John 3:1-17
The Gospel of John tells different stories, and presents a different picture of Jesus, than the other Gospels. Scholars often say that John records not so much what Jesus did as what he meant. In John, Jesus launches into long speeches that.leave his conversation partners behind. These speeches should be seen not as a recording of exactly what Jesus said, but as the church’s reflections on what it means to believe in Jesus and follow him. John presents a world of conflict between those who follow Jesus and others who stubbornly refuse to recognize the truth. Again, this picture reflects the situation of John’s community of believers. Symbolic dichotomies such as light/dark above/beneath or spirit/flesh are common in John, and we see several of them in this passage.
The fact that Nicodemus comes to Jesus at night tells us that Nicodemus doesn’t “get” Jesus, even before he opens his mouth. Nicodemus does understand that Jesus comes from God—in this he differs from many of the outsiders in John’s stories. Building on this promising beginning, Jesus attempts to draw him out of his current understanding of the faith and into a bigger picture.
As a Pharisee, Nicodemus recognizes the foundation of the relationship of God and his people: the Covenant of the Law. We might say that he is once-born here, into the people of God. Jesus wants to take him one step farther, to the covenant of the heart (Ezekiel 36:14-28). Here he speaks of another birth by the Spirit. We would be mistaken to limit this spiritual birth to what Christians typically mean when they talk about being “born again.” Jesus isn’t suggesting Nicodemus needs a particular experience, but rather a particular relationship. With this new birth, the relationship with God is mediated by the Spirit, not the law. Thus it is a life of faithful freedom, going where the Spirit leads. Like Abram and Sarah, Nicodemus is invited into a relationship of trust in God, a journey without a road map. The Spirit can’t be restricted or predicted, only trusted. But how will Nicodemus know what to do?
Jesus invites Nicodemus to leave the familiar darkness and come into the light. But he will do that by trusting the Spirit, not by relying on his own understanding or sense of vision. What does it mean to you to follow where the Spirit leads? Have you ever had an experience of trusting God without knowing where you were going?
Jesus seems to bring up the cross (being lifted up) out of the blue—is there a connection? The reference to Moses gives a clue. Moses lifts up a bronze image of a snake to save the people who were being bitten by poisonous snakes—literally an image that brings healing. In the same way, looking to Jesus on the cross will bring healing for the world, and this leads to the most popular scripture verse in the world. But what does this have to do with Jesus’ previous invitation to be born again by water and the Spirit? How does the call into new life include the cross or sacrifice?
Genesis 12:1-4a (Calling of Abram)
The first 11 chapters of the Book of Genesis contain stories about the ancestors of all humanity and mythical explanations of the way things are—Adam and Eve, Noah, the Tower of Babel. With Chapter 12 the story focuses on the one family chosen to bring God’s blessing to all people, and that family starts with Abram, soon to be Abraham. Here begins the story of salvation—God’s plan for drawing his rebellious creation back to into relationship with him (the relationship lost in the Garden of Eden). We begin with God’s call to Abram (soon to be Abraham) to leave the city of his birth for a nomadic existence and a new identity. No longer will Abram be just his father’s son, and heir to whatever that means, Abram will be the father of a new beginning—the patriarch of his own family.
Abram receives several promises from God. He will become a great nation, he will be blessed, others will be blessed through him; others will bless him; those who curse him will be punished. All this raises the question–what does it mean to be blessed? Is Abram’s blessing to be more than worldly prosperity? Notice that the promise of blessing is contingent on Abram’s response—he has to leave his home. In his response, Abraham becomes the exemplar of faith in the Christian and Jewish traditions. How can we recognize our own faith journeys in Abram’s example? Can you recall a similar experience of trusting God and being blessed in your response?
Abram is called by God. He is not the first to receive divine instructions (remember Adam and Eve, Noah), but Abram’s call is different. He is not called to a particular task, but a particular identity and relationship. He will go where God tells him to go, and will be blessed by this God. Often when Christians talk about trying to discern what God wants them to do, they seem to be attempting to uncover a hidden path—searching through prayer and other methods to figure out exactly what God’s will for them is. We don’t get the idea of God’s hidden agenda from scripture, however. Here, as in all stories of God’s call, the invitation is direct and the path clear. Go! The specifics of what this journey will be like are vague; the point is to follow faithfully.
Again, Christians imagining a precise path of God’s choosing worry about getting it right. In contrast, the story of Abraham and Sarah describes Abraham putting the promise in jeopardy at least three times, almost losing Sarah when he tries to pass her off as his sister (Genesis 12, 17, 20). Matters get complicated when he has a son by Hagar (Gen 16, 21). Yet God renews the promise. Abraham and Sarah are remembered as the exemplars of the faith (Romans 4:18-21). How much of a road map should we expect God’s call to give us? What does it mean to walk by faith?
What do you think God wants you to do? How do you know? What are you doing because of your faith?