# Today’s lecturer is the assistant Pastor Mizuguchi.

1. To be newly born

Today, the fourth Lord’s day of Lent, we listen to God’s words from the Gospel according to John and the lecturing portion is chapter 3:14-21. This passage is the second part of the episode of Nicodemus, a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin*.

But at first we read the beginning of the whole story. John presents it with this verse ;- Now while he(Jesus) was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his name.(John 2:23)

Nicodemus was one of those people. When he came to see Jesus he 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."(John 3:2)

As a Pharisee, Nicodemus has been striving for righteousness of God and, for that reason he was highly respected by Jewish people. Besides he should have ben rich because he was highly placed in the community as a member of the Sanhedrin. Nevertheless, seemingly, he was not spiritually satisfied and came to ask Jesus how to find the way to God. He thought Jesus was the very person who could give him the answer. But he didn’t dare to come during the day because at that time Jesus was still a simple young teacher without high status. Nicodemus was not yet free from such concerns of earthy reputations. Jesus gat immediately insight to Nicodemus’ mind ;- In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."(John 3:3)

Nicodemus replied ;- “How can a man be born when he is old?"(John 3:4) It means he could not understand Jesus’ reaching.

The word “again” in the verse 3:3 is ”ἄ¦Í¦Ø¦È¦Å¦Í” in Greek text, which has other meanings, “anew” and “from heaven or God.” The choice of word reveals Jesus tried to tell him about a new birth by Spirit but Nicodemus thought it indicated physical renewal. So Jesus tried again to explain;- “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. (John 3:5-6)

Human efforts and acts can not allow us to enter the kingdom of God because “Flesh gives birth to flesh.” We make mistake by counting on benevolent behaviors and observance of the law go beyond human boundary. The salvation can be given only through the Spirit, in other words God as the source of life. That is the teaching of Jesus.
But yet Nicodemus didn’t arrive to grasp the significance. Thus Jesus continues giving explanations with a comparison ;- You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

“Wind” and “spirit” are both ” ¦Ð¦Í¦Åύ¦Ì¦Á” in Greek. Though we can not see wind we can feel its existence by sounds or movements of surrounding objects. the Spirit of God is alike. And, Jesus said, by believing the existence of the Spirit humans will change and arrive to the conviction of faith. But despite the explanation ;- “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.(John 3:9)

2. John’s faith through Jesus’ words

The discussion between Jesus and Nicodemus ends with the verse 10, which connects to the second part of the episode. The following part does not presents Jesus’ talking but the witness of John to the faith in Christ. Please pay attention to the subject of phrase which became “we”, addressing to “you people.” ;- I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. (John 3:11)

In the first part the discussion was taken between “I” and “you (singular).” The fact reveals “we” represents believers of John’s church and “you people” are oppressors of Christianity, traditional Judaist communities. To those Judaists the new born church, which witness to the faith in Jesus as the Christ (Messiah), was an inadmissible sect. Because Deuteronomy teaches ;- you must not leave his body on the tree (the cross) overnight. Be sure to bury him that same day, because anyone who is hung on a tree is under God’s curse.(21:23) And Jesus was dead the very way, on the Cross.

They thought it was impossible that a man who was cursed by God could be the Messiah. Therefore they blamed so severely the church. Though written as Jesus’ words the following portion is John’s apologetic of faith in Jesus Christ .;-No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, (John 3:13-14)

The verses above refers to Numbers chapter 21, which tells life conditions and feeling of Jewish people in the desert after the Exodus ;-The LORD said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived.(Numbers 21:9)

And we find commonly in tow parts above today’s key word ”ὑ¦×ό¦Ø “in Greek which means ” lift up” and ” put up”

Once, freed from Egyptian harsh rule thanks to Moses and the miracle of the Red Sea, Israelites commenced complaining about. Though God accorded them water and manna to protect their assure their livings they remain grumpy. So much so ;- the LORD sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. (Numbers 21:6-9)

Snake symbolizes Sin and Evil,which cause human torments. Nonetheless God altered such an animal into a tool to save humans. We find the similar significance to the Cross. Execution on a cross had signified cursed death but , through Jesus’ sacrifice, the Cross became the emblem of the salvation. God saved us by lifted his only Son up on the Cross.

John’s message here is that humans are forgiven and saved from sins which were judged and condemned on the Cross. Therefore most important aim of John’s church was to communicate why Jesus, the Son of God, was dead on the Cross, dressed on this earth, then resurrected. John intended to witnessed to the faith in Jesus Christ through his Gospel.

3. The Good News through John

The rest protion from verse 16 is not Jesus’ direct teaching but again the confession of faith of John’s church. ;- “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:16-17)

“Whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life”, because the Lord Jesus will never give up until He find stray sheep. Jesus portrayed by Matthew and Luke faithfully represents Jesus himself, who is willing to go anywhere in seeking only one lost sheep. And He loved us, his believers, so much that He sacrificed his own life,

Today’s invocation verses are John 4:9-10;- The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”

John found the extreme love in Jesus on the Cross. And those who knew such a love can not remain in the same life as before. To recognize the fact Nicodemus needed to understand the Cross and to be anew born. The person appears 3 times in the Gospel, in today’s passage, in the scene of Judgement by Sanhedrin (John 7:45-52) then and chapter after the death of Jesus (John 19:38).

Though he was on of members of Sanhedrin he tried to advocate Jesus in the court against other Jewish authorities by saying. ;-Does our law condemn anyone without first hearing him to find out what he is doing?"(John7:51)

However he could not maintain the stance and he fell into silence when other members rebuked him ;- “Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee."(John7:52)

At that time he is not yet anew born.

But he conducted himself differently in the third scene;-Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds.(John 19:38)
He didn’t conceal his faith in Jesus facing authorities and undertook Jesus’ burial, regardless of his social reputation,
He needed a long way to arrive to understand Jesus’ teaching. Then he was freed from all earthy yokes.
Seeing his itinerary, we learn that “to be anew born” should be achieved throughout our whole life.

John said in his Gospel;- Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.(John3:18)

However some persons falsely understand the meaning of the verse above. They think “whoever does not believe stands condemned and will be sent to hell.” The interpretation disgraces the good news and changes them into threatening words. Aim of God’s judgement is to save humans from sins. And the good news tell us that we are already in the salvation plan directed by mutual love. Real Believers must walk in the light as John says;- But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."(John 3:21)

And their life style themselves give witness to Jesus’ love.

Our slogan of the coming church year is ‘relationship based on God’s words’. The object is to found a community consisting in mutual love. In fact certains disagreements or misunderstandings should occur inside the church and they might push some members away. Nevertheless we must keep hope by believing in Jesus. Because we know that God loves us so much that he gave the only Son as the sacrifice to save us. As long as we keep in our mind that we are saved through Jesus’ suffering and death, we should be able to maintain authentic christian relationship.

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* Sanhedrin http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanhedrin