I hope that you've had a good weekend, you've had some fun in
the sun as they say, it's been a good bit of good, bright weekend
till this morning anyway, so attending church after Blossom
Festival and on a rainy Sunday is certainly worth extra bonus
point. So kudos to you guys for that.
No seriously. I'm glad that you're here today.
Thanks for coming. My name is Kyle.
I serve as the lead Pastor here. If you're visiting special,
thank you to you. We are in John chapter 3.
Once again today, but for the final time, as far as this
series goes, will be wrapping up our Series in John 3 today with
verses 18 through 21. And so, I'll read those to you
in a moment. But what we've been doing is
walking through this examining the conversation between
Nicodemus, who was a man a devout Jewish, man, a devout
Pharisee who had devoted himself to the law and he was looking
for If according to Good Works, he was looking for eternal life,
according to all that he could muster up under his own
strength, all that he could do to physically make that happen.
And what we find throughout this conversation with Christ, as if
he's looking for life and all the wrong places, right?
I know corny but he's looking I didn't mean to do that.
That's just what happens when your dad Yeah, that's so he's
looking for life in places where he's not going to find life and
so he's left wanting often, he's left wanting and all that he
does in. So there's something about
Christ that appeals to him. He says we recognize that you
are a teacher come from God, because no one can do the work
she do. Unless God is with him.
So he recognizes her something about Christ, but he comes to
Christ under the darkness, right?
He comes to Christ in the middle of the night.
He comes to Christ in such a way that no one would see him.
Him come to Christ and he begins to inquire, but his questions
are all wrong and Christ. Lets him know this.
And so what we're seeing is what Christ reveals is that life is
not found. According to the law, the law is
good. The law exposes sin, the law
helps us see our need for a savior as Paul says, and and
Romans, especially chapters 2 and 3, but, but the law is not
able to save you. The laws, only able to save you
the law, reveals your need For a savior.
And this is what Nicodemus was missing.
Nicodemus did not understand that he needed to be born again.
He needed new life in Christ and that's what Christ reveals to
him. So I'm going to read all of the
passage again today since it's our, especially since it's our
last time to be in it, so that we can capture the context of
this as we get ready to dive in. Again, if you're able today,
would you please stand to your feet being unable?
Does not. Mean that you walked a lot of
the Blossom Festival yesterday. I'm sorry you can still stand.
So we're going to read God's word today and then when I
finish reading it, I'll say this is God's.
Holy word of changed it a bit. This is God's.
Holy word and you say, thanks be to God.
Your part doesn't change my part changes.
This is God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
All right, let's read now. There was a man of the Pharisees
named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
This man came to Jesus by night and he said to him Rabbi we know
that you are a teacher From God for no one.
Can do these signs that you do unless God is with him and Jesus
answered him. Truly truly, 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 truly, truly 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 it sound, but you
do not know where it comes from or where it goes.
So it is with everyone who is born of the spirit.
Now in verse 9, Nicodemus said to him, how can these things be
Jesus answered him? Are you the teacher of Israel?
And yet you do not And these things truly, truly, I say to
you, we speak of what we know and bear witness to what we have
seen. But you do not receive our
testimony. If I have told you Earthly
things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell
you Heavenly things, no one has ascended into heaven, except he
who has descended from Heaven, the son of man, and as Moses
lifted up, the serpent in the wilderness so must the son of
man be lifted up that That whoever believes in him may have
eternal life for 16 for God. So loved the world that he gave
his only son, that whoever believes in him, should not
perish, but have eternal life. For God, did not send his son
into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the
world might be saved through him Verse 18, where we'll be for the
majority of our time today. Whoever believes in him is not
condemned, but whoever does not believe is Already because he
has not believed in the name of the only son of God.
And this is the Judgment, the light has come into the world
and people loved the darkness rather than the light because
their Works were evil. For everyone.
Who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the
light, lest his work, should be exposed, but whoever does what
his true comes to the light so that it may be clearly seen.
That his Works have been carried out.
It's in God. Amen.
This is God's. Holy word.
Thanks be to God. You may be seated.
Let me pray for you. Heavenly Father, we thank you
for your word. We thank you for the time we
have now to examine it to stare at it to behold.
Its father, we ask that you would do the work that only you
can do and that is cause your words to grow and our hearts
that it might bear much fruit, would you, by the power of your
spirits open, our hearts and Minds.
To see and to understand and to believe the words of Christ
today that we would not be found as those loving Darkness but we
would be found as those who are walking in the lights or we love
you. It's in Christ's name I pray.
Amen. John 3:18, whoever believes in
him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is
condemned already. Because he has not believed in
the name of the only son of God. And this is the Judgment, the
light has come into the world and people loved the darkness
rather than the light because their Works were evil.
For everyone. Who does wicked things hates the
light and does not come to the light, lest his work, should be
exposed, but whoever does what his true comes to the light so
that in so that it may be clearly seen.
That his Works have been carried out in God Christ.
Makes it clear that as God sees the world as God sees Humanity,
there are only two groups of people in it.
There are only two groups and which you will find yourself in
this world. There are not three groups.
There are not five groups. There are not 10 groups.
There are not an unlimited number of groups.
There are two categories of people and they are Polar
Opposites as Christ reveals today.
We are all sharply divided. Between those who believe in
Jesus Christ and those who disbelieve, we are, sharply
divided between those who are judged by God, and those who are
not judged by God. Those who there are, those who
love the light, which is Jesus Christ to be.
Sure. And there are those who do not
love him. There are those who flee from
spiritual darkness and those who choose by their own desire to
remain. Rain in spiritual Darkness.
There are those who practice evil and those who practice the
truth. And so you may classify these
two groups in a number of different ways by pointing out
where they stand in regards to belief in Christ, but make no
mistake. There are only two groups of
people. This is what Jesus is declaring
to Nicodemus in our text today is making it clear that you
either love the lights or you love the dark.
There is no third way is if you were going to be In the kingdom
of God, you must love the light which is the Son of God.
Jesus Christ. And so if you're taking notes
today, there's my the thrust of the sermon.
That was the main point. If you will, if you will love
the lights, Jesus Christ, you will find life in him.
If you will love the light, Jesus Christ, you will find life
in him. Now, either Nicodemus would love
the light or he would lock go on loving his Darkness.
He could only find himself in one of those two categories and
is seen throughout this dialogue, Jesus makes it clear
to Nicodemus that he is currently outside the kingdom.
Unless you, unless you believe you cannot see the kingdom of
God, unless you believe you cannot even enter the kingdom of
God. Jesus is making it clear to him
that he is outside of the kingdom of God, which is news,
to Nicodemus, to be sure. Nicodemus had no idea that he
was outside of the kingdom of God.
He thinks he's at the Pinnacle of those who were inside the
kingdom of God. He's not previously aware of his
need to be born again. He doesn't see that.
He needs to be given New Life given New Birth.
He didn't know that he was in need of spiritual life.
Until now, he's clear. Now, Christ has brought it to a
head here in this dialog. As their dialogue is coming to a
close Jesus, draws a sharp line of distinction between these two
groups of people Stephen Lawson points out in his book, New Life
In Christ. He says, Jesus draws.
This sharp distinction by making three clarifying distinctions
which serve to bring Nicodemus to the place of a deep Awareness
of his need for regeneration. That the purpose was that he
would put his trust in Jesus. The only savior of Sinners.
And so Christ is making In this passage three distinctions that
Nicodemus that are meant to draw Nicodemus to this understanding
that he's a need of the new birth that he cannot walk away.
Thinking anything different about himself, except that he is
lost. And so the first contrast Jesus
makes is between those who are already judged.
Who are already judged by God to be sure and those who are not.
So the first contrast he makes John 3:18.
Again, whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever
does not believe is condemned already.
So there's a group of those who are not condemned, who are not
judged, and then there's those who are condemned already,
because they're not believing Nicodemus, must decide whether
he is judged or Not. By God, does he believe in Jesus
Christ? The son of God does he believe?
The message that Christ is proclaiming to him in this
moment, or is he going to go on in disbelief?
And if he does believe, then he is not judge, but if he does not
believe then he will remain in judgment.
He will remain in his condemning State Nicodemus, learn that he
was already condemned by God. Again, this is probably news for
Nicodemus. He's learning that he already
stands guilty before God in the high court of Heaven.
Again, lost some points out. He says, all that mattered.
Now was not how Nicodemus appeared before people, but how
he stood before, God, the highly respected ruler has been weighed
in God's balances and he's been found wanting and Nicodemus
built his life on his reputation.
He built his life on his good works.
He built his life on being perceived by others as a holy
man and now he's finding out that that's not good enough.
The final verdict would wait until the last day when Christ
returns, but the outcome of this final verdict is certain as far
as Nicodemus, presently stands, he is condemned.
He's condemned because of Adam's sin.
Adamson is credited to all Humanity in Romans chapter 5
verses 12 through 21. So one reason that Nicodemus
like you and I stands condemned in our disbelief is because we
have inherited Adam sinned, we are born, sinners.
But it's not only that it's by his own sins that he has
condemned again. Romans 3:23 confirms us that
we've all fallen short of the glory of God.
All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
Romans 6:23 says that the wages of sin, the wages of all of
those who have fallen short is death.
So he stands condemned before God, ultimately, he's condemned
because he's not believing here yet in Jesus Christ.
And so if you find yourself standing condemned and high
court of Heaven, cry out to God. God is the one who is merciful
to all, who believe in his son, and if you will humble yourself,
you will receive Grace from him. This is what James says, in his
letter, that if you will humble yourself, God gives grace to the
humble. So she'll humble yourself before
the Lord. You will receive Grace, but you
must be honest in your self-assessment.
You must be honest and where your heart is before the Lord,
if you have not believed in Jesus Christ for your salvation,
if you have not trusted in his name, if you were not looking to
him, then I beg of you today flee to Christ run.
Do not walk to find Mercy from God.
Today he alone is the savior of sinners.
And so Jesus. Again, makes it abundantly clear
that the one that that someone a person must believe in Christ to
be the Son of God in order to be saved.
And must believe Christ to be who he says he is they must
believe in his name. To the one who believes in the
name of the son of God. And when we say the name of
someone typically, what this means is, it's referring to all
that that person. In is and whatever their mission
is. And so when Jesus says that you
must believe in the Name of Christ to be saved, the object
of saving, faith is the name of Jesus Christ.
It's the believe upon him and when you say you believe upon
him what you're saying is, I believe that he is who he says
he is, and that he did all that. He said he was that he was going
to do and that he will do the things that he is doing even now
as he sits in heaven and intercedes for believers.
You must believe that Jesus is who he claimed to be as the Son
of God, believe that he was the one that God sent from heaven in
order that he might be lifted up on a cross to die for your sins.
This is where you find Salvation.
This is where life is found. You must believe that Jesus
alone can rescue you from your sins.
And herein lies the seriousness of unbelieving of disbelief.
To disbelieve that Christ is who he says he is, is to reject God.
And not only to reject God. But to reject the Son of God,
you're refusing to Believe In Christ and so you were rejecting
God's Plan of Salvation. You're rejecting his plan for
your Redemption. You're rejecting it and you're
saying, I know a better way. And essentially what you're
saying is, I'll get there by my own strength and at the bottom
of what you're saying is I'm going to stay in my condemned
States. Lawson has this great little
quote about this in his book. He says unbelief toward Jesus
defiantly repudiates, God's Plan of Salvation.
It dishonors God by disregarding his holy son, it brazenly calls.
Jesus Christ a liar. It utterly rejects that Jesus is
the only begotten Son of God unbelief denounces, Jesus, as
merely one more human teacher. Who is unfit to be trusted, is
it any wonder that an unbeliever like Nicodemus was Judged
already, he participated as all believers do and high treason
against God. He's rebelling against the
Living God. And so again, I say to you, if
you will love the light She is Jesus Christ, you will find life
in him, you'll find life in him. The second contrast that Jesus
makes regarding these, two groups is between the light and
the Darkness. John 3:19, he says in, this is
the Judgment, the light has come into the world and people loved
the darkness rather than the light because their Works were
evil. And this statement, Jesus is
speaking of himself as the light, he is the light that has
come into this world of spiritual Darkness.
A later on in John's gospel, he's going to flat out.
Say, I am the light of the world.
This isn't new even so this passage though, because John
describes Jesus as the light in chapter 1, as he's laying out
for us, who has come into the world at the very word, was made
flesh, and dwelt Among Us. And he says this, it says, in
him was life and the life was the light of men.
And then in verse 5, he says the light shines in the darkness and
the Darkness has not over comments and in John 19, he says
the True Light which gives light to everyone was coming into the
world. So John is already set up
Christ. As the light, he's the one who's
giving us the picture of the father.
He's the one who is exposing sins by his great holiness.
He's the one sent to reveal the father, he's the Blazing light
of holiness. Yet rather than coming to Jesus,
who is the light to have their sins revealed?
Humanity has a naturally vert aversion to light, just like
Nicodemus, Nicodemus comes in the dead of night.
He comes in the darkness, he's coming and make no mistake.
John is drawing this up this way so you can see the clear picture
here of a man who is in darkness versus what lights looks like.
He came in the dark of night because he loved the darkness of
his sins. And he didn't know any better.
He may want to keep from exposing him, exposing those
sins, but those spent those sins were going to be exposed anyway.
And so the coming of a lot of light, the coming of Christ, the
coming of the Son of God has brought judgment to this world.
A Divine verdict has been rendered in regard to your sin
and to my sin to the sins of all Humanity Jesus was sent for the
primary purpose of Salvation. And the fact that we need
salvation that we cannot attain salvation on our own exposes our
sins. It exposes the fact that you are
not able to get to God on your own.
And if somebody will not receive Jesus Christ by faith and that
person will incur God's coming judgment.
Either Nicodemus believes in the laden is not judged or he
remains in the darkness and is judged by God.
But I tell you again, if you will love the light, if you will
love Jesus Christ, you will find life in him.
He's offering you life today. And the third contrast that we
have, Jesus makes a clear distinction, between truth and
evil. Look at verses 20 and 21 again
for everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does
not over sorry? Does not come to the light.
Lest his work should be exposed. But whoever does what his true
comes to the light so that it may be clearly seen.
That his Works have been carried out in God.
Jesus is saying here that the rejection of Truth and edited
lie leads to committing evil Deeds again. 324 everyone who
does wicked things hates the light.
When you hate the light it leads to Wicked Deeds.
Inevitably so unbelievers. Hate the light.
Unbelievers, hate the light. There's not a there's not a
small love for the light in them.
There's no neutrality to the light in them.
They are averted to the light. They hate the light and Jesus is
saying here, they love their sins, but they hate me.
They love their sins but they hate Christ.
The one who is the light of the world and to hate the light is
to reject Jesus Christ. The one who hates the light and
does not come to the light for fear that his deeds will be
exposed. Now, the idea of exposure here
means a manifestation of evil in a person's life, that comes with
conviction and shame. when you have your Deeds exposed, if
you've ever had this happen in your life, you've done something
wrong, you've committed sin, maybe against someone Maybe
you're doing something that you thought would be privates be
your own sin, right? And that thing gets exposed.
If you've gone through that, then you know, the shame that
comes with it, you know, the guilt that comes with it, you
know, the terror that comes with that, It's God's grace on your
life when your sins are exposed. Do you understand this to have
your sins exposed in to fill your shame to feel the guilt of
sin is what leads you to Christ and so it's Grace on your life.
When your sins are exposed, it's God's desire to save you from
your sins when your sins get exposed in that way.
And so we shouldn't run as Adam and Eve do in the garden to hide
ourselves with fig leaves to make excuses to blame.
Others. For our sin, we should fess up,
we should own those things before the Lord, humble
ourselves and cry out to him for mercy in those moments.
It's a painful painful moment in your life, but it is an act of
divine grace. When you're exposed in that way
and praise God, that he loves us enough to chastise Us in such a
way that we might return to him. But the unbeliever who refuses
to come to Jesus Christ. He does so because he doesn't
want to deal with his own sins. He does so because he wants to
hide those sins. And so there are many people who
will linger in the shadows. So to speak to avoid dealing
with their own sins. There are many people who want
to live in their sins, yet have Heaven at the same time.
There are people who want what Christ offers without having to
deal with Christ demands for repentance and faith and so they
will look like the light as much as they're able.
But on the inside their hearts are far from him.
And their deeds are, what exposes them their deeds are
what show the truth of their hearts.
Jesus taught, that a True Believer lives in a completely
different round than the unbeliever.
He's teaching that, you know, a completely different reality.
But the one who is Born Again? Comes to the light, he doesn't
run from the light. He's not, he doesn't have the
problem of light of version. He he wants the lies.
He's Drawing Near to the light in the morning.
When he opens the scriptures, he's Drawing Near to the light
throughout his day, as he seeks the Lord in prayer.
As he confesses his sin as he begs, the Lord for help and
overcoming Temptation. He's Drawing Near to the light.
This is the heart of a Believer. It's not running from God, he's
running to God. Every chance he gets.
John 320 321 321 sorry but whoever does what his true comes
to the light so that it may be clearly seen that his Works have
been carried out in God's, those who come to the light will find
life in the light, the light exposes the sin in your life, it
leads you to repentance. It leads you to turn away from
your sins. It leads you to faith in Christ.
This is where you find eternal life, in the light of God.
And so the light points Believers toward the way of
holiness. The light is what guides you.
This is why the psalmist. In Psalm 119 says that the word
is a lamp unto my feet. It is a light unto my path.
What's he saying? He's saying without the word of
God. I have no light for the way.
Without the word of God, I don't know the path to take.
I can't see the road. You've ever been wandering
around in the darkness and your power goes out, even in your
own. Where do you feel fairly
familiar with things? You're still kind of prone to
stub. Your toe on the coffee table,
right? You're floundering around for a
flashlight or something. Walking around and pitch-black
darkness, where you can't see your hand.
In front of your face, is a terrible feeling.
This is the experience of unbelievers.
The experience of a believer. Is like having a q beam in your
hand at times. And then there's times where
it's like having a match. And you just see the flicker of
light, but, you know, this is the direction you're trusting.
The light to guide you. And so Believers are drawn to
the light because the light leads them towards Holiness in a
dark world. It leads them towards a right
relationship with the father in a world that hates the father.
Hates him. Again, they're not neutral to
God, they hate the God of the Bible.
Each person who comes to the light practices.
What is true? John says, sorry.
Jesus says John just writes it for us and so this has in mind
and ongoing lifestyle practicing.
What is true doing? What is true is out of
practicing that which is true, this is a lifestyle, it's a long
Pursuits, a lifelong Pursuit, if you will of following the Ruth
your Deeds. Now show that you are in God in
Christ, When you have found live in the light, your Works Jesus
says, will be seen as being carried out, in God.
Again, this is what he's saying in Matthew 5:16, where he says
let your light shine before men that they might see your what
good works and glorify your father who is in heaven.
Your light shines in your good deeds in your good deed you were
showing that you have received the LIE of Christ that you have
hidden yourself in him. That he is making known to you
the path of life and you were following him.
And when that happens, people see Christ in you because
verbally, you're talking about it, and then action, you're
doing what he says to do and in so doing those things and in.
So for claiming the Savior who's come from another world that we
might be born with a life from another world.
They see the good works and the glorify God in heaven.
Not everyone. Of course there are people who
hate the light remember but there are those who will be
saved By the word of your testimony.
As you proclaim the truths of the gospel of Christ and how he
has changed your life. There are people who will be
saved because of that, you are the one who carries the gospel.
You are the one providing the torch in the dark world that
other people can come and see, oh wait, there is light here and
their sins will be exposed and will turn to the Lord and they
will be saved. And so trust Christ, you have,
if you have been, if you have found life in the light, you
have a regenerated heart, a regenerated heart is a new
heart, it is a new life received by the new birth.
You have been born again from above Heaven is your home.
Your reality is that of light in the midst of darkness and as the
world seems to lose its head you don't have to, you have truth,
you're grounded in Christ. Your your foundation is as solid
as a rock. And when everything else appears
is sinking sand, God's word never fails.
And you'll stand on it. You'll walk with the Lord and
other people buy that in their sinking as they see you on the
rock of Christ, they will find life in your testimony.
Proclaim the gospel live, the gospel.
Let the light over take, you commit yourself to him in that
way. Lawson talks about this as a
spirit works and each new life, he says, giving us new power to
conduct ourselves in a manner pleasing to God by being born
again, Believers will live holy lives by the governing principle
of our new nature. You give it a new heart, which
creates a new a new life, and by this new life, you were
committing yourself to Christ and whatever he commands.
Because you love him, your devoted to him, you recognize
that he has saved you from your sins.
You're no longer a slave to sin, you're a slave to Christ but
you're a slave in the way that you have life, you have found
the lights and now you have life in his name, it's conversation
between Nicodemus And Jesus comes to a close.
What will Nicodemus do with what he has heard from the Son of
God, how will he respond to the light that has exposed his sins?
Will he remain in the Darkness? One thing is true Nicodemus must
respond. But if you look at verse 22, it
just says after this Jesus and his disciples went into the
Judean Countryside and he remained there with them and was
baptizing. Wait a minute.
There's, there's no response. At least not that we see.
What a conversation? What a conversation is just
taking place a believer in the law.
One trusting in the law for his salvation has had his life
exposed and he's been told, you must begin again.
You must be reborn. He's told that if you will not
believe in the Name of Christ, there is no life in you.
If you will not come to the light, then you remain in
darkness and you are condemned already.
All those good works are nothing but the works of a sinful heart.
Working for its own salvation. It's possible that Nicodemus,
walked away needing more time to assess what he's heard.
We don't know what if anything he said to Christ in these
moments. This happens often when you
share the gospel with others, in many ways, this is the typical
response. Sometimes it might be true that
they are not convinced yet of the truth that you shared and
need to some time to ponder. other times, it's just simply
and And they're usually pretty bold with it, but it's just
simply that they're not ready to surrender their lifestyle of
sin. they're enjoying the darkness, so they think
Sometimes it's that they're concerned about others, what
others will think of them. You know, if I do, this is going
to alter the way, my family sees me, or my spouse, or my
children, or my co-workers. Like And so, it's a hard process
for them to think about this. One thing is true for all of us
as we're sharing, the gospel is that you do not get to make the
decision for them. It's not up to you.
Praise God. It's not up to you.
We talked about this once during the series, at least maybe
multiple times, but at least once.
But that you don't get to make the decision and how that's good
news to share more freely. It's not up to you to be
convincing, you don't have to know all the right things to
say. You don't have to be Adept at
apologetics. I joked with you one day that
you don't have to know if dinosaurs were on the ark or
knots, as we've looked at in Sunday school, you don't have to
know if there was an ice age or not.
You don't have to know these things to tell the good works of
God, who saved you from your sins and to point people to the
Archers. You simply must be faithful and
you had better not manipulate them into an emotional decision.
Because that's fruitless also. And so you must be faithful to
proclaim the gospel, and you must be faithful to trust, God
to move on their soul, and to give them new life because you
can't you're not the holy spirit of God.
Jesus here, so's the seed and now he waits for the Harvest of
Nicodemus is soul That would come later.
The next time that we hear from Nicodemus is about 2 years
later. Jesus is in his third year of
ministry, there is increasing controversy surrounding him,
which is ultimately what leads to his own crucifixion and
there's this heated moment in John Chapter 7, There's this
heated moment there among the religious leaders of Israel,
particularly among the Pharisees, and they're trying to
have Jesus arrested, and they send officers to arrest him, but
the officers come back empty-handed.
And there empty-handed because they were awestruck by what they
heard in Jesus's teaching. They report to the Pharisees and
John 7 verse 46. No one ever spoke like this,
man. That's the beginning of light,
isn't it? No one ever spoke like this,
man. And the Pharisees putting
themselves up on the pedestal that they loved so dearly, they
look at them and they ask have any of your authorities, have
any of the Pharisees believed in him.
What are they saying? Who are you to say he's spoken?
Like no one you've ever heard before.
Who are you? We gave you a command.
We're the ones you're to believe.
We're the ones. But in their midst.
In their gathering, in their heated argument there was one
who was giving strong consideration to The Words of
Christ. Nicodemus steps forward and he
says in John 7, verse 51 does our law judge a man without
first giving him a hearing and learning what he does.
Now, I'll give you this. It's not an open confession.
He's not identifying himself in the moment with Christ.
He's not saying if you're going to crucify him, take me with
him. But it's an attempt to slow down
the opposition of Christ. Or to Christ.
Sorry and so Nicodemus, clearly two years later is still
rattling around in his head. This thought that Christ has
shared about the necessity of New Birth.
If he's to see the kingdom of heaven.
Two years earlier. This conversation takes place
and the Lord's teaching is still lodged in his mind and it
appears that those initial gospel seeds are starting to
sprout again. You must remember that the
growth of the seed is not up to us.
It's up to God Alone. Paul addresses.
This very issue in First Corinthians chapter, 3 verses 6
and 7. There's this argument at one of
many of course among the Ian church about who's better, who's
disciple, or you and who's disciple, or you?
And there's a man named Apollo's.
And then, there's the Apostle, Paul and people are identifying
themselves in one of two camps. Like, well, I'm of Apollo's and
I'm of the Apostle Paul and Paul says, I thank God that I didn't
baptize any of you. Well maybe I baptized none of
you but I can't remember. Baptizing, any more of you.
That's pretty much exactly what he says.
I like it because you know there's no eraser back then so
it's gotten baptized any of them away?
There wasn't one and but I don't think there's any more But the
point he's making. Is that I'm not God.
Apollo's is not God. You were not our disciples, you
were Disciples of Christ, and this is what he says.
I planted Apollo's watered, but God gave the growth.
So neither he, who plants, nor he who Waters is anything, But
he but only God who gives the growth.
So none of us can beat our chest and say, woo, look at me.
You are either planting or watering but you are not giving
the growth. And this is what's happening in
Nicodemus. God Christ planted the seed
there two years earlier. And now what we're seeing is
that the father is causing its growth and his perfect timing.
And his perfect timing. Now if you fast forward to the
end of Jesus, life Christ has been crucified.
So Nicodemus tried to slow it down but he was, he was a bit.
He was laughed at and want to hear what he had to say.
And so Christ is crucified as the most controversial and
despised figure of his day. A man with no sin was sent to a
cross and an unfair trial multiple unfilled.
Unfair trials. And in that moment of his
crucifixion, even his disciples hid themselves in fear of their
lives, only the Apostle John, who's writing, this gospel, that
we've been reading and some faithful women including the
mother of Christ remained with Jesus during his crucifixion.
They were the ones there at the foot of the cross.
The point I'm trying to make is that this was a dangerous time
to be identified with Jesus. The Jews smelled blood and they
were wishing to Snuff out, any one who appeared to have the
Light of Christ in him or her but when it came time for his
body to be buried to secret, Believers step forward to claim
his body. They desired to give Jesus a
proper burial and in these men are identified One is Joseph of
Arimathea. He's the one who initially goes
to pilate and asked for the body of Christ and pilate agrees.
Would you like to take a guess at who the second one is
Nicodemus? Nicodemus goes with Joseph
Nicodemus, a Pharisee Nicodemus, the ruler of the Jews.
Nicodemus, the teacher of Israel goes with Joseph of Arimathea.
To retrieve the body of Christ and give him a proper burial.
There is no doubt that Nicodemus.
Joining Joseph is out of sincere Devotion to Christ Jesus.
There's no doubt. The act alone would expose him
both of them, but expose him to Great danger for Nicodemus to
show loyalty to Christ in this moment and the Pharisees and the
Jews had just put the death was Terribly damaging to that
teacher of Israel reputation that he held.
And nevertheless, these men courageously step forward.
It's not stated explicitly but Nicodemus has no doubt come to a
firm commitment. That Jesus Christ.
Is the Son of God, he believes he has stepped out of the
Shadows of the night that night time meeting.
And into the light, now is a follower of Jesus Christ.
We see this as he demonstrates his willingness to suffer for
Christ in the face of great danger, he's willing to be
marked as a traitor, among the Jews.
To be identified with Christ, he has gone from hating the lights
to loving the lights. He is willing to risk his own
life for the one who willingly died to save him from his sins.
Lawson ads. This is what saving Faith does.
It owns Jesus as Lord. And Savior before the eyes of a
watching world, saving Faith Embraces Jesus, whatever the
outcome. It turns its back to the world
and it follows Christ. Even in the face of mounting
difficulty, saving Faith steps out of the darkness and steps
into the light. And so friends, if you are And
unbelief today. if you don't know Christ as your savior, It
is my prayer that this would be this saving Faith.
We've just described that this would be the reality of your
life. Also, May you also like
Nicodemus find eternal life by faith in the light of the world
in the name of Jesus Christ. May you know New Life In Christ
by being born again. May, you believe in Jesus Christ
as your savior and Lord today. And brothers and sisters, my
fellow Believers in here. If you have found life in the
Light of Christ, then I urge you to continue to walk in Holiness.
Continue to walk in the light, continue to walk side by side
with the one who has made known to you the path of life.
As David writes, in psalm 16 verse 11, It's made known to you
the path of life. And at his right hand are
Pleasures forevermore. Continue brothers and sisters to
put off the darkness of your own sin by returning to the light.
Each day, continue to trust the spirit of God for your own
Holiness, and your own maturity, that you two would be made more
and more into the image of Christ.
As you behold, the glory of Christ seek Christ, above all
else for that is all that matters in your life.
And that's it. And so whether you're young or
your old, whether you're a child and here today, are you years
into your life? Seek Christ and you will find
life in him. Let me pray for you.
Heavenly Father, we love you. We thank you, Lord, for the life
that we have and the Light of Christ.
We pray now father that you would help us whether we be men
or women, boys or girls today that you would help us find life
in the lives of Christ. Help us to love the light to do
that, which is to be found in the light only and help us to
hate the darkness. Help us Lord to spread the
lights. Cross.
The Earth, Lord, as you, send us into homes and workplaces.
And new cities potentially and new States, and new countries
and wherever it is. You place us into break rooms
and to Sunday school rooms. And two living rooms wherever we
are. Father, help us to shine
brightly for the Light of Christ today.
Lord, again, I beg of you to save Sinners today, to save
those who were lost today, help them to find life in or name
only, When we pray, these things, according to the name of
Christ, Jesus, your son, the one sent from heaven to be like us
to die for us and to rise for us that he might stand at your
right hand. Interceding, for us even now.
And we might have the power of Christ alive in us by your
spirits. Pray these things in his name.
His name only, amen. His name only, amen.