For God so loved the world

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 and said to him, “Most assuredly, 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, “Most assuredly, 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 the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Nicodemus answered and said to Him “How can these things be?” Jesus answered and said to him “Are you the teacher of Israel, and you do not know these things? Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify to what We have seen, and You do not receive Our witness. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

- John 3:1-21

In yesterday’s reading, we read about Jesus’ cleansing of the temple. In John’s Gospel, this act comes at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. It is Passover in the first year of Jesus’ public ministry, and He went to up to Jerusalem. He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers. He made a whip of cords, driving out the animals, pouring out the changers' money, and overturning their tables. He said to the ones who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!” The leadership asked, “What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” They replied, “It’s taken forty-six years to build this temple, and You will build it up in three days?” But He was speaking of the temple of His body, and later His disciples remembered this saying after His Resurrection. At the Passover in Jerusalem, many people believed in the signs that He did, but as He knew all men, He didn’t trust Himself to them.

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 and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus is an important member of the Council. He comes to Jesus by night so his peers will not see Him. Later in John’s Gospel, He will defend Jesus’ legal rights before the Sanhedrin. Jesus reveals to Nicodemus the mystery of baptism. By this, we understand Christ’s perception of Nicodemus’ capacity for faith. My study bible says that some early sources claim that Nicodemus was baptized by Peter after Jesus’ death, and was consequently removed from the Sanhedrin and forced to leave Jerusalem. To be born again, here in the Greek, literally says to be born from above. This rebirth gives one the vision to 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, “Most assuredly, I say to you unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” Here Jesus introduces us clearly to the mystery of baptism, giving us the meaning in the immersion of water and at the same time the necessary component of the Spirit.

“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 the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” To enter the spiritual Kingdom one must be born of the Spirit. My study bible notes that next phrase is a play on words in the Greek: “the Greek word pneuma can mean either wind or Spirit. The working of the Holy Spirit in the new birth is as mysterious as the source or destination of the blowing wind.” This is a mysterious reality, nevertheless one in which we must participate.

Nicodemus answered and said to Him “How can these things be?” Jesus answered and said to him “Are you the teacher of Israel, and you do not know these things? Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify to what We have seen, and You do not receive Our witness. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.” Here, Jesus seems to compare the “earthy” thing of baptism, to the great heavenly mysteries of the Kingdom that belong only to Him as Son. He has hinted at the mystery of being born again in baptism, in the Spirit, and yet this teacher of Israel fails to understand. Therefore such things will remain Mystery, among the mysteries of the Church – to know God or other heavenly things remains with the One who has ascended and come down from heaven.

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” Here is another key to life in the Kingdom of heaven, and that is Christ on the Cross. My study bible says, “Moses lifted up a bronze serpent to cure the Israelites from the deadly bites of poisonous snakes. Christ will be lifted up on the Cross. As the believer beholds the crucified Christ through faith as Savior, the poisonous bite of that old serpent, the devil, and the bite of sin and death, is counteracted and cured. The moment of Christ's greatest humiliation becomes the moment of exaltation for completing His redeeming work (19:30). This is the first of many instances in John’s Gospel where Jesus teaches that He is the fulfillment of an Old Testament type.”

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” My study bible calls this, “the essence of the gospel: God’s gift of His son as the ultimate expression of His love for the world.” This is Jesus’ statement of purpose: He is here to save, and for this reason He has been sent. It is tied inextricably with the purpose of baptism: the saving, redeeming work of the Spirit in us, for us, making possible our entry and participation in the Kingdom.

“He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” My study bible calls this “a profound insight: Goodness and a pure heart welcome the light, whereas evil deeds and malice resist the light and seek to hide in the darkness.” With the saving action of God’s grace in Christ also comes condemnation for those who reject the truth Christ brings. In this is a profound statement about Judgment. In the age inaugurated by Christ’s Incarnation, the Spirit lives and is present to us: Its truth and action become a standard, a touchstone, by which we live or which we reject for ourselves.

John’s statement about coming to the light is quite profound, and we can see this dynamic at work in our daily lives. Who has to hide something? Often, this means we immediately suspect something is amiss, something underhanded is happening. If something is hidden within ourselves, perhaps a shameful secret, something we may not wish to share with others for fear of their condemnation – even something which is not our fault – it can come to hurt us the more deeply for its secrecy. Coming to the light in this context must be seen in its spiritual reality, because the entire passage is about entering into the spiritual life through Christ. Whatever is within us comes to the light through Christ’s truth, and the work of the Spirit. In this context, seeking to hide something from that light becomes a much more profound statement about where we are and who we are. Salvation begins with the light and the truth. It is the action of the Spirit in which we see a healing balm, the mercy of God. Whatever comes to the light is healed, saved, redeemed in the light. Why would we need to hide it? In this rejection of grace comes judgment. Let us think about the gift of the Spirit, the rebirth into spiritual things, so that we may perceive that reality, that Kingdom. Let us seek that light, so that we may find where we are and who we are, and accept its healing, redeeming grace, for God so loved the world.