2 Lent Year A 3/5/2023
Genesis 12:1-4a; Psalm 121; Romans 4:1-5, 13-17; John 3:1-17
Rev. Mark A. Lafler
Our Gospel reading today is one of the most famous texts in all of scripture…
Mainly, because it includes John 3:16:
God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, to the end that all that believe in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
A verse that is quoted after confession and absolution during all Rite 1 services.
I remember, as many of you do, when I was growing up watching a football game on TV the reference John 3:16 would be on a large banner right between the goal posts.
It has become the standard go-to-verse for many Christians.
And for good reason as the Gospel is so well stated in that one verse.
Our Gospel reading gives the context for this verse.
It starts by introducing…
Nicodemus, who was a Pharisee…
Who met up with Jesus at night…
There is only one reason that Nicodemus would meet Jesus at night.
And it was not because they both had such tight busy schedules…
It was because Nicodemus did not want other people…
(Other Jewish religious leaders in particular)
to know about the meeting.
So how does the conversation go?
Well, Jesus says, “If you want to enter into the kingdom of God you must be born of the Spirit?” You must be born again.
And Nicodemus says, “What are you talking about? Born again? Nobody can do that…”
And Christ says, “Yes! Born-again… born of the Spirit is the way that one enters the kingdom of God.”
Jesus goes on to say that the Son of Man must be lifted up…
(which is a reference to the cross – being lifted up was a common idiom referring to crucifixion)…
And that whoever believes in him (Jesus) may have eternal life…
Then comes the John 3:16 verse…
(Which we all should know)
And then John 3:17 which says that God did not send Christ to condemn the world but in order that the world might be saved through him.
It is really quite the conversation…
One of the clearest places in all of scripture of God’s intention, purpose, and mission with his created world.
Years ago, I read in a newspaper about a speech given by the president of a well-known university…
He gave the speech to a group of influential businessmen and civic leaders.
He told of a recent experience while shopping during Christmas season passing by a Salvation Army volunteer ringing a bell.
He paused to make a donation and the volunteer asked him:
“Sir, are you saved?”
“I suppose I am,” the educator said.
She was not satisfied, so she pursued the matter further:
“I mean, have you ever given your full life to the Lord?”
“I am the president of the university, and as such, I am also president of its school of theology.”
The lady considered his response for a moment, and then replied,
“It doesn’t matter wherever you’ve been, or whatever you are, it’s not too late… you can still be saved.”
Now… it’s kind of a funny story… but the most tragic part of this incident is that both the seminary president and his audience actually thought his story was amusing.
Now… imagine Nicodemus being confronted by this Salvation Army volunteer, he would have thought—and said—just about the same thing as the university president…
Nicodemus is the “cream of the Jewish crop” a religious leader…
One dare not even dream of having life any better than he has it.
He is a Jew, a Pharisee, a member of the Sanhedrin
(the highest legal and judicial body of the Jews),
and a highly-respected teacher of the Old Testament Scriptures.
Can you imagine being Nicodemus and having Jesus tell you that all of this is not enough to get you into the kingdom of God?
Yet this is precisely what Jesus tells Nicodemus.
If a man like Nicodemus is not good enough for the kingdom of God, then who is?
Nobody!
No one is good enough to enter into the kingdom of God…
Which is the point…
If it was about works we wouldn’t need the cross.
It is about grace.
His gift of salvation.
Jesus made the way for our salvation…
Which is where believing comes in.
The word believe is used four times in our Gospel reading.
To believe is more than simply belief in the existence of God…
That’s not Christianity… that’s theism.
To believe is more than believing that Jesus Christ existed…
Even the devil believes in Christ in this way…
And I am sure the scriptures point toward his eternal punishment.
Belief is more than belief in existence…
Belief is an act of faith.
In our text, the word believe is tied back to “the Son of Man must be lifted up.”
It is a belief in the cross of Christ…
And that that cross of Jesus is the remedy for sin.
It is a belief that I can’t save myself from my sin…
But the free gift of God (GRACE) is what saves me from my sin.
Which is why Paul wrote in the letter to the Romans (in our Second Reading):
“For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all [Abraham’s] descendants…”
You see salvation comes down to faith in Christ Jesus as the bearer of our sin…
As the one who paid the sacrifice for our sin.
And when we profess this…
When we confess this belief…
that he died and rose again…
The bible says that we are saved from our sins.
Later in the book of Romans, St. Paul wrote further (10:9-11)
…if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
For with the heart one believes and is justified,
and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
For the Scripture says,
“Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”
So, salvation comes to us through grace when we believe in Christ’s death, resurrection, and ascension.
As a sacrifice for our sins.
It is our creedal confession…
This is why in just a moment we will affirm our faith and say together the Nicene Creed.
Salvation is not something we can do on our own…
but we are justified through hearty belief in God’s grace.
Which is why when we celebrate Holy Communion our liturgy proclaims:
In [Christ], you have delivered us from evil, and made us worthy to stand before you.
And also…
In [Christ], you have brought us out of error into truth,
out of sin into righteousness, out of death into life.
He did it…
He does it…
He is doing it.
Around the world every day…
People confess and believe.
The church of Jesus Christ is growing.
In fact, our own branch of the Christian faith is growing…
The Anglican Communion is advancing the kingdom of God.
In large part in Africa, countries like Nigeria, Uganda, and Kenya…
Are growing in leaps and bounds with people… many young people…
Confessing Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
Praise be to God…
He will not let his church falter.
And thank God for what he is doing in our church…
in our diocese…
in our parish.
Praise God that salvation is not based on our works.
We just wouldn’t ever be good enough.
Thank God it is not up to our righteousness…
but instead, the righteousness that is found in Jesus Christ.
So…
What about this idea of born again
or new birth
or born of the Spirit?
Why did Jesus spend so much time talking about being born of the Spirit?
Because when we believe in Christ…
When we truly believe in what Christ accomplished in his life, death, and resurrection…
We become born of the Spirit!
The Spirit of God is who brings life to us… real life!
The Spirit of God transforms who we are…
we become children of God…
Adopted into the people of God…
The Spirit produces fruit in our life…
The fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, and so on.
The Spirit’s presence in our life is also the seal of our salvation.
As St. Paul wrote in Ephesians: (1:13-14)
In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth,
the gospel of your salvation,
and had believed in him,
were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit;
this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his glory.
Like the old saying… the proof is in the pudding.
Well, if we are the pudding the Spirit in us is the proof…
This is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Our world is being transformed because of the person of Jesus…
and our lives are transformed by the power of the Spirit.
I pray today that we would all believe in Him and
Be born of the Spirit…
If you are unsure of this belief…
I would love to talk with you further.
If you believe and confess that Jesus is your Lord and Savior…
Then praise be to God…
for his mercy is ever new.
Amen.