Sermons for the Month
Being Born Anew Through Jesus
DATE: February 20th, 2005
SERVICE: Second Sunday In Lent
TEXT: John 3:1-17 and Psalm 121“To all of you Saints here this morning, grace and peace to you from God our Father, from His Son, Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit. AMEN
New born babies amaze me. Whenever I enter a hospital and see a mother and infant waiting to leave, or I have the privilege of holding a child of our congregation who has just entered the world, I shake my head in awe at the tiny person in my arms who has just experienced overwhelming change. Just think how that little one's world has been radically altered.
Suddenly he or she must breathe air, not water. That tiny mouth must be used for nourishment; food no longer arrives without some effort. There are no more warm walls to touch when arms are stretched, as was true inside the womb, and instead of comforting, warm darkness there is light and coolness. Sounds that were once muffled are now loud.
No wonder babies cry! They have experienced one of the great passages of life, a process over which he or she has no control.
I want you to keep that image of a new born in mind as you hear again Jesus' words from the Gospel of John. "Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above."
Jesus is talking to Nicodemus about the process of being reborn. The Greek word carries a double meaning - it can be translated both "anew" and "from above". In either case - as is true for a baby - this transition is one over which we do not have control.
Now, that's shock to Nicodemus, which is why he struggles so to understand. You see, Nicodemus is a leader of the Jews who would have never considered himself in need of rebirth. (It's interesting to note that this is a concept that is familiar to the Jews; anyone who is converted to Judaism is considered to have been reborn.)
As far as Nicodemus is concerned there is no reason for Jesus to be talking to him about such things. He is convinced that it is adherence to Torah law that assures his entrance into the Kingdom of God. But Jesus is saying that no matter how well he observes the Law, something else is required. He must be born anew - and that is beyond his control; the initiative is in God's hands. I imagine Nicodemus with a very confused look on his face at this point, and Jesus does not help matters any with what he says next.
Jesus stresses this reality by announcing, "Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born or water and the Spirit." There has been a lot of debate about the meaning of this verse. Some say "water" is a reference to baptism, while others say it's a reference to the actual coming forth from the mother's womb.
Many scholars have settled on the latter because Jesus is contrasting two births in his comments, one of water and one of Spirit. To quote one writer, "The first is human birth of flesh from flesh; the second is spiritual birth of spirit from spirit. (1)" Both a natural birth and a spiritual birth are required to enter the Kingdom of God.
Just as Nicodemus must be wondering what is involved in being spiritually reborn, Jesus continues his difficult-to-grasp comments, saying that this Spirit is like the wind. Just as the wind cannot be seen or controlled - but its effects are obvious - so it is with the Spirit of God that brings about this rebirth.
Don't you feel sorry for Nicodemus as he struggles to understand? He, a Pharisee, a leader among the Jews, must be reborn? His entry into the Kingdom of God is not dependent on his fulfilling the Law? It's not dependent on him, but on that which is not measurable? How can that be?
In response, Jesus becomes a bit exasperated with Nicodemus, but then he explains using a piece of Jewish history. He reminds the Jewish leader of a story from the Old Testament, from Numbers 21. The Israelites sinned by grumbling against God for bringing them out of slavery in Egypt into the wilderness. God punished them with a plague of fiery serpents.
When the Israelites begged for mercy, God told Moses to make a bronze serpent and hold it up on a pole. Whoever looked at the serpent was saved - given a second chance after being bitten. Or, we might say, that person was reborn by the power of God.
Jesus wants Nicodemus to understand that in the same way those who look upon Jesus who will be lifted up on the cross will be saved, reborn by the power of God.
Perhaps Nicodemus gave Jesus a blank look, because the very next thing Jesus says has become among the most quoted passages of Christian scripture. This is how one is reborn by the power of God. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send his Son into the world not to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved."
Just as a baby has no control of its natural birth, we are not in control of our spiritual birth. God loved us, God gave Jesus who suffered for us, by the power of God we believe and are reborn. It's all in God's hands. We cannot earn our way into eternity, we can only focus our eyes on Jesus and allow ourselves to be born into the Kingdom of God, which exists here and now in an incomplete form, but will one day be perfected.
We struggle so hard to find God, when all we really need to do is rest in God's arms; imagine the new born infants that you have held or watched someone hold. They depend totally on the one who holds them; in fact, that's all they can do. And loving, though imperfect, people care lovingly for them. How much more will God who SO loved the world care for us? We are like them in terms of our spiritual rebirth; all we can do is rest in the arms of God and accept God's amazing grace.
Today's Psalm poses the question that many of us have asked. "From where is my help to come?" I love the Psalmists bold response, "My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth." This is the One who watches over us - whether we are coming or going - from this time forth and forever more.
Many of you know Tim Crouch of Open M; he has preached here at Faith in the past. Tim has been ill; when I saw him at the OPEN M Volunteer Dinner a few weeks ago I did not recognize him at first, and I was amazed that he has the strength to walk, let alone share is faith with a touch of humor and a truck-load of wisdom.
Tim would tell you that, in terms of his life in this world, he is closer to going than coming. He's only 57, so he's sad that the time for his going has come so soon. Just as is true of a new born, he is facing one of the great passages of life. He's not afraid. In fact in Wednesday's paper he told the world, "For those who are baptized there is nothing to fear. This illness and dealing with it is a catalyst for building the faith and spirituality of others."
And if that was not enough he continued, "If someone can take some strength and courage from how I'm living my life, then that's God working with them, and its humbling to be that kind of tool. I hope that people are learning that we will not be defeated unless we allow ourselves to be, and I hope that they can see that I know that I have not been abandoned by God."
You see, my friends, that's the way it is for those of us who have been born anew Being held by the arms of God, realizing that our lives are not in our hands, can give a person a great deal of courage. We who trust in God are free to live, and for that matter to die, boldly - just ask Tim. (1) "Born Anew" by Sandra M. Schneiders, Theology Today, Vol. 44, No. 2, July 1987
AMEN