Religion’s Not Enough
Now
there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling
council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher
who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are
doing if God were not with him.” In reply, Jesus declared, “I tell you the
truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” (John 3:1-3)
There are certain things in life we just
know. For instance, we know you don’t tug on Superman’s cape. You don’t spit
into the wind. You don’t pull the mask off the old Lone Ranger, and you don’t
…. If you know how to complete that sentence, then you’re probably over the age
of forty-five and you’ve probably heard Jim Croce’s song, You Don’t Mess Around with Jim, more than a time or two. We all
know certain things, but sometimes we don’t know as much as we think we know. The
first part of the John 3 passage is a familiar one – the conversation between
Nicodemus and Jesus. In fact, the story is so familiar that we often skim over
it. To do so, however, is to miss an essential life’s truth. What’s more, to
miss this particular truth – at least in my opinion – is to miss everything.
Nicodemus was a highly intelligent, cultured and moral individual. In
fact, he was probably as close to fitting the description of a “good person” as
anyone you could find. But despite the fact that he was a leader in his country
and in his faith, Nicodemus was dissatisfied. So, he came to Jesus looking for
answers. Jesus revealed to him essential truths for living, as well as the
meaning and purpose of life. And the words Jesus gave him have unlocked the
mystery of life for countless millions throughout the centuries. Nicodemus knew
something in his life needed to change, and we’re no different – and it’s no wonder.
We live in a culture obsessed with change. We need look no further than the weekly
television schedules to see that. We have all seen those before-and-after
shows, ranging from cosmetic surgery to home makeovers. That’s why this story
matters so much. It tells of the kind of change that hits much deeper than new
clothes, a new body or even a new house. It’s about soul change.
We often think of Pharisees in a negative light, and understandably so.
Jesus saved his most scathing words for the scribes and the Pharisees, calling
them “whitewashed tombs.” (Matt. 23:27) And we tend to think of all Pharisees
as hypocrites, but that’s not necessarily the case in every situation. Actually,
it was somewhat commendable to be a Pharisee. This was a select group of men,
never numbering more than six thousand. Each had taken a solemn vow before
three witnesses that he would devote every moment of his entire life to obeying
the Ten Commandments. The Pharisees took the law of God very seriously, and
sought to apply the Ten Commandments to every area of life. But the Pharisees
weren’t satisfied with Scripture alone, which is always a problem. They wanted
things spelled out more specifically. So, a group of people called scribes
arose from within the ranks of the Pharisees. Their job was to spell out how
the Ten Commandments were to be applied to every walk of life.
Not only was Nicodemus from this order, but he was also one of their
primary leaders. To arrive at his position would have meant that Nicodemus was
a careful student of the sacred books of the Jewish people, and likely had studied
them for years. In addition to this, Nicodemus was well-known. In John 3:10,
Jesus refers to him as “Israel’s teacher,” which meant that Nicodemus was
likely a very popular and prominent teacher in Israel – a household name, if
you will. But even with all that going for him, Nicodemus sensed there was
something missing in his life. And that brought him to Jesus. With great
humility, Nicodemus begins by saying, “Rabbi, we know who you are.” For a man
like Nicodemus to call Jesus “Rabbi” was an important acknowledgment. Nicodemus
would have been familiar with the prophets and their words concerning the
Messiah. He then continues with the phrase, “We know.” Yet, he had come to
Jesus alone. He wasn’t ready to say, “I
know.” In a sense, he was probably hiding behind this phrase, just like people
who say, “A friend of mine wants to know ….”
But Jesus immediately got the point because he knew exactly what
Nicodemus needed. With a single, sharp and penetrating phrase, Jesus sliced
through all the layers of rules and legalistic attitudes that had accumulated
in the mind of Nicodemus by saying, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the
kingdom of God unless he is born again.” (Verse 3) It’s as though Jesus was
saying, “I am about to reveal a fundamental reality of life to you, Nicodemus. So,
listen very carefully.” Like a sword, these words pierced the Pharisee’s heart.
Jesus was saying, “Nicodemus, your religious beliefs are not enough. In spite
of the fact that you are at the top of the heap in your religion, it means
nothing. It has not brought you any closer to heaven.” This is not optional.
This is essential. This is absolute. You must be born again.
But there’s a lot of confusion today regarding what the term born again means. In the story of
Nicodemus, Jesus is helping us see what it really means, which is “to be born
from above.” Some people will say, “I’m a Christian, but I’m not one of those
‘Born Again’ Christians.’” Well, that’s impossible. There’s simply no such
thing as a Christian who’s not been born again. But why must we be born again?
Why do we need a spiritual rebirth? We find the answer in John 3:3: “No one can
see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” So, what then exactly did
Jesus mean by “the kingdom of God”? Well, the kingdom of God has past, present
and future applications.
The past application of the kingdom of God was when Jesus walked this
earth. He gave us a glimpse, a sneak preview if you will, of what is to come.
On one occasion, Jesus said, “The kingdom of God has come to you.” (Luke 11:20)
He was referring to his presence among the people. He was saying, “I am walking
among you. The kingdom of God is here.” That was the past application. The
present application of the kingdom of God is when we personally live under the
rule and reign of Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us, “For the kingdom of God is
not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the
Holy Spirit.” (Rom. 14:17) The idea is that of Christ ruling and reigning in
our lives. This is what Jesus was referring to when he said, “But seek first
his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as
well.” (Matt. 6:33)
The future application of the kingdom of God will be when Christ comes
back to establish his kingdom. This will be when the wolf will lie down with
the lamb (See, Isa. 11:6-7), and the
earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord. (Isa. 11:9) Stated
differently, here’s what Jesus was saying to Nicodemus: (1) You will not see
the kingdom of God presently unless
you realize who I am; (2) You will not experience the kingdom of God internally until you open your heart to
my rule and reign; and (3) You will not live in the kingdom of God externally until you are born again. So,
when we pray, “Your kingdom come, your will be done” (Matt. 6:10), we’re praying
for the rule of Christ in our lives, and for the day of his return.
Jesus had the Pharisee’s attention now. Nicodemus asked, “How can a man
be born when he is old? Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s
womb to be born!” (John 3:4) In other words, Nicodemus was essentially saying,
“Lord, I accept what you say in theory, but how can I start over again? Is it
really possible to be born all over again?” That’s a good question. Can people
really become different than what they are? After all, how many times have we
tried to change ourselves? We make resolutions to lose weight, exercise more,
watch less television, and read the Bible more often. We try new clothes, or
maybe even a new job. Yet we fail at these and return to our old habits. Can we
really change?
Years ago, there was this little boy who had a pet rat, ironically
named Nicodemus. He was a really cute little rat, and everyone grew to like
him. He was kind of like a member of the boy’s family. But the boy began to feel
sorry for Nicodemus, including the fact that he lived in a wire cage. In fact, the
boy was convinced that his little rodent friend needed a shelter of some kind,
so he decided to build one for him. He constructed a very clever little house
out of balsa wood, complete with a little roof, little windows and a tiny front
door that opened and closed. He even put Nicodemus’ name over the front door. The
project finished, he then lowered Nicodemus’ new home into his cage.
The next morning, the boy got up to find the house missing – and Nicodemus
looking just a little plumper. Nicodemus had eaten his house. Nicodemus didn’t
get it. He didn’t understand that it was his house. He simply thought, “This looks appetizing. I think I’ll eat
it.” Why? Because he was a rat, that’s why. And although the boy and his family
may have attached human attributes to this little rodent, including giving him his
own house to sleep in, the fact is a rat is still a rat. You just can’t change
their nature.
But is it possible to change the nature of a human being? Can we really become different than who we are? That’s the question that Nicodemus was asking. And that’s the question we’re still asking today. And Jesus' answer? "Yes" - but only when that change comes through the Spirit of God. So, the question becomes, "Who's in your ...." (think "wallet") And if you answered that question without the hint, you've probably been watching too much television. Rats.
Grace,
Randy
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