Jerusalem Baptist Church, Emmerton VA
John 1:1-5; 3:1-5
1:1-5
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4 in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
3:1-5
1Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. 2 He came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God." 3 Jesus answered him, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above." 4 Nicodemus said to him, "How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?" 5 Jesus answered, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.
I don’t know about you, but this past week’s New Year’s celebration was exceptionally quiet for us.
Part of it, I’m sure, had to do with the fact that we pulled into the driveway at about ten minutes to midnight on New Year’s Eve, after leaving Louisville at 9, we were pretty tired. The other part of it was that, at midnight, we were still in the midst of unloading the minivan, so our new year’s wishes were more in the manner of “huff, puff, (groan) oh, happy new year …” than a rousing boisterous well-wishing. We did celebrate, but it was a very small celebration, with a couple of close friends who have become family to us since we moved here, sitting in front of the fire, and basically exchanging small talk and good wishes.
So the New Year was ushered in in the midst of other activity. In some ways, it felt like just another Wednesday night, the only difference being that we had been on a trip.
In truth, to some degree the celebration was anticlimactic; the previous week had been a full one. Our time in Kentucky had been rich with events – a Christmas Eve service at my sister’s church, Highland Baptist, which was the first ever (I think) which the entire family attended – including all in-laws and grandkids, then a Christmas day full of family – not just immediate family, but the additional presence of a Chilean friend and HER family, who are living in Dayton Ohio and who drove down to spend the better part of the day with us—she repeatedly commented on how our house in Santiago was ‘always open’ … it was a precious time of reconnecting with our Chilean family. On Friday we gathered with several MK friends and THEIR families – again, people we’d not seen in several years, and on Tuesday, my 3 college roommates and our ‘adopted roommate’ Sue (though she lived in Louisville, while we were two hours south in Bowling Green), and I gathered with all of our families for the first time – counting my sister Becky and her family, 12 adults and 16 kids … it was chaotic and crowded, noisy, when all the kids came inside, but the time together was sweet. I found myself standing on the edges of the den, watching everyone. They’d not changed that much, except for the kids tagging along … but that in itself was a huge change. It was wonderful to see how … settled … in the best sense of the word … everyone was. People finding themselves in the midst of doing what they love doing. What they are gifted to do, what they are willing and able to do.
It made for a lesson in thanksgiving – I’d like to quote from a note one of them made on his website – Jay is Pastor of Antioch United Methodist Church, outside of Nashville, and said this about the gathering:
It is a bit pretentious to say so, but our experience in Bowling Green … was an experiment in Christian community ... We shared similar values. We shared financially -- because we didn't have any other choice. We prayed together, sang together, worshipped together, broke bread together, and yelled and screamed at each other. It was a place of authenticity for us, and I think led us into a relationship that can easily pick up from where we left it the last time we were together … it represents one model of life together in the body of Christ. Perhaps much of my striving in church is to regain that sense of community that we felt …
What I touched base with on Tuesday was that which had a huge impact on who I am and who I’ve become over the last 20 years.
I know the first scripture passage was at the beginning of John, but let’s deal with the second passage first.
We find Nicodemus attracted to something like that community. Here he is, a member of the Sanhedrin, the ruling council, he was nothing if not part of the establishment in first-century Jerusalem. Jesus is nothing if not the antiestablishment. He and his disciples are constantly getting into trouble for breaking the Sabbath and eating with sinners.
And yet, Nicodemus sees something. He approaches at night, which says something about who he was mindful of …
"Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God”
His salutation is courteous, even respectful; Rabbi was a term of respect as well as a title. The fact that Nicodemus addresses Jesus by the title says something about how he saw Jesus. I somehow doubt that he was trying to butter Jesus up … being in a position of power himself, there doesn’t seem to be a reason for that to be happening. His question is seemingly interrupted by Jesus’ reply to his greeting … the question, if any, is implied – the reference to “these signs” that “no one can do apart from the presence of God”.
As usual, Jesus cuts right to the chase – “no one can see the Kingdom of God without being born from above” – he is asserting that even admitting to the miraculous acts that Jesus was performing as being from God doesn’t accord one the right to be a witness to - or perhaps even a participant in the Kingdom – that can only come from the Spirit – by being born from above – a term that has been translated and popularized as being ‘Born Again’.
Nicodemus’ response can be taken a couple of ways -
At first sight he appears to be quite materialistic in his attitude, thinking that Jesus was advocating what was impossible--a second physical birth. On the other hand, perhaps he meant, "How can a man whose habits and ways of thinking have been fixed by age expect to change radically?" Physical rebirth is impossible, but is spiritual change any more feasible?
Yesterday we held a memorial service for Diana Svara, Soozin’s brother in law’s sister, who had been living with the Loudenslagers up until the Saturday after Christmas. After the service we gathered with the family at Cliff and Soozin’s to eat and share a little more in memories of Diana with them. Leslie and I sat in the kitchen with Jean, and she shared with us some of the same feelings that Diana had had before making a decision for Christ. Diana’s response to a question about her relationship with the Lord had repeatedly been “I’m not good enough; I’ve done too many bad things in my life to be saved”. Jean’s response (and I have to say here that it was the Holy Spirit that was speaking through her lips) was “if you were able to be good enough to be saved, then there’d be no reason for Jesus to hang on the cross!” Jean said it was like a light went off in Diana’s head.
So why am I relating a conversion experience on the first Sunday of the year?
Here’s why.
Let’s not lose sight of the incredible gift we’ve been given by God in allowing us to welcome another year into our lives. As the first verses of the Gospel say, God was in the beginning. God is into beginnings. Jesus was saying to Nicodemus and says to us all – to really see what is going on, you have to see the world with new eyes! You have to go through a change so profound that it is as though you’ve been born again – you must be born of the Spirit!
Yes, you may be set in your ways, you’ve got a way of looking at the world that has shaped what you believe and what you expect. Jesus shows us again and again to expect the unexpected. God is in the most unlikely places. In the house of a tax collector, in a jar of perfume broken over his feet, in a conversation with a woman who would give Elizabeth Taylor a run for her money…
What can we look forward to in 2004? In a few short words; God, moving in – and more importantly, THROUGH- our lives, and the life of THIS community of faith, this family, Jerusalem Church at Emmerton.
I can hardly wait!
Let’s pray.
Benediction
Now--
May the Lord Christ go before you—to prepare your way;
Christ beside you be companion to you, everywhere you go;
Christ beneath you, strengthen and uphold you – when you fall—or fail;
Christ behind you, finish and complete what you must leave undone;
Christ within you, give you faith and courage, love and hope;
But mostly --
Christ above you, bless and keep you, now and evermore!
Amen!
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