Why Should I Need to Believe in Jesus Christ? (John 3:1-21)

John narrates an incident in his Gospel which is found in Chapter 3. It is familiar for us because John 3:16 is found in this chapter. A Jewish religious teacher named Nicodemus went to Jesus in night and had a conversation. Jesus didn’t care about his theology, his work-based religion, his position in Sanhedrin and his knowledge of Scripture. Nicodemus begins the conversation saying, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” (Jn. 3:2). When he saw miracles of Jesus, he believed in HIM, but his belief has touched his head, not heart. Therefore, Jesus answered the question Nicodemus didn’t even ask. Nicodemus stands as an illustration of men, who know historical Christ, but ignore HIS deity. In every generation of Christians has presented HIM in terms which are appropriate to their own age and culture. So we have has several portraits of Jesus. In which some time we have lost his real identity. For example Dalit theology, in which Jesus Christ is presented a Dalit. We all need to see HIM in his fullness: HIS incarnation and cosmic reign, HIS servanthood and Lordship, HIS suffering and glory.

John describes beautifully the conversation between dharamguru named Nicodemus and Sadguru named Jesus. He portraits Jesus as Sadguru who is unique in HIS nature as well as His teaching and Jesus spoke him about the moksha (eternal life) – the path to heaven. 

NO RELIGION CAN SAVE ANYONE (Vs. 1-3)

Look at around you any Guru and their teachings. There is no scarcity of religions or gurus in the world. Everyone claim to have key which leads to heaven. But when we look for their key leads to heaven, we found their emphasis on Karma (good deeds), Yoga or meditation. It is similar old age religion. They provide us the set of rules and regulations to follow to attain moksha, but in reality they are unable to lead mankind to moksha.

“Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews” (vs. 1) Nicodemus himself was a Pharisee (vs. 1). In Jewish community, Pharisees were religious teachers (dharamgurus) who were experts in the Law of God. They were dedicated to observe strictly and to teach people the Law of God. He was also the ruler of the Jews. There was an autonomous council called ‘Sanhedrin’ which acts like a supreme court in which there were 70 members. Nicodemus was one of those seventies. He was not only dharamguru, but a leader also. It is blamed that only ignorant and lower caste people come to Jesus. But behold here, a scholar expert in the Law of God and leader of Jewish society came to Jesus.

“This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” (vs. 2) Nicodemus came at night to Jesus. Why did he come at night to Jesus?  Most of Bible scholars say that due to the fear of men, he came at night. It might be true, but I think that it was not the fear, but it was the busyness of daily activities. Jesus Christ was busy ministering the crowd, while Nicodemus with his office being a Pharisee and leader. Nicodemus had no hesitation to call Jesus as the Guru – a teacher come from God and to accept that his work of wonders witness that God is with Him.  When Jesus began HIS ministry, all religious and political leaders began to examine Jesus’ teaching and his miracles. They found that no one could deny the authenticity of what Jesus taught, performed the miracles and claimed of himself.

“Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (vs. 3) Jesus didn’t elaborate what Nicodemus had said. But Jesus talked about what Nicodemus didn’t ask. For Jesus knew the heart of Nicodemus. HE knew that Nicodemus still searching the way to heaven, the path of moksha, although he had been fulfilling all kinds of ritual. Still he experienced the vacuum in his heart. Therefore Jesus answers the question of his heart, not the question of his mouth. Jesus explicitly came on the point and said that one must be born again to enter into the Kingdom of God. In other words, believing the existence of God, acquiring all kind of knowledge, doing good deeds and having religiously devotion, your physical appearance, pride of caste such being from high caste, social position/reputation (as Nicodemus had these all things) are futile and are not able to grant eternal life (Moksha), if we are not born again. Without the experience of being born again, no one can enter into the kingdom of God.

EVERYONE MUST BORN AGAIN (vs. 4-15)

“Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”  (vs. 4-5) Jesus replied to Nicodemus adding the phrase ‘born of water and the Spirit’. Many interpretations are given to explain this phrase. Some said that it is water baptism and some said that it is physical birth out of water in mother’s womb. Jesus explicitly differentiates between the physical and spiritual birth saying “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (vs. 6) So it is neither the water baptism nor physical birth, but the spiritual birth which is born out of the Holy Spirit. “Do not marvel that I said to you, you must be born again.  The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”  (vs. 7-8) Jesus expressed the mysterious work of Holy Spirit while we are being born again. No one can know the wind where does it blow, but we hear its sound and can be seen while trees are being shaken. Similar it is with the one who is born of the Spirit. In 2006, a retired army man named Bir Bahadur Gurung in Chandmari gaon at Ghangora Military area nearby Dehradun was a dead drunkard. He used to drink wine and abused people in village. No one wanted to have relationship with him. When he heard the gospel, he began to attend fellowship. Gradually he renounced the habit of drinking wine and became believers. Whole village surprised the transformation of this man. They have never expected that this man will renounce the wine. But it is happened. No one can understand how it happened, but everyone can see what has happened. We all have heard stories that after becoming Christian how a bad man became good. It is the mysterious work of Holy Spirit who transforms us from inside. 

“Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” (vs.9) Nicodemus again asked the question, which expresses his inability to understand the process of being born again. He knew that born again is impossible by human efforts. “Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? (vs. 10)  Nicodemus was a dharamguru, but still he lacks the spiritual knowledge. He did not understand of what Jesus said of how to obtain moksha. “Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.” (vs. 11-13) It is common to hear from people saying, “Who have seen heaven or hell? Who have descended to heaven or descended into hell and come back to us to tell about it? Who have come back after the death to tell about heaven or hell?” Now behold Jesus who descended from heaven. He witnessed the reality of heaven and spoke about it to us, but we still are not ready to believe what Jesus said. “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.”  (vs. 14-15) Jesus used the Old Testament story narrated in Num. 21:4-9. God delivered Israel out of the bondage of Egypt. On the way to the land of Canaan while passing through the wilderness, the people of Israel grumbled and complained against God and Moses. God sent fiery serpents among them and they bit the people, as a result of it many people died. The people of Israel repented and cried for mercy. After hearing their cry, God commanded Moses to make an image of serpent and set it on the pole; and asked everyone who is bitten see it shall, live. Therefore people lifted their eyes up to see the bronze serpents and survived from death. Similarly, whoever gazes upon the cross on which Christ died for sinners and believes in Christ as the Lord and Saviour; and plead for mercy will have eternal life. In other words, sins will be forgiven, will be passed to life from death and will be entered into eternal life; if you look at the crucified Christ. 

      

SALVATION TO ALL (vs.16-21) 

 

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” (vs. 16) There is no favoritism in the love of God and therefore HE wants to save the world from perishing. But HE cannot save the world unless the world believes in the one and only Son of God – Jesus Christ. “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” (vs. 17) People may think that God send his son so that he can condemn the world. But it is not true. Can you blame a judge that he has given death sentence because you have murdered someone? Even a judge cannot punish you without the book of Law and the testimony of eyewitness. The testimony of eyewitness declares the crime and the book of law declares the punishment. Similarly our own conscience witnesses that we are sinners and the Law of God has declared the punishment as the judgment. God forgives all and every sin, but HE cannot forgive the sin in which one rejects the Son – the Lord Jesus Christ “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” (vs. 18) Whole world is condemned because the world has rejected to believe in the name of one and only Son of God. That’s why if I am going to hell, it is not the fault of God, but mine. I am dying due to infection in my body, it is not fault of a doctor, but it is mine because I have not taken the medicine which is prescribed by the doctor. Similarly God has done everything on the cross through HIS only son to save us from the fire of hell. If I have not believed this truth, God has no other plan to give us salvation. God never send anyone to hell, it is our decision on this earth decides our destiny when we pass this earth away.

“And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.  For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.” (vs. 19-20) When I began to visit Phulbari gaon – our Mission Field, I met people who say that we have heard about Jesus Christ and read gospel pamphlets. Then why did they not believe? The Holy Scripture explicitly answers the question that it is not because people lack wisdom or knowledge, but it is the darkness of our own heart does not want to believe. Everyone who does wicked things hates the light, because he does not want to be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” (vs. 21) On the other side, one whose heart is upright comes in the light. As the light convinces and terrifies evil doers, so it confirms and comforts to those who walk in their integrity. Even though he has his own infirmities, he holds his integrity and does not do anything which can compel him to hide or to run away from the light. We all know about our own sinful life, hidden secret sins of our hearts and evil thoughts dwelling in our mind. Many times you have considered these as evil, but still it resides in us. Therefore the light of the world has come and wants to expel the darkness of your heart, mind and life. But we should come in the light rather than to go away from the light.

CONCLUSION

Nicodemus came in night to Jesus considering himself as righteous, but Jesus pointed out the need for born again in order to see the kingdom of God. He came to Jesus accepting HIM as a guru, but Jesus manifested HIMSELF as the Sadguru, who leads us into eternal life. There are many among us who think that they will go to heaven by doing some deeds of righteousness, observing rituals, exercising meditation or yoga or becoming a member of religious organization. But Jesus demanded simple faith in HIM and have Moksha (eternal life). The 12^th book of Hindu epic Mahabharta called Shantiparva 264:15 says:  vJ+)k ijea ikia J)k ikiizekspuhA tgkfr ikia J)koku~ liksZ th.kkZfeoRope~AA  (Having no faith is greatest sin, but faith cleans sin. A man who have faith cast off sins, like a snake cast off its dead skin.)

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life” (vs. 14-15). Now it is your hour to decide to believe in Christ Jesus or reject HIM. Your decision today will decide your destiny.

Let's pray together!

(It is preached on 8th April, 2018 at Phulbari Sewa Mandali during Sunday Service)