Do you remember those “bounce-back” toys when you were a kid, or have you ever seen them? Zoey got one the other day, and hers looks kind of like a clown-decorated bowling pin. Push it down, it springs back up. What did yours look like? Was it a clown, animal, licensed TV-character, or just plain? Was it big or small? These toys really don’t do too much, except bounce back. You knock them down and they pop right back up. Hit them with an object, give them a whack, or deliver a karate chop, and they pop right back up. They will fall down, but not for long. They will always, always, bounce back. (That is our theme for today: bouncing back.)
This morning, we meet a man named Nicodemus. In John 3, Nicodemus didn’t believe that people could bounce back – ever. And why is that? Nicodemus was a Pharisee, and Pharisees rigidly kept the Law. Pharisees followed the Ten Commandments, paid tithes, zealously guarded the Sabbath, and strictly kept all the Old Testament rules, regulations, and requirements. They wore long robes which made them noticed, and it helped to give them their identity (similar to how a pastor or priest wears a clerical collar, or like how a monk wears a habit. You know what they are when you see them).
Nicodemus wasn’t just a Pharisee, though. He was also a member of the Jewish ruling council called the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin was a 70 member Jewish Senate that oversaw religious and civil matters. The Sanhedrin judged people according to a book called the Mishnah, which contained 613 additional commandments. There is no room for error in the Mishnah. Once you’re out, you’re out. Once you’re down, you stay down. You can never bounce back. As a Pharisee and as a member of the Sanhedrin, Nicodemus believed that there are no second chances, ever. There is no grace. There is no forgiveness. None, whatsoever. To quote Gene Wilder from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, “You get nothing! You lose! Good day, sir!”
And so, you’d better be careful. You better look over your shoulder. You better second-guess yourself and triple check everything. You’d better watch what you wear, how you act, how you talk, who you talk with, the length of your prayers, and the amount of money you give. Why? It is because there is no bouncing back. To Nicodemus, you were one and done!
John tells us that Nicodemus first comes to Jesus at night (3:2). John is telling us more than just the time of day with that detail, though. He gives a literal detail with spiritual implications. In John’s Gospel, darkness describes people who rebel against Jesus. In verse 19, Jesus will say, “The light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness.” Remember Judas? He betrayed Jesus. And when was that? John tells us in 13:30: “It was night.” Coming to Jesus at night describes Nicodemus. He is in the dark, just like Judas is! Nicodemus is lost in the spiritual darkness of legalism.
We can get lost in that same darkness, too. The same darkness engulfs us when we don’t believe in second chances (for ourselves, or others!). It engulfs when we refuse to embrace grace, when we won’t turn the other cheek or walk the extra mile. And when we don’t, what happens? It gets dark – very, very dark.
That is why Jesus says to Nicodemus, “Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Sometimes, Jesus gives a parable, story, question, or engages in an extended conversation. He doesn’t do that here but goes straight to the point. Jesus says our best won’t do it and works won’t work. We have to be born again, we must be born again. In John 3:3-8, Jesus uses the word “born” eight times; eight times in just five verses. Do you think Jesus is trying to make a point?
Think about birth for a moment. How active is a baby when it is born? Do the doctors expect the baby to help, or pull their weight? Do they ask the baby for input, updates, or opinions? Not at all! Here’s the point: we’re all passive when we were born. We didn’t do a thing, nor did we have a choice! We weren’t born because of what we did; our Moms did all the work. They carried us. They sacrificed for us. Her body nurtured, protected, cared for, and produced us. The same is true for our spiritual birth. God does all the work.
Do you know the most quoted Bible verse in America? It is pretty cringeworthy. It is, “God helps those who help themselves.” Do you know the problem with that? It’s not in the Bible! God doesn’t help those who help themselves because God knows we cannot help ourselves. God knows that He has to do 100% of the work! That is why Jesus uses the word “born” eight times in just five verses.
And so, Jesus tells him: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God” (3:5). We are born of water and the Spirit! And what is that called? Baptism! The Holy Spirit is really present – in, with, and under the water – creating new life!
Martin Luther writes in his Small Catechism that Baptism “works forgiveness of sins, rescues from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this, as the words and promises of God declare.” He writes in the Large Catechism, “There is no work done here by us, but a treasure, which God gives us and faith grasps.” He also writes in it, “Here in Baptism there is freely brought to everyone’s door such a treasure and medicine that it utterly destroys death and preserves all people alive.” It is all God’s work and doing.
If you’re baptized, you have been given new eyes to see God’s beauty, a new mind to understand God’s Word, a new voice to sing God’s praises, new hands for service, and new feet to run the race of faith.
But, Nicodemus is puzzled by all of this. He asks, “How can these things be?” (3:9). He wonders, “Start all over? Bounce back because you are baptized? Sounds like nonsense!” Nicodemus is still living in the darkness of rules and regulations. And so Jesus answers him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?” (3:10). As Israel’s teacher, Nicodemus should have understood that the Old Testament is all about bouncing back.
Abraham worshipped the moon and God called him to be the father of many nations, and to bless the world. Moses killed a man and was a stutterer, but God called him to lead His people out of Egypt. Aaron built a golden calf for the people to worship and God called him to be Israel’s first high priest. Jeremiah 31:31 promises a new covenant and Ezekiel 36:26 promises a new heart. Lamentations 3:22-23 says that God’s mercies are new every morning.
God is the giver, and grace is His idea. Forgiveness comes from Him through Jesus Christ. But, can God really be that generous, that loving, that giving? Yes, yes, and yes! In John 3:16, Jesus doesn’t say, “whoever achieves,” or “whoever succeeds.” Jesus says, “whoever believes.” “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”
Did Nicodemus believe? Did Nicodemus leave the darkness of legalism? Did Nicodemus embrace grace? Recall these words later in the Gospel (19:39): “Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight.” The keyword is earlier. It reminds me of an article I saw shared the other day.
It said that if you ever wanted to live in a castle, you now have a chance. Apparently, Ireland has castles for sale, and they are priced for only a dollar. However, there is a catch. If you buy one, it must be restored “consistent with its historical architecture.” Estimates for restoration run anywhere from $7 million to $60 million per castle. Sorry to burst any bubble.
Buying a fix-upper gives us a picture of what God did for each of us, and Nicodemus, when we were baptized. We were dead, disobedient, depraved, and destined for hell. But when we were born again through water and the Spirit, we were saved and delivered! God could have said, “I’ll make all new things since the old won’t do.” Instead, God says, “I’ll make all things new, even and especially you!” He isn’t done with us. The renovation is just getting started!
And so, imagine that! Nicodemus, the one who came in the dark, now lives in the light. The one who crept through the shadows now comes to the cross. And the one who was caught in the clutches of legalism is now living in the splendor of God’s grace. Nicodemus? He bounced back, and so will we! Every single time!