John 3:1-3, 9-10
1Now 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.” 3 Jesus answered him…unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 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?
Matthew 11:2-3
2When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples 3to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”
This morning I want to look at two individuals…Nicodemus and John the Baptist who are at opposite ends of the spectrum regarding who Jesus is…but who have remarkable similarities in their mis-understanding concerning Jesus’ ministry.
What is slightly eerie about the account of Nicodemus in [John 3] is that immediately following the Nicodemus encounter with Jesus [3:1-21] is John’s last public testimony about Jesus [3:22-36] where he repeats to his disciples the same concepts that Jesus just presented to Nicodemus.
Something else that should be noted–and it’s hard to pick up on it because of the break in continuity at the end of chapter two and the start of chapter three–the Nicodemus story is a continuation of the statement Jesus makes at the end of chapter two…that He was not trusting in people.
Immediately after that statement in chapter two is the story of Nicodemus that is supposed to complement that idea…but it gets lost in the chapter break.
Nicodemus was among the group in Israel known as the Pharisees…this group was supposed to be the shepherds of the people…however, rather than loving and caring for the people they were to be spiritually responsible for…instead they placed huge burdens on the people by taking God’s law and making it unbearably strict.
Because of his status most likely, Nicodemus was a member of the Jewish ruling council known as the Sanhedrin…a couple things become immediately evident regarding Nicodemus:
FIRST…this account shows that if it was possible to achieve salvation through religion…through religious activities…by doing stuff…Nicodemus would have been the first to enter heaven…he represented the elite religious group of his day.
But in actuality…Nicodemus is like the people we talked about last week…that are spoken about in the preceding verse…those who saw the signs and miracles Jesus performed even believing in His authority…no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him…but not believing in the person.
Like many who chased after Jesus they lacked a saving belief…they saw the signs but they didn’t see the Savior…they were attracted to the miracles but not the man…as a result Jesus didn’t believe in them because He knew their hearts.
With respect to Nicodemus, while he may not have been yet fully convinced of Jesus’ divinity…he had seen the miracles Jesus performed…and by comparing what he knew from the Old Testament prophesies about the coming Messiah…he did realize there was something exceptional about Jesus.
Therefore, he made plans for a way to see Him…he came honestly seeking after Jesus…his response of ‘We know You are from God’ [2] showed he was inquisitive but lacked genuine saving faith.
SECONDLY…sometimes Nicodemus’s conversation with Jesus doesn’t give Nicodemus a fair shake…he is not some babbling skeptic…he is a highly respected teacher of the Law…and a renowned Bible teacher of his day.
The problem arises because of a couple reasons;
1) Jesus uses words with dual meanings…a fact that is not all that clear in the English translation…and
2) when Nicodemus asks; “how can these things be?” …he’s not questioning the possibility as in “that’s ridiculous how can these things be?” …the word “how” in the Greek is an expression of one seeking information and desiring to be taught.
Nicodemus has come seeking answers to legitimate questions…it’s difficult to believe that Nicodemus really though Christ was speaking about a physical second birth…a concept no one would entertain…his questions of ‘why’ and ‘how’ to Jesus is proof of his willingness to be taught.
The metaphor of ‘new birth’ referring to spiritual regeneration was a term he would have been familiar with…so when you read the story in the original language Nicodemus isn’t nearly as dumb as he seems in the English translation. Nevertheless, he is confused.
Throughout his gospelJohn uses the analogy of light and dark imagery…light to symbolize God’s presence and darkness as a figurative or spiritual meaning to identify those who do not know God.
Although Nicodemus is a qualified teacher of the Old Testament the fact that he comes to Jesus in the dark is a signal that Nicodemus…although being open-minded…does not yet understand who Jesus is and is not yet walking “in the light.”
Then there’s John the Baptist…sitting in prison…an unfortunate situation…it all came about because he called out King Herod for his immoral relationship with his brother’s wife…so he was thrown in jail.
In chapter 3 John is preaching about Jesus as the Messiah but [Matthew 11] John’s sitting in prison feeling a little perplexed…wondering what the delay is in Jesus getting him out of jail… and questing if Jesus is the Messiah: “Are you He who is to come, or shall we look for another?”
So what happened between John’s preaching about Jesus as the ‘lamb of God’ and John now asking…are you really the Messiah our people have been waiting for all these hundreds of years…or should we be looking for someone else.
In the Greek that word ‘another’ (ἕτερον) suggests “another of a different sort.” …implying that Jesus had not fulfilled John’s expectations…suggesting that Jesus is not the person he had hoped for.
Jesus responds to John’s question: Matthew 11:4-5
4“Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised,
Interestingly Jesus leaves one significant part out of His Old Testament prophecy… one that was of particular interest to John…that the Messiah would set the prisoner free and loose the captives [Is. 42:7] [Ps. 102:20].
Now we begin to see John’s problem…Jesus’ answer did confirm that He was the Messiah but really didn’t address John’s immediate situation of being in prison.
Day after day John stares at the dungeon walls…he begins to despair…he’s been cast into prison and Christ has made no effort to free him…as a result…his despair turns to doubt…why isn’t Jesus doing what I expect?
Why aren’t things working out the way I planned them…all of a sudden Jesus isn’t looking the way John wanted Him to look…He’s not acting in line with his expectations.
Ever happen to you…Jesus isn’t looking the way you want Him to look…not acting in line with your expectations.
People are telling you Jesus can do this or that…but it doesn’t seem to be working in your case…or maybe for years you’ve had a certain image of God and how He works based off previous situations…or how God has worked in other people’s lives but doesn’t seem to be working the same in your life.
You’re waiting on Jesus to act in your situation …and He hasn’t …all of a sudden Jesus isn’t looking the way you want Him to look.
It wasn’t that God didn’t hear John’s prayers…nor…that He didn’t care…nor that He was insensitive to John’s needs…God’s silence is answered prayer.
I’m going to make FOUR profound theological statements:
FIRST– Silence was an indication that things would remain the same.
That’s not what we want to hear…that things are going to remain the same…HOLD IT…isn’t that what prayers are for…doesn’t prayer change things…God’s silence was the answer…John not being released from prison was an indication that John was to stay in prison…in other words: ‘John you’re not getting out of prison alive.’
SECOND – in one sense, prayer doesn’t change things because God is sovereign ‘My purpose shall stand, and I will accomplish all that I have planned’ [Isaiah 46:10] …our prayers don’t alter God’s sovereign plans.
We find ourselves like John…having reservations about the truth of God’s promises…not realizing that part of God’s promises is…I have a plan and I have a purpose…they will come to completion…and it might not always be in line with your expectations…‘John you’re not getting out of prison alive.’
THIRD – there are times when God does not hear (ἀκούει) prayers [Jn. 9:31]
sounds awful of course…soften that up to He doesn’t listen…no…He doesn’t hear.
1. When choosing to hold on to sin, rather than repent and change Isaiah 1:15.
2. When we ask according to our own selfish desires James 4:3.
3. When what we ask is not in accordance with His will. First John 5:14.
4. When we do not ask in faith Mark 11:24.
Let me quickly go back to my first statement…in those times when He does hear …but nothing changes…it’s not because God hasn’t heard your prayers…it may be that the silence indicates that that things will remain the same.
At this point…in John’s case…Jesus isn’t really fitting the mold…He comes on the scene as one who proclaims the kingdom of God…calls on people to trust in Him… He makes promises…but John’s not seeing them…sound familiar.
It’s little wonder that John…who’s sitting in prison, begins to question whether Jesus is the one to come…Jesus fits neither John`s expectations nor the Jewish Sanhedrin’s expectations.
John’s question [11:3] “Are you the one who is to come” …and Nicodemus’s question “How can these things be?” are legitimate questions…in reality there’s not much difference between Nicodemus…John the Baptist …and us.
We know what it’s like at times to doubt and maybe despair a little when Jesus doesn’t look the way you want…when:
…He hasn’t brought that loved one, who has strayed from church, back…or He hasn’t caused that lost person you’ve been praying for to accept Him as Savior.
…He hasn’t provided a moment’s reprieve from the financial pressure you’ve been feeling for what seems like forever.
…He hasn’t addressed the health issues you’ve been begging him to restore.
John’s statement [Matt. 11: 2-3] – “Are you the expected one, or shall we look for someone else?” he’s displaying doubt…John represents the doubts that we all at times experience.
You’re not alone in doubting and despairing…even the great heroes of faith had doubts and despair… we’ve all been there…at the end of our rope…for both Nicodemus and John…Jesus didn’t look the way they wanted.
These two men…Nicodemus and John the Baptist, display the difference between doubt and unbelief.
While John represents the doubts that we all at times experience…Nicodemus represents the unbelief that is in the church today…the superficial believers…this is the single biggest problem in the Church today…people who:
…Outwardly identify with Christ…like Nicodemus they acknowledge Jesus to be a teacher sent from God [3:2] but are unwilling to accept Him as their Savior.
…Cling to a false profession whereby they fool themselves into thinking they are saved but inwardly they have never been genuinely converted.
…Their self-deception is reinforced by well-meaning Christians who naively embrace them as true believers…even though their lives manifest no signs of spiritual fruit.
…They’re reluctant to admit like Nicodemus…that they are helpless sinners…that was unthinkable for a proud…self-righteous…religious elite member of the Pharisees.
There are many things in life that seem unclear and need explaining…the kind of questioning John the Baptist had concerning Jesus’ identity is not uncommon in the life of a Christian.
At the beginning of John’s gospel…John the Baptist seemed so confident in his preaching about Jesus as the one who was to come…so his question now seems at best a bit puzzling…SO…was John questioning if Jesus was the Messiah a sin?
God is not afraid of your questions…in fact…He welcomes them…asking them doesn’t disqualify you from having a relationship with Him…behind every believer is a doubter…whether we’re confronted with intellectual challenges about who Jesus is…or during those times when our lives are falling apart…. we all have questioned God.
KEY — there’s a difference between questioning God’s actions….and putting your finger in God’s chest and demanding an explanation.
John’s question wasn’t an expression of unbelief…but a request for reassurance … notice…Jesus did not rebuke John for asking…but gave Him reassurance.
There’s a lesson here that John needed to know about patience and trust…as to patience…God will answer in the perfect way…and at the perfect time…know what our job in that is…not to give up…keep on asking…keep on seeking…keep on knocking…until God answers. (Lk.18:1-5, / Matt.7:7-8 / / Gal.6:9 / Heb.12:3).
As to trust, trusting in God’s plan and purpose even when things do not turn out the way we wanted.
The problem is there is no shortage of preachers wanting you to believe that all you have to do is trust in the promises of God…just ask and God’s going to accommodate you…and here’s where this verse gets abused:
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” (Luke 11:9–10)
There it is…the goose that laid the golden egg…the promise that we can ask for whatever we want…knowing that God only gives what is good for us…and never what is bad. [Luke 11:11–13].
But what about when it’s not good…when there’s no light at the end of the tunnel… when things aren’t going good…when it seems that God hasn’t heard your prayer
…talked about it before…we need to realize what the “good” is: we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him [Rom. 8:28] really is.
FOURTH statement…that ‘good’ sometimes is not meant for us at all…nor does it always work out for our good.
KEY — it always refers to the good that brings glory to God.
There are those who want to assure you that everything will always work out for your good because it’s a promise from God…First…God has never promised that… I’m sure when John came to the realization that he was going to die…his response of ‘OK so then where’s the good in this’ was one of intense contemplation.
The ‘good’ in that verse is the belief that as a Christian I can take confidence in knowing that I am not under the control of life’s circumstances…BUT God’s.
Knowing that I can then rejoice in whatever situation I am in…because God is right there in it with me…John was fulfilling God’s purpose for his life…and God was right there with him…John says so himself ‘He must increase, I must decrease’ [3:31].
Look at Jesus’s response about John after He had sent John’s disciples away, He said something stunning about who John was: no one born…had ever been greater…this is right after John questioned who Jesus was.
Getting back to Nicodemus…Doubt as opposed to unbelief… (R.C. Sproul) doubt is open-minded uncertainty; unbelief is closed-minded certainty.
John’s questioning reflected honest doubt…uncertainty…when John had doubts… he didn’t turn away from Christ…he turned to Him.
Doubt is the result of difficult circumstances…worldly influence…incomplete information…inadequate knowledge…ignorance…unfulfilled expectations…God is this truly in your will for my life?
In his heart John did believe that Jesus was the Messiah and trusted Him as his Lord …John was not questioning Jesus’ Messiahship…he was asking for information… for confirmation …John was no different than Christians today.
Whereas…unbelief is the rejection of Christ…it’s a mind that’s made up against God…OH people may indicate they don’t reject Christ…but no matter what is said or done… they find fault…they’re cynical…their criticism is an excuse for their rejection… they use criticism and indifference to cover up their unbelief.
Those are some of the qualities we see in Nicodemus…the same qualities seen in unbelievers…worse yet…the qualities we see of those inside the Church… superficial believers.
What’s a superficial believer…TWO THINGS:
FIRST…if Sunday after Sunday there’s no difference between what people do or how they live their lives Monday through Saturday…its possible they’re a superficial believer.
SECONDLY…the thing that will keep many men and women from entering God’s kingdom is the very thing upon which so many people are relying on—their religion… Nicodemus reflected a life that might well be labeled “How to Be Religious Without Being a Christian.”
The contrast between John and Nicodemus posed to us is simply this: Are you a Christian, or are you merely religious?