Hear Jesus

A while back I discovered a channel on YouTube that I’ve really been enjoying called TFL Off-road. On this channel these guys take off-road vehicles on some of the most intense trails in Colorado and Texas and California to see how they perform.

My wife has been nearby reading while I’ve been watching some of these, and there are times when they will talk about the technical details of the vehicle–the front and rear lockers, the detachable sway bar, the articulation, etc. After one of these technical explanations, without even looking up from the book she was reading, she says, “That’s not English that he just spoke there.”

Sometimes for the lost, that can be their response to the gospel. It can be communicated to them with directness, it can be communicated to them in metaphors, it can come through parables, it can come through the four spiritual laws, but they just don’t get it.

We’re going to meet a man named Nicodemus in our passage this week, and at least initially, that was his response to JESUS.

Though he was conversing one-on-one with Him, face-to-face, Nicodemus didn’t really hear JESUS.

Last week we looked at how the Pharisees missed seeing Jesus and how we can avoid the same fate. This week let’s make sure that we’ve not only seen Jesus but heard Jesus too.

Body:

John 3:1–2 ESV

1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 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.”

This interaction with Nicodemus marks the beginning of a series of conversations that Jesus will have with people all in need of the same thing but coming from very different backgrounds.

Nicodemus the Pharisee (John 3:1-21)

The Samaritan Woman (John 4:1-26)

The Official from Capernaum (John 4:43-53)

The Paralytic at Bethesda (John 5:1-15)

The first one we meet is a member of the ruling party of the Jews named, Nicodemus.

V. 1 “Now” Greek de

“And” = Nicodemus personified those who followed Jesus because of his signs; those who believed Jesus but who Jesus would not believe in return.

“But” = Nicodemus was distinct from those

“Now” = Nicodemus happened to come to Jesus around the same time as these other events John had been recording

What we know about Nicodemus: Not much

Pharisee (John 3:1)

Experts in the law who placed a great deal of importance on piety and observance

Emerged during the Hasmonean time period (135-105 B.C.)

Concerned about the rising influence of Hellenism, the Pharisees initially focused on preserving the law and the distinct nature of Judaism against what they saw as the corrupting influence of the Hellenistic culture

Ruler of the Jews (John 3:1)

A reference to his position in the Sanhedrin: the ruling party of the Jews made up of both the Pharisees and Sadducees.

The Sanhedrin oversaw political, religious, and legal affairs for the Jewish people

It was purported (very questionably) to have roots as far back as Moses and his 70 elders (Num 11:16)

More likely, it had its birth during the time of Ezra and Nehemiah where there is a reference to a community of Jewish priests serving on a council (Neh 2:16)

Eventually, the Pharisees became the domineering body in the Sanhedrin replacing the influence of the priests (76-67 B.C. Under Queen Alexandra)

In 47 B.C. Caesar declared that the High Priest and the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem would have authority over the affairs of the Jewish nation

By the time of Christ, the Sanhedrin was the highest court and authority for a Jew and was made up of a combination of chief priests (Sadducees) and Pharisees.

Smaller governing bodies throughout Palestine were also referred to as the Sanhedrin, but here we are speaking of the main body in Jerusalem

Teacher of Israel (John 3:10)

A title of respect and accomplishment

Nicodemus was no bit player

“You’re the tenured professor and you don’t know this?!”

Advocates for Jesus (John 7:50-51)

Shows up at the tomb (John 19:39)

John 3:2 ESV

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.”

There’s some speculation involved as to why Nicodemus came to Jesus at night, but I favor the position that he was uncertain of what his colleagues might have thought.

Though still not a convert even after this encounter with Jesus, I believe we are seeing the early signs of life beginning to emerge from Nicodemus’ heart. (Carson: His own “night” was blacker than he knew)

“Rabbi” (John 3:2)

The same greeting from the disciples of John

“unless God is with him.” (John 3:2)

Simply a recognition that based on his presence and the things he was doing, God must be “with” Jesus as He had been with the great leaders of Israel in the past.

Here you have one of the highest ranking religious officials in Israel coming to Jesus at least with some piqued interest or curiosity. It seems likely, based on the rest of his life, that this was the beginning stage of God drawing Nicodemus to himself. But if there ever was a person you would think would have it all together when it came to his place before God. Nicodemus would have been that guy...

P1: Realize Jesus is for Everyone (vv. 1-2)

I think we understand this more easily when it comes to thinking of ourselves than we do about our neighbors, bosses, coworkers, family members, etc.

We allow the fear of man to keep us from sharing the gospel with someone and though we may doctrinally agree with this point that Jesus is for everyone, we functionally deny its practical application in our lives.

You may have a friend who is a nice guy and says he goes to church, but you’ve not ever asked him about his testimony.

You may have a coworker who you’ve written off as someone who would never be interested in the gospel.

You may have a neighbor who has made hostile comments about God or Christians, and so you’ve concluded that bringing up Jesus with him wouldn’t be helpful.

Everyone needs Christ.

Philippians 3:3–8 ESV

3 For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh— 4 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: 5 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; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. 7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 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

END P1

Nicodemus had invited some response from JESUS.

He had alluded to the signs he had done and made the statement that God must be with him as he had been with Moses or Joshua or David or one of the prophets.

So he was begging the question: “Do you have some message for us?”

(Possibly looking to find out if he was the Messiah similar to the way the Jews had investigated John)

Safe to say, whatever he was looking for, the response he got from JESUS was not what he expected.

John 3:3 ESV

3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Some translations: “born from above” but context seems to favor “born again/anew”

The language of new birth is familiar to those in the church culture where it is talked about with regularity.

So we need an account like the one that follows to remind us of just how radical a doctrine regeneration truly is.

John 3:4 ESV

4 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?”

Nicodemus’ question seems absurd, but that’s only because the absurdity of JESUS’ original statement has worn off for us.

Nicodemus’ question is appropriate

Like the woman at the well in John 4, while Jesus tries to get to the spiritual plane, Nicodemus stays put in the physical realm.

John 3:5–7 ESV

5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’

Jesus stays patient with Nicodemus the way he stayed patient with so many of us as we struggled to come to terms with our own need for him.

The concept of a divinely initiated birth was present in the OT:

Exodus 4:22 = Israel as God’s “firstborn”

Deuteronomy 32:6 = God created Israel as their Father

Hosea 11:1 = out of Egypt I called my son

The Spirit as life-giver was present in the OT:

Genesis 2:7 = the Lord breathed life into his nostrils

Genesis 6:3 = My Spirit shall not abide in man forever

Job 34:14-15 = if He should gather His spirit to Himself all flesh would perish

There was an eschatological expectation of a future bestowal of the Spirit in the OT:

Joel 2:28 = I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh

Isaiah 32:15-20 = until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high

Ezekiel 39:29 = when I pour out my Spirit on Israel

There was an association of cleansing or newness when water was paired with spirit in the OT:

Isaiah 44:3-5 = pour out water and Spirit on the dry and thirsty ground

Jeremiah 2:13 = they have forsaken God the living water for broken cisterns

Zechariah 14:8 = living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem

Ezekiel 37 = the Dry Bones

Jeremiah 31 = the New Covenant

This was JESUS making a somewhat unambiguous statement about His identity as the Messiah–the One come to bring fulfillment to all of these OT passages.

John 3:7–8 ESV

7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 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.”

Mysterious, but evident none the less. New birth doesn’t come from men but from the Lord who acts to regenerate those Whom He wishes to bring to new life. Nicodemus thought it was impossible for a man to be born again, and was right, if it was up to man alone.

P2: Feel the Weight of the Impossible Demand (vv. 3-13; 18-21)

Illustrate: Brent Dongelle feeling like he had failed when people rejected the gospel.

Saved souls are not a notch in our belts, they are a notch in God’s.

But Nicodemus still doesn’t understand.

John 3:9–13 ESV

9 Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? 11 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. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.

“Be born again”

Some of you have said these words to loved ones and been met with similar incredulity to what Jesus encounters in Nicodemus

Some have shared the gospel with loved ones or friends only to be rebuffed, mocked, or rejected at the notion that they need such radical transformation

But every person needs new birth if they hope to enter the kingdom of heaven, but it is our sinful flesh that so often keeps us from seeing this...

John 3:18–21 ESV

18 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. 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. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 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.”

When we invite people to believe in the gospel we are inviting them to do something that is unnatural to them.

We are calling them to come to the light when they love the darkness

We are calling them to come alive when they are yet dead

We are calling them to believe when they are unable to believe

That’s why this is all a work of the Lord.

We’re about to get to the most famous verse in all of John if not all of the Bible, but we have to understand it within the framework of this context of new birth.

John 1:13 ESV

13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

So what can we do if we can do nothing?

Preach and Pray

END P2

What did God do because we can do nothing?

John 3:14–17 ESV

14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 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.

Numbers 21:5–9 ESV

5 And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.” 6 Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. 7 And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. 8 And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.

God provided for the people what they desperately needed and couldn’t provide for themselves!

1 John 4:10 ESV

10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Romans 5:8 ESV

8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

John 3:16 ESV

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

It’s true that no one can cause themselves to be born again, physically or spiritually. But God, out of his immense love for us made a way for us to be reborn by an act solely carried out by his grace and mercy.

P3: Praise God for the Immeasurable Love of the Cross (vv. 14-17)

“That whoever believes” = we have to first believe?

John 1:12–13 ESV

12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

Our situation without God’s intervention is so desperate that even the faith that we need to believe in Christ is only possible if God wills that we would possess it!

John 6:35 ESV

35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.

John 6:44 ESV

44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.

We get hung up on Calvinism vs. Arminianism and free will vs. election, but at the end of the day can we put all of that away and get hung up on how much God loved us that He has opened the door for us to be born again(!) through the cross!?

I don’t believe we will ever fully grasp the wonder of the statement, “For God so loved the world…”

We should never be short reasons to worship the Lord.

When we consider the depth of our desperation and depravity before Christ

When we consider the impossible requirement for life in the kingdom

When we consider the immeasurable love of God to meet that requirement for us in Christ!

John 3:17 ESV

17 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 word for “condemn” can also be translated “judge.” And it’s significant to consider that the next time we see JESUS on this earth, He will arrive to judge and not to save.

We have a window, however long it will remain open is unknown to us, but it opened at the incarnation, and it will one day close when Christ again steps foot on the Mt. of Olives as the one who has come not to save the world, but in order that the world might be judged through him.

If you don’t know Jesus as your Savior, you will know Him on that day as your judge.

Revelation 20:11–15 ESV

11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

You say, “what must I do to avoid this future?”.

JESUS says, “You must be born again.”

Impossible for us to enact such radical transformation of our own accord, but praise God that He was made a way for us to be born again through the cross.

Conclusion:

Have you heard JESUS? His words to you and me are the same almost 2000 years later as they were for Nicodemus, “You must be born again.”

Do you understand that demand this afternoon?

Do you know that this is not a second physical birth, but a spiritual birth?

Have you been born again?

There’s a 2 Corinthians 4 problem that our world has that’s keeping them from hearing JESUS. Unfortunately, we can’t change their ability to understand us. All that you and I can do is to be faithful to pass on the message that we’ve heard faithfully, and to pray that God will give them the ears to hear JESUS.

Related Media

Related Sermons