection. It would cost dearly,

And that is what Jesus offers. A rebirth. A new life that might cost you giving up old habit. Giving up friend. Giving up your dependencies on the world. Giving up your chains to slavery. Giving up your comfort zone

For some it is a welcome. A way of rejoining a family. Rejoining community.

He offers new life

Next Steps - A New Life

Some of you here might need to accept that new life even though it will cost you your old life

ABC

Some of you are still cling to your old life. Not really want to give it up. God has a new life that won’t fully happen while you are holding on to the past.

Why did Abraham have to leave his family behind?

Why did the Jews have to leave Egypt?

Why did Jesus have to die?

New life won’t happen till you leave the old behind.

Some of you need to accept new people into the family. You have been family so long hard to look at anyone new as joining. Need to open your doors like you do for the rest of the family.

Some of you have been in this “new life” so long that its become stale you need renewal. You need get out of your comfort zone and remember the love of your youth. When you first became a believer. We have a new life and we need to accept it and magnify it and enjoy it and LIVE in it not just be in it But truly LIVE. Lots of religious speak of rebirth. We don’t have to wait until we die to experience our new life. It is here for you now. If you will live it. If you will believe in it. If you will accept it. If you will remember it

Pray