A Visit in the Night

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John Chapter 3 is one of the most loved, most quoted and yet most difficult to interpret chapters in Scripture. It centers on a conversation between Jesus and a man named Nicodemus. He was described as a member of the Jewish ruling council, typically called the Sanhedrin. It was made up of the High Priest and seventy elders. 

The term Sanhedrin is from a Greek word that means “assembly” or “council.” The assembly finds its pattern in the Torah. In Numbers 11:16, God commanded Moses: “bring me seventy of Israel’s elders who are known to you as leaders and officials among the people. Have them come to the Tent of Meeting, that they may stand there with you". The seventy elders were anointed with the Holy Spirit, for a limited time, and helped Moses quell dissent among the Israelites by preaching to them.

The Great Sanhedrin met in the Temple in Jerusalem. The court convened every day except festivals and on the Sabbath. The Sanhedrin as a body claimed powers that lesser Jewish courts did not have. They were the only ones who could judge the acts of the king or extend the boundaries of the Temple and Jerusalem, and were the ones to whom all questions of law were finally put. As a member of the Sanhedrin Nicodemus would have been an expert in the Scriptures, been expected to live in strict obedience with the Torah and possessed real authority in matters of faith and life. The “buck” stopped with the Sanhedrin. They had the final say in matters of faith and life.

Nicodemus came to Jesus in the dark of night. There is no doubt that he did not want anyone to know he came to see Jesus. The Sanhedrin was divided when it came to Jesus. Nicodemus represented those that were impressed by Jesus and wanted to know more. The Chief Priest Caiaphas and his cohort of had grown to hate Jesus and wanted to see him dead. Nicodemus did not want to arouse the scrutiny of Caiaphas and his group, so he came at night.

The darkness that surrounded him also mirrored his state of mind. People would have come to Nicodemus for religious advice. People would have asked him: “Rabbi Nicodemus, what must I do the enter the Kingdom of God that we all are waiting for?” Before Nicodemus heard of Jesus he most certainly would have pointed his questioners to the Torah and the strict and scrupulous obedience to the Torah. Obedience to the Law was the way to the Kingdom of God. 

Obedience to the Law was accomplished through grit, determination and discipline.

This Rabbi from Galilee came on the scene and could not be ignored. Nicodemus was impressed by the reports of the miracles he had performed. The Old Testament is peppered with miracles that the Prophets of antiquity performed. These miracles were proof that the prophet who performed the miracle spoke for God. Nicodemus began the conversation acknowledging Jesus’ status and the meaning of his miracles:

“Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” (John 3:2)

This statement was an opening statement that would lead to Nicodemus’ real questions. Nicodemus and all the faithful Jewish people were waiting for a Messiah and a kingdom. They believed that it would be a kingdom in this world and in this time. He hoped that Jesus would declare himself the Messiah and that the kingdom of God would be set up on earth now! Nicodemus wanted to move the dialogue with Jesus to this question: “What must I do to be a part of the Kingdom of God and inherit eternal life?”

Jesus knew Nicodemus’ intentions, and in a demonstration of his omniscience, he preemptively responded: “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born from above” (John 3:3).

This statement would have come as a complete shock to Nicodemus. Like all the Pharisees, he believed that he could be saved by the works of obedience to the Law. Jesus was now imposing a new standard. He used the words γεννηθη ανωθεν you must be born from the top or again. He blurted out:

“How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

At its most basic, the verb ginomai means to be born, to emerge from a mother’s womb. He declared the logical impossibility of Jesus’ statement. How can anyone re-enter their mother’s womb and be born again? It had just got a whole lot darker around Nicodemus.

Once again, Jesus addressed Nicodemus’ question: “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.” (John 3:5-6)

Jesus doubled down and confronted Nicodemus with his understanding of being born again. Jesus demanded regeneration, to be made new. He dismissed the idea that the human being had anything to do with regeneration. Jesus declared that flesh can only give birth to sinful flesh. King David knew this, in Psalm 51:5 he declared: “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.” So did Job. He declared: “Mortals, born of woman, are of few days and full of trouble… Who can bring what is pure from the impure? No one!” (Job 14:1 & 4). Jesus drew an irreconcilable contrast and comparison between (a) people born the normal way and filled with the same sinful affections as the parents; and (b) the people who are born of the Holy Spirit. Jesus affirmed, that no matter how hard they tried, neither the parents or their child could produce the regeneration Jesus demanded.

Jesus explained: “No one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit” (v. 5).

Jesus affirmed that he did not mean physical birth. Jesus pointed Nicodemus to a spiritual regeneration.

"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.”

Jesus pointed Nicodemus to the physical world: to the wind. The wind is an unseen force that brings about great change. God used the wind to part the Red Sea so the Israelite people could cross over. The wind brought rain clouds that ended the drought in Elijah’s time. Throughout the Old Testament scripture, the hot south wind brought drought, famine and destruction. The wind brings water that irrigates crops and pollinates crops. The wind brings life. The Holy Spirit works in the same way, moving whenever and wherever He chooses. 

Just like the physical wind brings changes to the physical world; the Holy Spirit works change in a person’s heart, soul and mind. A person touched by the Holy Spirit looks, thinks and acts differently. The Torah was full of instances of the power and the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit came upon God’s chosen and changed them. The Prophets all spoke by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

The Apostle Peter wrote: For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:21)

Jesus coupled Holy Spirit with water, the primordial element. The Apostle Peter reminds us of that “long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water.” (2 Peter 3:5).

Jesus’ words made the darkness around Nicodemus thicker. In exasperation he blurted out:

“How can this be?” (John 3:9)

Help me understand, was his cry.

Jesus responded: 10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things?

Jesus began his explanation with a dig. He expressed surprise at the bewilderment of this Pharisee that belonged to the religious and judicial elite. Nicodemus was a teacher in Israel, he held the position of a scribe, who was supposed to be well versed in the Law and the Prophets. The Old Testament Scriptures are peppered with visions of the prophets who longed for and prayed for the regeneration of God’s people and God’s promise to bring the visions to reality.

Didn’t King David pray to God: “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me…. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” (Psalm 51:10 & 12)

Didn’t God respond: “I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.” (Ezekiel 11:19).

How could the equivalent of a seminary professor and a judge not know this?

Jesus lamented: “Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony.” (verse 11)

The Scriptures testified that the Messiah would perform miracles. The blind would see the deaf would hear and the lame leap. (Isaiah 29:18) The same scriptures promised the Messiah would be a profound teacher that would explain everything to them (Deuteronomy 18:18-19). This was all happening before Nicodemus’ eyes. The scriptures were all laid out for Nicodemus in real time in his world.

Nicodemus had admitted that what God’s people had longed and hoped for was taking shape in the flesh and through Jesus; but he couldn’t take that next step. He saw and heard but could not believe it, just as the scriptures promised. “Who is blind but my servant, and deaf like the messenger I send? Who is blind like the one in covenant with me, blind like the servant of the Lord?” (Isaiah 42:19). Jesus knew this would happen, that he would be rejected by the very people who God had called to be his chosen people. “He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.” (John 1:11)

Jesus went on: “I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?” If Nicodemus was not open to believing in Jesus as Messiah based on what was happening before his eyes and the reports of credible witness he had heard, how could he comprehend the mysteries of faith that reason and logic cannot comprehend? How could he comprehend the Messiah’s indivisible human and divine nature (Son of God and Son of Man), his status as a sacrifice to God, his innocent suffering and death as substitutionary atonement for sin, the promised resurrection and the coming of the Kingdom of God?

Nicodemus was plunged into deeper darkness.

And then a light dawned. Jesus revealed to Nicodemus what he had hoped for.

Jesus said: “No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.” (verse 13)

With these words, Jesus revealed that he was the Messiah, the son of God. He had been in heaven from the beginning. Therefore, he knew the Father and the Holy Spirit and was in union with them. In him heaven and earth were joined. When he came down, he brought heaven to earth. 

He would reveal and testify to heavenly mysteries.

“Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” (verses 14-15)

Jesus referred to an account found in Numbers 21:4-9. "4 They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; 5 they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!”

6 Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. 7 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.

8 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.” 9 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, they lived."

In these verses, we see judgement, the people had put God to the test. They had used his name in vain. His anger burned against them. We see their punishment: death. Their executioners: serpents – snakes.

The bronze serpent, on a pole lifted among the people, became a means of salvation for those who looked upon it with faith.

God said to them: “Look at the snake. In the instrument of your punishment, see your crime and your guilt. In the snake see what you deserve: death. In my words: “anyone who is bitten can look at it and live” see my forgiveness, see my grace and see my mercy. See my salvation. I did not spare you from the punishment, the bite and sting that produces death, but I changed the outcome, life.

Jesus identified himself with the bronze serpent. He declared that the serpent pointed to him, his mission and his coming. The bronze serpent evoked the words of the Prophet Isaiah, in Chapter 53 of his Book. The lifeless metal serpent lifted up on a pole in the middle of a sea of people, pointed to a man who would be lifted up in another large crowd of people. 

Isaiah promised the crowd’s reaction would be mixed.

"Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. 6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all." (Isaiah 53:4-6)

Most everyone who looked at him believed that the Servant is being punished by God for the Servant’s own sins. But Isaiah warned us: Don’t be fooled. The sins he suffers for are ours. Look at your life. We have all gone astray, we are all sinners. See God in his mercy has laid our sins on him. He is being punished by for us and by us.

Isaiah declared that the Servant would die and be buried.

“For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished. 9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.” (Isaiah 53:8b-9)

Isaiah declared that this death was for a reason and had a meaning.

“Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. 11 After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.” (Isaiah 53:8b-9)

Death would not be the end for the Servant. He will rise from the dead. His suffering and death will take away the sins of many. Then there are the words: “he will see his offspring and prolong his days.” This prophetic declaration alludes and points to the spiritual offspring of the Servant who will inherit the blessings of salvation. Those who see in the Servant’s suffering and death their own sin, their own guilt, their own judgement and God’s mercy on them shown in Jesus’ suffering, death receive the assurance of resurrection and eternal life. This phrase points to the growth and perpetuity of the Church, founded on the victory of Christ over sin and death.

What is the only response to God’s grace love and mercy in Jesus?

“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.” (Verse 16)

Those who believe in Jesus, will die in this world. Their hearts will stop and they will cease breathing. But, they will not be dead to God and his Son, all who believe in Jesus is the Son of God who died for our sin and rose from the grave, will ascend from earth into heaven.

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

Jesus said it again before raising Lazarus from the dead. “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26)

God the Father and the God the Son have every right to condemn the world and every human being in it. They have authority over life and death and could reduce every living being to ashes at their will. Yet, Jesus, the divine Son has come not to condemn, but to save. Jesus the divine Son does not save from afar. He saves by living a human life and dying a human death.

Nicodemus heard from the mouth of Jesus the complete account of the way of salvation, a salvation which is all-encompassing.

What was Nicodemus’ response? He walked back into the darkness and went home.

But that is not the end of the story. Nicodemus appears again in the text. Four chapters later we have Jewish authorities bent on arresting Jesus for his preaching at the Temple during the Feast of Tabernacles. Nicodemus came to Jesus’ defense. “Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he has been doing?” (Joh 7:51). Nicodemus’ words quelled their evil intent for that moment.

We later learn that Nicodemus had been standing in the darkness of Good Friday. He had no doubt watched Jesus be tried by the Jewish and Roman authorities and found guilty. He heard the verdict of both courts: Death by crucifixion. He saw the verdict carried out. He saw Jesus lifted up on the cross. He saw him suffer and breathe his last breath.

Then Nicodemus came out of the shadows. He left the crowd. He (Joseph of Arimathea) was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. 

At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there. (John 19:39-42)

Nicodemus had stepped out of the crowd and onto center stage. He was with Jesus in public. 

But had Nicodemus stepped into the light?

Joseph of Arimathea is described in the text as a disciple. We know why he was there. John identified Joseph as a true believer. What about Nicodemus? John does not identify Nicodemus as a disciple. Had Nicodemus stepped up with Joseph of Arimathea do the right thing: “To bury him in the right way?” Or did Nicodemus see in Jesus as the Suffering servant Isaiah had described? Did he repent? Did he believe the words John 3:16? We can’t know on this side of eternity.

The account of Nicodemus points us to what happens whenever the Gospel of Jesus is proclaimed in its purity. Some like the crowd in Jerusalem go home after witnessing a crucifixion and go on with life. Some feel sorry for Jesus and are content to bury him with dignity and go on with life. Some are transformed and believe the words of John 3:16 in the way that Jesus meant them and receive a new life. 

What about you?

Copyright © 2026 St. Andrew's Lutheran Church, Kamloops

https://standrewslutheran.ca

Lent is a time for Christians to spiritually and physically recognize the depth of love and sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. When we see him on that cross we are reminded of our own mortality as a consequence of our sinfulness. In the eyes of God - sinfulness is lawlessness against his perfect – life sustaining commands – laws and precepts. And yet - we continually violate one or more of His laws each day of our lives -- even though we try not to. 

This dilemma was recognized by Paul in Romans 7:15; “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” On this side of Paradise – we are spiritually and physically incapable of living up to God standards. Or – again Paul says in Romans 3: 23: “…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

So during Lent we are called to repentance – prayer – fasting or abstinence and charitable giving of our time and talents. Charitable giving because of God’s gracious gifts of life – love - grace and mercy in our lives - we are charged to share those divine gifts with those around us.

But I sometime wonder – am I doing enough and am I giving enough – not just in church but in my life outside of church. In a way my Lenten response has less to do with doing and giving than the attitude of a humble – contrite and repentant heart. Remember Cain and Abel. In Genesis 4: 3-5 we read; “In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. 4 And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor.” Abel showed reverence to God by providing the best of the firstborn from his flock where as Cain just gave some of his produce. Was it the best from his first harvest? Probably not. Y’ see God knows our heart and knows our attitude towards him. Abel was reverent – Cain was casual.

It wasn’t the offerings to God from Cain and Abel that was the issue but the attitude of their heart. Abel had the right heart attitude toward God – and sadly like so many in this world he paid with his life for it. 

Similarly with Jacob and Esau – it’s the heart that revels our attitude toward God. Esau was only interested in his hunger to fill his stomach. But Jacob recognized the importance of a blessing from his father was like a blessing from God.

Jesus says in Mark 7: 20-23; that it is what comes out of our heart that defiles us. We read; “He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. 21 For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23 All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”

So how much do our hearts value a right relationship with God our Father? How important is God to us? Do we view God with a reverent attitude or a casual attitude. In this post-modern world, we are probably a little of both.

So we are called to repentance – prayer – fasting or abstinence and charitable giving. 

Our heart attitude toward God is related to how we repent of our sinful life.

The simple meaning of repentance is - to turn from a sinful life and turn to God. Simple enough – right. But real repentance suggests something far more dramatic than simply turning from sin and turning to God. It would mean a fundamental spiritual regret and remorse that we have deeply offended God our Father and grieved his Holy Spirit. It is more than simply being apologetic for something we said or did. It the thing that makes us sob and cry from the depth of our heart when we know we have deeply offended and grieved the heart of God. 

And I’ll bet that everyone of us has had those moments of deep regret knowing we have offended God. Sadly it’s part of our life – and it’s a life long struggle between our sinful nature and our need to be right with God.

Hear again is some of what I read in Joel;

Rend your heart
and not your garments.
Return to the Lord your God,
for he is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and abounding in love,

Rend is a perfect word to describe how we separate ourselves from a sinful life. Rend means to violently tear away with great emotional pain and anguish. I think of Lot’s wife. She could not rend herself from the life she must have enjoyed in Sodom. So – in this post-modern world – how do we – or can we - rend our heart and life from a sinful world.

In Psalm 51 - King David’s laments that he offended God. You can feel his sense of remorse as you read the words. He violated two of God’s ten commandments – adultery and murder. But – sometime I wonder – would he have been so remorseful if the prophet Nathan had not confronted him with his crimes. And don’t we try and hide those things and hope we are not found out. – What can we hide from God.

Fasting and Abstinence

Over the years I’ve heard some Christians say that during lent - they are going to give up chocolate or meat or wine or watching TV or whatever. There is no meaningful personal sacrifice – no heart felt submission to God. Heart attitude. Lots of people live with out those things all their lives – it is not a real repentant sacrificial fast.

As I go through the Scriptures there are several examples of fasting.

In the book of Ezra. Before he and some Jews returned to Jerusalem - he proclaimed a fast – with prayer. Asking God for a safe journey. We read in Ezra 8:21; “There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions.”

And Isaiah refers to fasting and we read in 58: 3a; 

“Why have we fasted,’ they say,
‘and you have not seen it?
Why have we humbled ourselves,
and you have not noticed?’

Clearly fasting and prayer go together. Luke tells us in Acts that Paul and others are praying and fasting. During their prayer time the Holy Spirit speaks to them. In Acts 13: 2 – 3 we read; “While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.”

Our reading in the gospel of Matthew is part of Jesus’s – Sermon on the Mount. In it he speaks about giving to the needy – prayer and fasting. But he says we must be careful; “…not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them.” But to be charitable – to pray and to fast in private. It is something we do for and with God not for the world or worldly. We are not to seek brownie points or accolades from the world - like showing people how good we are. But how do we define ‘good’?

When we do these things in private, we must be doing them with a humble and contrite heart. These things are private because it is a private conversation or action between each or us individually and our Father in heaven. And in doing so we are to be storing up treasures in heaven. 

So during our time in lent – it is a time to focus our heart on our heavenly Father. To build on our relationship and our faith in God and the blood of Jesus. 

So how do we rend our sinfulness for our worldly life and turn to God. Well – whether you fast or give to the needy – we must always pray. And pray as if our life depended on it – because – truly - it surely does.

AMEN

Copyright © 2026 St. Andrew's Lutheran Church, Kamloops

https://standrewslutheran.ca

View ths sermon presented live here: https://youtu.be/NzpNTNGIvTw

Sermon Blog: https://standrewslutheran.ca/blogs/f/lent