Encounters With Jesus

PRAY

Welcome

We’re starting a new series this half-term on Friday’s called - Encounters with Jesus.

And first up is Nicodemus

John 3:1–21 (NIV)

Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 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.”

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”

…at this point Nocodemus get’s really confused as to why Jesus is talking about getting back inside their mothers belly to be born again!

but let’s look down to v16 where John who wrote about this account gives us an explanation of why he included this encounter with Jesus..

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. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 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. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 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.

Imagine - as was the case in Jesus’ day - that there was no electricty at all!

No lights, nothing.

What would you do at night time?

So it’s odd isn’t it, that Nicodemus goes looking for Jesus at night, v2

Why would he do that - he could have talked to him at any point in the day - why wait till darkness?

And that’s what Nicodemus is doing in our passage today

- he’s hiding - he’s literally keeping things in the dark

He wants to sort of know more about Jesus

but he’s

Looking for Jesus in the Dark!

Nicodemus, a member of the ruling council of Jewish leaders -

doesn’t want anyone to see him even talking to Jesus!

He might loose his position as a Jewish leader,

his friends might turn on him,

his peers might laugh or bully him.

He’s not really prepared to follow or believe in Jesus.

Because he’s more worried about his reputation, his job, who he is.

I wonder if you’re sometimes more interested in your own life being how you want it -

rather than in the truth that we need Jesus.

It’s like living in the dark to protect your self,

Nicdemus is hiding his sin,

he wants a way out

rather than risking giving it all up for Jesus - and coming to him in the light.

Perhaps we don’t want to admit our sin to Jesus - so we keep away from his light?

John uses the darkness of Nicodemus’s visit to Jesus to represent the darkness he is living in.

John 3:19–21 NIV

This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 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.

Because Nicodemu is in the dark spiritually (and literally), he can’t see the light of Jesus.

John 3:2 (NIV)

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.”

Nicodemus is way of the mark,

and coming to Jesus at night symbolises his blindness to the real truth.

He just thinks Jesus is a good teacher!

He doesn’t realise he’s actually talking to God himself!

If we’re in the dark we can’t see the truth!

Game - Blind fold - what am I holding up?

To know Jesus we need to take off our blindfolds!

You see if we look for Jesus in the dark - hiding who you truly are - not admitting your sin to Jesus - too embarrassed or scared of what other will think - we can never find him.

We actually need to come to Jesus in the light.

Where we don’t hide who we are,

we show Jesus everything about us.

Our sin, our rude words,

our unkindness to parents or friends,

our laziness,

the bad things we do online.

When we bring those things to Jesus in the light,

he will then save us,

give us eternal life,

make it possible to believe in him,

John 3:16 NIV

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.

So, what have we learnt from Nicodemus?

If we truly want to know Jesus, we can’t come to him in the dark,

We must come to him,

admit our sin, say we’re sorry,

give him our life.

and then we can believe and have eternal life.

Pray