It was a dark night, lit only by the moon. A religious man makes his way through the darkened streets to meet another religious man. The records indicate that he was a man of light and reason; a man steeped in the scriptures and tradition. Indeed, “a leader of the Pharisees.” In all, a man beyond reproach. He was driven by curiosity, but was cautious. In the Gospels, he is the only person to visit the other religious man by night. Nicodemus had discerned in the other religious man, Jesus, a spiritual power he had never seen before and he is pulled by the desire to find out just who this Jesus really is.
As they meet, Nicodemus addresses Jesus as “Rabbi,” honoring him with a title reserved for only those learned in the Torah and masterful in teaching. He also acknowledges that Jesus’ signs and good works demonstrate a special relationship with God. Jesus tells Nicodemus what is necessary to salvation. “No one can see the Kingdom of God without being born from above.” Now Nicodemus is confused. He takes Jesus’ words literally. When one has reached maturity, how can that person re-enter the womb and be born a second time? And Jesus’ answer seems even more confusing: “No one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and spirit.” Nicodemus continues to question: “How can these things be?” Jesus chides him by asking: “How can one who is teacher of Israel not comprehend what is being told him?” If Nicodemus is not able to believe the evidence of the “earthly things” Jesus has told him, how can begin to imagine “heavenly things?”
And Jesus continues: To properly grasp heavenly realities, one must go to heaven itself; but only the One who has come down from heaven can claim the privilege. Just as Moses lifted up the bronze serpent in the wilderness to heal the people who could see it, so must Jesus be lifted up on the healing cross for all the world to see. Thus, God’s boundless love for all human existence is expressed in the familiar words of verse 16 (John 3:1-17). Through the selfless giving of the Son, the way to eternal life is opened for all who believe in his name. In the end, the Gospel doesn’t tell us whether Nicodemus embraced the call to belief, but we know it was Nicodemus who defended Jesus against the Pharisees and brought spices to anoint the body of Jesus after the crucifixion.
Now let’s try to make some sense of these convoluted teachings. First, Jesus always spoke in metaphors and used earthly examples to explain spiritual realities. He had to do this because the things of the Spirit are invisible. We fell them, but we can’t pin them down. That’s why symbols are such an integral part of the Christian faith. But symbols are open to misinterpretation and we must not take them literally as Nicodemus did. One possible misinterpretation of the Gospel passage concerns Baptism. Baptism itself does not make a person a child of God, for we are all already children of God. Baptism is a way of symbolically acknowledging that relationship and deepening it. So when Jesus says: “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God,” he is not saying that Baptism is a prerequisite for receiving the Holy Spirit and having eternal life. He means that in order to enter the Kingdom of God, one must be aware of spiritual realities and cleansed of worldly concerns.
What does all of this tell us about our journeys of faith? Just this: Nicodemus went. He started out at night. He risks his reputation and vocation – everything – to explore this strange teacher’s water-and-the Spirit-New Birth – from above stuff! We find here that faith is a verb, not a dusty old noun! Faith is about showing up and setting out on a journey with an end we don’t know. Faith is the embodiment of the response God wants from us – Here I am, Lord.” Faith isn’t a warm blanket or a cashmere sweater! It is the willingness to go, without guarantees, when the Voice calls our name. Our message is the message Jesus sent to Nicodemus at that meeting by night. Be curious about your life; rethink assumptions and stereotypes. Look back at your past, but look to the future. How might your life be different if you truly lived by the belief that “God so loved the world that He have His only Son, that whoever believes in him should not die, but have eternal life?
So, out of a somewhat confusing and convoluted Gospel reading (John 3:1-17), we can glean a straightforward mission: think, pray. Go and show up! That’s what faith is all about.
Source: © The Rev. Peter Groschner, May 31, 2015. John 3:1-17. Reprinted with permission from the author.