John 3:1-21

January 23, 2022

John 3:1-21

Initial Thoughts

• Has anyone ever heard this one before?

• Rainbow Man and the John 3:16 sign at sporting events

Bible Study

• Context: Discussion with Nicodemus

  • Takes place at night, immediately after table turning incident in the Temple. Jewish leaders are not happy with him.

  • Nicodemus, a Jewish leader (Pharisee), is convinced by Jesus’ actions that he is “a teacher who has come from God.” Implies that there are others who have this same belief.

  • Jesus responds that this isn’t enough. You must be “born anew” to see God’s kingdom.

  • Nicodemus does not understand, so Jesus explains that people must be “born of the spirit.” Nicodemus still does not understand. This passage is a part of Jesus’ explanation to Nicodemus.

• Nicodemus

  • At the margins- not the last nor the first, shrouded in night

  • A Pharisee - deeply embedded into the religious leadership. Fearful of others seeing him? 

  • Nicodemites - German Christians who sympathized with the reformers, but were not willing to be publicly identified with them

  • Nicodemus, like many people, are curious about faith, but are perhaps unwilling to “take the plunge”

  • Is Spiritual but not Religious the Nicodemites of today?

  • Nicodemus is on a journey - first questioning in the night, then defending Jesus (John 7), then burying Jesus (John 19)

• Johannine Theme:

  • Sign - Dialogue - Discourse (Karoline M. Lewis - Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary - Feasting on the Word – Year A, Volume 2: Lent through Eastertide)

    • No sign, but Nicodemus refers to the signs that Jesus has done

    • dialogue between Jesus and Nicodemus

    • Discourse on the Light and the Dark - v. 11 that can be directed at the reader as much as at Nicodemus (Nic does not matter for the rest of the passage)

• Translation: “From above” - anonthen  - can also mean anew or again - hence being “born again”

  • Gestating Faith

    • Being born again - there is a lot of time and energy that goes into birth - why would faith be any different?

  • Baptism - Is this a command to be baptized?

    • YES - Jesus says “born of water and Spirit. What is born of flesh is flesh and what is born of Spirit is Spirit.”

    • NO - Being born of water is natural birth, Also Jesus says (right after this) that he is the source of Living Water - again alluding to him being the way. To be born in water and the Spirit is to live in the way of Jesus.

• Kingdom of God - one of only three mentions in the Gospel of John - here twice and again in 18:36 as “my kingdom”

• Themes of light and darkness

  • Nicodemus comes at night and is referred to as the one who came at night

  • Nicodemus won’t “come into the light” until the end (chapter 19:38-42)

  • See verses 18-21 esp.

    • How to address this language of condemnation?

      • Do we truly want to be exposed by the Light of the World? To have our hypocrisies and justifications revealed?

    • Condemnation is not the judgement of God, but the judgement we bring on ourselves when we try to hide our unfaithfulness

• v 14-15

  • “Just as Moses lifted up the snake” is a clear allusion to Numbers 21:4-9

    • Recalls God’s continued saving work in the world. In the Wilderness, there was a very present danger from which God was able to protect the people.

    • God continues to protect the people, now through raising his Son.

  • Just as the Israelites were saved from death by looking at the bronze snake in the wilderness (Numbers reading) so all people can be saved by looking to Jesus, but what does that mean?

    • Crucifixion? Jesus raised up on the cross.

      • “Lift High the Cross” Hymn: 

“Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim till all the world adore his sacred name. Come, Christians follow this triumphant sign The hosts of God in unity combine. O Lord, once lifted on the glorious tree, as thou hast promised, draw the world to thee.” George William Kitchin and Michael Robert Newbolt, 1916.

• “The reference to the Son of Man being 'lifted up’ here means that Jesus will be physically hung on a pole… Here is my sentiment about this story, from Numbers: The people were cursed by God because they refused to accept God’s provision (e.g. They complained about the “miserable food” called manna). The snakes were the punishment. To be “saved” from the snakes they had to look at the bronze serpent – they had to reckon with their refusal to accept God’s provision. There is a coarse frankness in looking at one’s sin in order to be saved from it.” (D. Mark Davis, Left Behind and Loving It)

• Lifted up as a model? Jesus raised up as the Way in which to follow.

  • “Help Us Accept Each Other” hymn:

“Help us accept each other as Christ accepted us; teach us as sister, brother, each person to embrace. Be present, Lord, among us, and bring us to believe we are ourselves accepted and meant to love and live.” Fred Kaan, 1974

• Resurrection? Jesus raised from the grave?

  • “Because He Lives” hymn:

“Because he lives, I can face tomorrow; because he lives, all fear is gone. Because I know he holds the future, and life is worth the living just because he lives.” Gloria and William Gaither, 1971

• Story telling? Nicodemus only gets it when Jesus reminds him of the story

  • I love to tell the story Of unseen things above

3 I love to tell the story, for those who know it best

seem hungering and thirsting to hear it, like the rest.

And when, in scenes of glory, I sing the new, new song,

’twill be the old, old story that I have loved so long.

Author: Kate Hankey (1866); Author (refrain): William G. Fischer (1869)

Tune: [I love to tell the story] (Fischer)

• Link to the OT:  If you church likes contemporary worship music

  • “Lift Up The Suffering Symbol” by Michael Card 1989 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5E8CmqGVVI

• John 3:16 - Faith and Works

  • Seen by many Christians as the summation of the Gospel

  • What does Jesus mean by belief in the Son of God? To simply testify, “I believe!”? I don’t think so

  • Mark Davis’s direct translation: “For in this way God loved the world, that [God] gave the only generated son, in order that anyone who believes in him would not [be] destroyed but have life eternal.” (Left Behind and Loving It)

  • Verses 19-21 clearly link believe with deeds. One who believes in God, who “come to the light” do so because “their deeds have been done in God”

    • John 3:16 is not about a one time being born again, but an invitation to follow the Way of Jesus.

    • Your belief is shown in your deeds

  • The difference is demonstrated in real action

    • All things will eventually be exposed to light

    • Those who hate the light do wickedness. Those who remain in the light do truth.

• v. 16-21

  • John often divides things into two distinct categories.

    • Spirit and World

    • Darkness and Light

    • Life and Death

    • Truth and Wickedness

    • Those that believe and those that do not

  • These dichotomies reflect a “minority group defining itself not only within the diversity of Judaism but also defining itself among followers of Jesus. In this context, polemical language against the Jews and secret believers functioned to affirm members of a minority community defining itself in relationship to other communities making similar claims to truth. The purpose is not to exclude others, rather to support those who likely make difficult choices to belong. Likely the intent was to encourage others to join them.” (Marilyn Salmon, from Working Preacher)

    • Purpose of the exclusive language is not actually to exclude, but to invite.

  • The difference is demonstrated in real action

    • All things will eventually be exposed to light

  • Those who hate the light do wickedness. Those who remain in the light do truth.

• Life and Death/ Spirit and World/ Darkness and Light

  • These divisions reflect a choice presented throughout scripture: separation in Creation; life in the garden/death outside; life on the Ark/death in the flood; life through the Exodus/death in the sea; Matthew 25- sheep/goats; etc.

  • The invitation is to choose life

• Salvation

  • “At a basic level, in the Gospel of John to be saved is to enter into the intimate relationship that God wants with every believer. How that salvation happens depends on the person, the encounter, and the circumstances, because of incarnation. By definition incarnation demands particularity...Salvation for Nicodemus is not the same as the Samaritan woman at the well.” Karoline Lewis, John, p. 50

  • “John’s good news is that the world came into being through the logos remains the object of divine love. Just as John understands the creative activity of the Word to be ongoing, her perceives God’s love for the world in Jesus to be continuing and profound.” (Mary Foskett, Feasting on the Gospels, John, volume 1; p. 69

• Eternal Life - εχη  ζωην  αιωνιον  (eck-ay zo-ain aionion)

  •  εχη - to have or hold - in the present tense - this is not something which is coming but something which begins immediately: “The word here is in the present tense.  ETERNAL LIFE begins NOW.  It is not a future reality, but a present one found in Christ!  Whoever is trusting in God has life which continues into eternity.” (Rob Myallis)

  • αιωνιον - does not mean eternally (aiodios- does refer to everlasting/eternity), but rather refers to a set period of time- an aion/eon. An aion is undefined but could easily mean this life - how we live fully in this moment, this aion which we have been given

Thoughts and Questions

• Life and Death- the choice presented to Adam and Eve (Genesis 2), given to the Israelites by Moses (Deut. 30) is once again raised by John. Not in terms of immortality or the quantity of life, but rather the quality of life. 

  • This echos Jesus’s call to repentance/metanoia/ to change your hearts and lives toward God

  • Moses calls the Israelites to follow the commandments

  • God calls Adam and Eve to obey God

  • When we obey God’s commandments to love God, self and other - then we live life to the fullest. When we do not- this leads to death.

  • “How can we experience life without its Author? Shame, eating disorders, gender-based violence, climate change, shattered families, racism, oppression, war, and death itself all are natural consequences of humanity’s small and monumental choices to reach for peace in their own way.” Lisa Sharon Harper, The Very Good Gospel

• What does it mean to “do truth.” How can we as a church do more truth? It cannot be just about telling the truth, although that is an important part. Expanding on the concept of “doing truth” could make for a sermon. Truth, Justice, and Love seem to be linked by this passage. Part of loving the world is acting for justice. Part of doing justice is telling the truth. Part of doing truth is living in love.

• Memorizing John 3:16 separates belief from action.

  • Belief is important, but verses 19-21 reveal that judgment comes not based on belief, but on action.

  • Remain in darkness or live in the light. The choice might start with belief, but it is only revealed in actions.

• What does it mean to identify oneself as Christian? We often feel the need to explain or label our Christianity (progressive, evangelical, etc.)

• Are we willing to take on the responsibility of being “Christian”? to Proclaim good news to the poor, hope in the face of crucifixion, sight to the blind, freedom to the oppressed, to walk to the cross alongside  Christ?

• What does it mean to believe in Jesus?

  • It is to believe that he is the divine incarnate who bled and died for our sins?

  • Or is it to believe that the Way of Jesus- living the Gospel of Love in word and deed to God and neighbor - is the path to salvation?

Opening music: Misirlou, One Man 90 Instruments by Joe Penna/MysteryGuitarMan at MIM

Closing Song by Bryan Odeen