John3,1-17,2026
When we ask our questions, you hear us. When we speak to you, you listen to us. When we seek you out you show yourself to us. When we do not understand you tell us again. This is the confidence we can have as we seek to know God In fact, there is a promise in scripture “Draw near to God and God will draw near to you” (James 4:8)
There is comfort knowing that when we come to God we will be met It’s not “impress God and God will draw near to you” Nor, “do everything right and God will draw near to you” Simply draw near to God That’s what Nicodemus did He had questions to ask of Jesus And he came at night to ask them
Some people make much of the fact that Nicodemus came to Jesus at night There is an emphasis on the fact that he came at night when he would not be seen He snuck along the streets we are told He made sure that no one else would see that he, a ruler of the Jews Was coming to talk to Jesus
There may have been other reasons why Nicodemus came to Jesus at night though Maybe Nicodemus had been studying the law that day, and he had come across something that he had heard Jesus quote And maybe this raised some questions in his mind
Maybe he had been trying to get settled at the end of the day, and the questions in his mind would not stop
Maybe he had seen Jesus surrounded by crowds of people, and knew that he would never have his questions heard in a crowd, and so he visited at night when Jesus was alone
In spite of all the things we might imagine about the time of day Nicodemus paid his visit Jesus doesn’t make a big deal out of the time of day He just answers Nicodemus’ questions When Nicodemus arrived at the place where Jesus was, he starts right in with his questions “Rabbi,” he says, “we know you are a teacher sent by God, because no one could do the signs you do unless God was with him”
Jesus gets to the heart of the matter by saying “Very truly I tell you no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above”
It’s almost as if he knows what Nicodemus needs to talk about And he directs the conversation to that place right away
Just as Jesus listened to Nicodemus, and told him that he needed to look at things differently, so he gives us the same message
We can be inclined to live by the ways of the flesh To be worried about many things To be concerned about things that are distractions from the life of the Spirit And like Nicodemus we are invited to live a different way Jesus said, “that which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. You must be born again” To be born again is to accept the way of life that Jesus offers It is to let the concerns of the world be secondary Being born again is “giving one’s heart, loyalty, fidelity, and commitment to Jesus.” (Marcus Borg. Day1.org)
The call of God to be born again is there for us as individuals and for the church as a body of believers
The modern theologian Richard Rhor says “Christianity is a lifestyle—a way of being in the world that is simple, nonviolent, shared, and loving. However, we made it into an established religion (and all that goes with that) and avoided the lifestyle change itself. We could be warlike, greedy, racist, selfish, and vain throughout most of Christian history and still believe that Jesus is our personal Lord and Savior or continue, in good standing, to receive the sacraments. The world has no time for such silliness anymore. The suffering on earth is too great.”
( Richard Rohr, Yes, and…: Daily Meditations)
There is a call for the church to be born from above as much as there is a call for individuals to be born from above. Those who are born from above will make lifestyle changes that mark them as different than those who are only born of the flesh Being born from above involves a turning from our way to God’s way This turning from one way to another is manifest in the way we grow in our faith life, and in the way we live our physicals lives The Spirit of God is at work in all corners of the world The way of the flesh says to look after yourself, and to put your efforts into those who are going to be able to help you The way of the Spirit says that each of us is loved by God and so we, who have been born of the Spirit, will show this by the way we act
We had looked at a verse in the epistle of James earlier today, and I have other verses from James to share that encourage us to live what we believe.
In James 1:27 we read “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
and in 2:26 we read “faith without works is dead.” Jas 2:22
Those who have heard the invitation of Jesus to be born from above, to be born of the Spirit will daily be faced with the question of what this means
There is both a conscious choosing of God’s way, and a surrendering of our own spirit to rely upon the strength of God to direct us
We often think of conversion as a dramatic change of lifestyle, such as what is described in the 1960s book “The Cross and the Switchblade” that tells of dramatic conversion of young men from lives of crime and addiction to lives of bold faith
Not all of us find our conversion in such an arena
Whatever the struggle we have, whether it is over the use of money, career choices, how to spend out retirement, we can be assured that God is in all of our lives, and that God cares about every segment of our living
Those who are born of the Spirit will walk with the Spirit daily, hourly, minute by minute
One struggle we may have is over how to use possessions. We may fear that if we donate we will be left without
Here is a story of how God has used the donations of faithful people to help.
It is the story of Peter who is a man who lives in Malawi who is a farmer
Farmers in Malawi grow different crops than farmers in PEI, but those who farm in Malawi are as affected by the weather as those here at home
When the El Niño rains poured down on Peter’s fields; the fields were washed away, and he no longer was able to support his family.
Peter and others in his position needed a helping hand so that they could rebuild their lives Through the El Niño Emergency Response Program this was made possible. With support from PWS&D and Canadian Foodgrains Bank, Peter’s family and 1,700 other households received monthly cash transfers to help meet their needs.
“The cash transfer changed everything,” Peter said with a smile. “I was able to buy food for my family, pay my children’s school fees and slowly rebuild my life. Just look at me now—so healthy.”
Another way we help is through Presbyterians Sharing
One project supported through Presbyterians Sharing is the work of the National Indigenous Ministries Council, and their work with eight different indigenous communities offering ministries of reconciliation, education, and spiritual care
Here at home we are also called as those who have been born of the spirit to live the gospel
We are called to reach out to those who need the gospel in ways that touch their lives and let them meet God face to face
None of these choices make sense in terms of realizing profit or increasing influence, but they are evidence of being born from above
Celebrating life in the spirit Seeing the potential in a person and calling it out That is what God has done for us
And that is what Jesus was describing to Nicodemus
It may have seemed to Nicodemus that Jesus was playing with his mind Be born from above Be born again? These were hard things for Nic to understand
And when he struggled with what Jesus had to say, he was allowed to ask questions and puzzle out what was being said
And Jesus knew the questions Nicodemus asked weren’t there to be difficult but to get at the core of the truth
Nicodemus knew enough to know God He could recognize God in the work of Jesus Even though Nicodemus knew so much
Jesus still said to him Be born of the spirit There was more for Nicodemus
Jesus was telling him he needed to be born from above And he ends the talk by saying he came not to condemn but to save It seems like Jesus really wants Nicodemus to get the point He explains the same thing in more than one way And he ends by saying I don’t come to condemn
We look for exciting stories of conversion But God doesn’t always work that way Sometimes he starts with respectable sinners Like Abraham the wealthy landowner Or Nicodemus a ruler of the Jews Or Canadian Presbyterians Respectable people Who need to know God from the inside out To be born from above To be completely and utterly God’s children
What can we learn from Nic’s encounter with Jesus?
We need to spend time with Jesus
Here Nicodemus was Raised in the faith as it were And he still needed to ask Jesus for help And when the answer was difficult to understand He asked again And again And finally Jesus said I haven’t come to condemn but to save
Imagine that you are Nicodemus, That you are able to sit beside Jesus and ask questions of him It might go something like this:
Jesus, here I sit by you – the night around us and I find myself shaping many questions about my life and my times and my living in this world. You say I cannot enter your realm without being born anew. Yet I confess the ways I cling to the habits and the patternsthat keep me from living and sharing my life to the full.
Hear me, my Saviour, hear me. (silence)
I hear your words: “What is born of flesh is flesh and what is born of spirit is spirit.” Hear me, my Saviour, as I confess the ways I live by the flesh, and turn away from your Spirit, following the ways of the world, rather than the greater truth of your way.
Hear me. (silence)
I hear your words that God loved this word so much that you were sent to live among us. Hear me, my Saviour, as I ask for your forgiveness, trusting the love that opens the way of life to me for your compassion is greater than any of my sins.
Hear me. (silence)
After your questions have been asked, imagine Jesus saying to you:“Thank you for talking with me, and I have listened to your questions and concerns. You have heard my words and my word to you is: you are forgiven. For I have been sent into the world not to condemn it but to save it and I have come to save you, my child. Receive this forgiveness and may my spirit birth new life within you.”
It seems that Nicodemus wants an answer on his terms But Jesus gives an answer on God’s terms Be born from above Be born of the spirit
PRAYERS OF THANKSGIVING AND INTERCESSION
Teach response: God, our Companion Walk with us on the way.
Almighty God, you are our keeper, shade in the heat of the world’s troubles, light in every shadowed time of life. We thank you for your care which sustains us and offer you our trust for those things we can do nothing about. Thank you for the energy to focus on the things we can do day by day, putting our love and care to work in community and creation.
By the power of your Spirit, bless us with the insight and passion to act in hope. May your wisdom guide us in all things.
Attentive God, we bring our concerns for the world to you in these uncertain times. We think of Abraham and Sarah setting off to an unknown landand pray for people on the move:
For those seeking safety and shelter, fleeing violence;
For those settling into a new home or community;
For those who must travel, whatever the conditions. (brief silence)
God, our Companion
Walk with us on the way.
We think of the Psalmist looking to hills And we pray for people seeking help:
For those seeking help for the earth itself as its fragile balances are threatened;
For those seeking help to make ends meet as bank balances are threatened;
For those seeking help for vulnerable people to right the balance of justice
(brief silence)
God, our Companion
Walk with us on the way.
We think of Nicodemus turning to Jesus with questions in his heart and we pray for people seeking answers:
For those with health challenges, seeking diagnosis and treatment;
For those researching problems and policies, seeking to better our common life;
For those wondering if you exist, O God, wondering if you have a purpose for them
(brief silence)
God, our Companion
Walk with us on the way.
We think of Jesus, calming his disciples amid their fears, challenging us all to follow him in love and faithfulness for he is our Companion on the way in whose name we pray
Amen
COMMISSIONING AND BENEDICTION
As we continue our Lenten journey, remember the promise of the Psalmist: “The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forever more.” So go now, trusting that your help comes from God,
And may God’s presence strengthen you,
Jesus’ faithfulness guide you, And the wind of the Spirit bring you energy to serve with love.