The Dark and The Light (John 3:1-21)

Sermon for Milledgeville and Whitestown UMC

The Dark and The Light (John 3:1-21)

 

Jesus said, "I am the light of the world.
The one who follows me will never walk in darkness,
but will have the light of life." (John 8:12)

Two mice are lost in a maze. They come across a robed mouse meditating in a corner. One of the mice goes over to ask for directions. They came back and said, “He said the true maze is within you. So… not helpful.”

 

In today’s reading, Jesus is misunderstood. He is approached by a high level religious leader. Nicodemus came under the cover of darkness, presumably because he didn’t want his peers to know he was speaking to the controversial Jesus of Nazareth.

 

Darkness is an important theme in John’s gospel. In John’s prologue it says, “The light shines on in the darkness, but the darkness has not mastered it.” Other translations say the darkness has not overcome, or apprehended, or comprehended, or extinguished the light. Whenever you see that kind of variety in translations, you know there’s something in the original language that is difficult to interpret.

 

The Greek translated as mastered carries the idea of laying hands onto something, in order to seize or take possession. It can be used in a metaphorical sense like detection, perception, or comprehension. Nicodemus couldn’t quite lay hold of the concept of a second birth. He was in the dark.

 

John uses darkness 6 times in his gospel and another 4 times in his first letter to the Church. With the exception of one instance, John uses darkness as a way of speaking about spiritual blindness. Nicodemus came by night. Jesus says in John 11:10, “But if anyone walks around at night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”

 

His name means conqueror, which is ironic. Nicodemus came to the light of the world by night, and the darkness did not conquer, or comprehend the light.

Nicodemus serves to represent the Jewish religious leadership that opposed Jesus and thought him a heretical danger to Israel. They remain in the dark, even as the light of the world walks among them.

 

Let’s compare the world of Nicodemus and the religious leaders and Jesus and His disciples.

 

The Dark                                                   The Light

Night/Darkness                                         Light

Cannot See KOG                                      See KOG through Spirit

Do not understand                                    Know the Spirit

See signs                                                   Work miracles

Acknowledge God is with                       God is with

Do not accept Testimony                         Witness to KOG

Do Evil Deeds                                          Practice the Truth/God deeds

Love to hide evil deeds                            Come to the Light

Do not Believe                                          Believe in Son of God

No experience of heaven                         Jesus is from heaven

Condemned                                               Saved/Eternal Life

 

The conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus takes some interesting turns. For instance, Nicodemus acknowledges that God must be with Jesus because of the miracles Jesus is performing. Jesus responds by immediately pointing to the Kingdom of God. Nicodemus says, “God is with you.” Jesus replies, “No one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”

 

If I’m reading Jesus correctly, he’s implying that though Nicodemus thinks he sees Jesus, he doesn’t see what Jesus is here to do. He may see the miracles and deduce that Jesus is a prophet empowered by God, but he does not see the kingdom of God. The miracles are signs pointing to the arrival of God’s kingdom.

 

Nicodemus is unable to see the kingdom, because his mind and heart remain in the dark. He cannot understand how it’s possible to be born again. Of course, Jesus is speaking of spiritual birth.

 

This second birth is the Spirit filling the believers’ hearts. A very real change occurs when one experiences the Holy Spirit. Throughout the history of the Church, believers experienced transformation, peace, love, insight, and vitality. It feels like a new beginning, a new life.

 

Nicodemus remains in the dark as Jesus explains. The ways of the Spirit are as mysterious as the movement of the wind. With meteorological science, we know how wind moves. Our planet is a closed system. The atmosphere is held close to the surface of the planet by the earth’s gravity. The mass of air is in a constant state of flux, shifting from high pressure zones to low pressure, from higher temperatures to areas with lower temperatures. Masses of air move from zone to zone causing wind, storms, and hurricanes and tornadoes. We understand where wind comes from and, by observation, we can tell where it’s going. But how adept are we at observing the movement of the Spirit of God in our own hearts and in the life of the Church?

 

As Jesus explains, I wonder how much Nicodemus is beginning to see the light? Did he remain open to Jesus? Did he eventually place his faith in Jesus as the Savior? Nicodemus ended up helping with the burial of Jesus.

 

Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. The one who follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (Jn 8:12)

 

He brought the light of life to all who trust in His name. And that light is God’s very presence in us, guiding and shaping our lives to become more and more like Jesus.

 

 

 

Paul was blinded by the light of the world on the road to Damascus.

In his discovery of Jesus Christ, Paul became consumed with a passion to pursue Christ.

 

My aim is to know him, to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings, and to be like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already attained this—that is, I have not already been perfected—but I strive to lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus also laid hold of me. (Php 3:10-12)

 

What is your aim in life? Are we simply consumers, herded here and there by the dangling carrots of marketing firms? Do we follow our appetites, or do we strive for the one thing only God can give, abundant, everlasting life?

 

God gave us the sign that leads to life, the cross of Jesus. It is our sign that points to way to God’s love and mercy. For God so loves you, that He sent His only begotten Son to die a sacrificial death to free you of your guilt. Trust in Jesus, and turn your heart away from lesser things, and you will live forever in resurrection power and divine glory.

Let love guide you.

 

Those who reject faith in Jesus are condemned, by their own choice, to stumble through life in darkness. The world tells us to follow our own hearts. But the word of God says that the human heart cannot be trusted. It is deceitful and beyond cure. (Jer 17:9) But when your light is the love of Jesus, you will find a guide that can always be trusted.

Do what love does.

 

Bob Goff wrote a bestseller called Love Does and followed it with Everybody Always.

 

 

Goff encountered witch doctors in Uganda who kidnap and sacrifice children. Witch doctors abduct 1000 children a year. One 8 year old boy, Charlie, was abducted by a witch doctor who cut off parts of his body and left him to die. Charlie survived. Bob Goff, a lawyer, took up Charlie’s case. No witch doctor had ever been convicted for their horrific crimes. Ugandans are afraid of them. They don’t get arrested. In the pursuit of justice and love for Charlie, Goff got the witch doctor arrested, convicted, and sentenced to life in prison. Love led Bob to adopt Charlie and bring him home to Los Angeles. But Bob couldn’t get the witch doctor out of his thoughts. God was nudging Bob to love. Bob did not want to love him. He wanted him to rot. Love beckoned Bob to grow.

 

Bob met with the witch doctor, Kabi, in prison. Kabi told Bob that he was sorry for what he had done to Charlie and other children. He explained what growing up the son of a witch doctor was like. Bob was hesitant to believe his regret was sincere or to empathize with the witch doctor. Then Kabi surprised him. He said, “I know I’m going to die in here, but what I really need is forgiveness.” Could there be a clearer invitation to share Jesus?

 

Bob told Kabi how Jesus forgave the criminal, on the cross next to his own, and welcomed him into paradise. He prayed with Kabi. He kept coming to visit Kabi, showing him love. Kabi came to faith in Jesus and brought many of the other prisoners to Christ. Goff ended up meeting with hundreds of witch doctors, educating them about the law, and urging them to stop harming children. He even started a school for witch doctors so that they could learn to read and write. They have two textbooks, The Bible and Love Does. Because Bob Goff chose to love, the nation of Uganda is learning to let go of fear of witch doctors and bear the torch of justice for their victims. Love is changing an entire nation.

 

 

 

When we love others around us, life becomes a surprising adventure with unexpected encounters. Listen to God’s love nudging you to reach out. Love will bring a friend or family member to mind. When you get such nudges, don’t put it off until later. Act in love immediately. And be courageous. Include people you find difficult to love. Love your enemies and love will grow you.

 

Love is the cure to boredom. Love is a feast that feeds your heart. Do love and your life will be blessed.

 

For God is love. Jesus is God, Therefore Jesus is love, His love lives in you through the Spirit. The love of Jesus, the light of life, shines on in the darkness! Let it shine! Let it shine! Let it shine!