SEPTEMBER 14th, 2025 PASTOR DON PIEPER
LCR's 40th Anniversary Rom 5:1-5 / JOHN 3:1-17
“NIC AT NIGHT”
It's a confusing season to be a sports fan. I don't know if I should focus more on the Mariners, the Seahawks or the Sounders! It's crazy! When I was young, there was as a football fan, sporting an orange wig, holding up a sign at the game that simply read, 'John 3:16', a verse Martin Luther dubbed, the gospel within the gospel. I was confused though, what did that verse have to do with football?
One Biblical commentator noted that “Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus in John 3 is a crucial moment in this gospel.” You could say it comes to us in the 'Nick of time'!
John writes: “There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader, who was a Pharisee.” (John 3:1) He sounds like a heroic figure – a leader of men, a man of God, and he was fair-you-see! I like him already! But then we read verse 2: “After dark, one evening, he came to see Jesus...” (John 3:2) Apparently, he was the original Nic At Night!
But wait a minute! That doesn't sound very heroic – sneaking about in the dark! What gives? It's generally assumed that he wanted a private audience with Jesus,and knowing the bias of his colleagues, didn't want his fellow Pharisees to know that he was captivated by Jesus' reputation....
Could be. Or maybe he just didn't want Jesus to meet his family....
"So, over here is my brother, Josh, and his wife, Judith, and their children, Nick, Anita, and Nicky. And this is my brother Tommy, his wife Trudy, and their children, Nick, Anita, and Nicky. And here's my brother Samuel, his wife Freda, and their kids, Nick, Anita and Nicky. Here's Nick, Nick, Nick, Nikki, and I am Nic-odemus."
No wonder he came alone at night to talk to Jesus! Talk about confusing! So what do we know about Mr Nic at Nite? We know that as a Pharisee he knew his scripture, and that as one of the Pharisee leaders, he was a member of the Sanhedrin, a prestigious group of deep thinkers, law-keepers, and men of means and influence. They were convinced, as one VIP used to put it, “I must be in the front row!”
In short, “When he spoke, people listened!” but now, he hasn't come to speak, but to listen. In fact, he refers to Jesus as “rabbi”, placing Jesus in the role of teacher and himself as student. It exhibits humility but it's also an ironic greeting since, up to this point, John hasn't quoted any of Jesus' teaching.
It's one of two clues that suggest this event took place later in Jesus' ministry. The second clue is Nicodemus' reference to the signs Jesus has performed. “Rabbi,” he says, “we all know that God sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.” (John 3:2)
It's a strange thing to say in light of the fact that in the previous chapter, John identifies Jesus' miracle in Cana as his first sign, and at this point, the only one John's told us about. But clearly, by the point Nicodemus and Jesus connect, Jesus has performed numerous signs and has established himself as a teacher sent by God. John places this story here because he's more concerned with theology than with chronology, to emphasize this event's significance, and to couple it with the story to follow....
So it is that Nicodemus comes seeking answers, but Jesus' cryptic response to his opening state-ment is both shocking and revealing. It's shocking because it seems to dismiss Nic's praise, taking the conversation in a completely different direction, and revealing as it reveals how needy he really is.
-2-
“Truly,truly, I tell you, unless you are born from above, you cannot see the Kingdom of God” (John 3:3) It's a shocking statement in the pharisees's ears. You can hear that in his response: “What do you mean? How is that even possible?” (John 3:4)
Jesus is saying that the addicts and prostitutes outside on the street are in the same position, spiritually, as he is. They both have to start from scratch. They both need to be born from above, and that new life comes as a gift, not as a reward. That's the surprise element in this exchange. Nicodemus is just as needy as they, and what's more, he may be at greater risk because he doesn't realize he is.
As Timothy Keller put it: “(Men like him) look to their moral goodness and efforts to provide a sense of significance and security that nonreligious people look to sex, money or power to give them. If you think your goodness is contributing to your salvation, then you are actually being your own savior.
If you build your life on your career, or your spouse, or your money, or your morality, and it fails, there is no hope for you. Do you know why? Because every other savior but Jesus Christ is not really a savior. If your career fails, it won't forgive you. It can only punish you with self-loathing and shame. Jesus is the only savior who if you gain him will satisfy you and if you fail him will forgive you”
(Timothy Keller)
Nicodemus has sensed something about this Jesus, so he comes seeking, asking, listening. Jesus tells him: “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life!”
(John 3:5-6)
Nic provides us with a model of the right stuff Jesus looks for in those who would embrace him in faith and follow him – a seeker of truth who is humble of heart. And the good news Nicodemus hears is that God loves him enough to send him his very best, the one who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.
“For this is how you can be sure of how much God loves you and all the peoples of the world: God gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God didn't send him to condemn the world but that it might be saved through him.”
(John 3:16-17)
So on one level this is an insider story. It's like the Prodigal Son Parable in reverse. Here we meet the other brother, the respectable brother, the morally outstanding and dependable brother. He represents those who stand at a distance, shaking their heads, at Jesus' love of obvious sinners. But here Jesus reveals that this religious insider is in just as desperate need for God's grace as them.
The counterpoint to Nicodemus the insider will come in the following chapter with Jesus' con-versation with a famous outsider - the Samaritan woman at the well. Both come seeking to have their questions answered and to have that soul-deep yearning at last satisfied. Both are transformed by their encounter with God's grace. Nicodemus' transformation, apparently, was a process. Later we read of how Nicodemus spoke up in defense of Jesus when his colleagues talk about having Jesus arrested and ultimately it is Nicodemus who helps Joseph of Armimathea take Jesus' body down from the cross and bury it in Joseph's tomb. “With (Joseph) came Nicodemus..., who brought about seventy-five pounds of perfumed ointment made from myrrh and aloes (for Jesus' burial).” (John 19:39)
No more sneaking around. He not only helps in the burial of a man executed as an enemy of Rome, but he spends lavishly to insure him a proper burial. It's the actions of a committed follower, of one publicly born of water/Spirit, who's no longer afraid of what the world at large thinks or says!
-3-
So one, it's a story of a insider becoming an all-in follower; but it's also a seeker story. Here we track with someone whose peers seem convinced they know all there is to know about God, but who comes humbly acknowledging he has much to learn, that there's much he doesn't understand.
He's discovering, as was articulated at an Alpha Conference I attended, that Love listens. It's one of the things I love about the Alpha Course. It provides a fun, safe enviroment for seekers to ask the questions on their minds and to lovingly listen to other seekers as they also share and explore.
Ever read the book, or see or movie, The Shack? It's the story of a grieving, wounded father who has all kinds of hard questions. He has layers of anger. He's angry with his distant, alcoholic father. He's angry with God and he's angry with himself. What he experiences at the Shack, is not a God who rebuffs his anger with condemnation, but who listens in love in order to heal the hurt.
So John 3's a seeker story as well as an insider story; but it's also a love story. Jesus reveals the reason for which he came – to reveal the heart of God, to rescue the world, one willing soul at a time!
It's a glimpse into the heart of the Father, who loves you...., THIS much!
Some years ago, I went to Holy Trinity Brompton in London to be trained as an Alpha advisor. I attended their Sunday morning service and Nicky's colleague, Sandy Millar, preached on this text. He explored what it means to be born from above, the alternative translation to the now cliché wording of being born again. Jesus' words to Nicodemus suggest that God's love is not earned by doing religious things, no matter how worthwhile they may be, but that God loves you because he loves you......!
It had been a dark, rainy weekend. As I sat there absorbing that truth, a single ray of sunlight suddenly lit up the section I was sitting in. Sitting in that beam of light,I was filled with the Holy Spirit, and with it, God's personal and powerful love for me overwhelmed me! I became aware of how futile all my efforts to win approval or affirmation were as I soaked up his limitless love. I'll never forget it!
I experienced what Jesus was talking about: “The Holy Spirit gives to birth to a new, spiritual life!”
(John 3:8)
One dark night, a pharisee named Nicodemus came seeking answers.....and connection. In res-ponse, Jesus talked about the Holy Spirit & his mission, saying in effect, this is what you need to know:
First, you're messed up! Be you an insider or an outsider, you need help! You need a restart, to know & experience how much you're loved, born from above as a child of a holy, heavenly kingdom!
Second, though you may be messed up, God loves you anyway! This is one reason we need to be filled with His Spirit. It's not enough to know this in your head, you need to experience it in your heart! Whatever lies you may be subject to or bought into, only the truth of God's love can set you free.
Paul wrote:“We know we're loved; God has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love!”
(Romans 5:5)
Third, love listens; because God is love and he loves you because he loves you...! We need to humbly listen to what He is saying to us, and let him change us, because though he loves us as we are, as he did Nicodemus, he's calling us to live changed lives. What's more, if we're going to have a positive impact on the lives of those around us, we must learn to be loving listeners of others as well.
And Fourth, The Spirit is blowing! As Jesus said, “The Wind of God, the Holy Spirit, blows wherever He wants!” (John 3:8) The word, 'blows', pnei in the original Greek, is in the present active tense. It's present and ongoing. What if He wants to blow you away with God's reckless love for you right now? I wouldn't be at all surprised! Would you let him? Let's pray that you may...!