2nd Sunday in Lent
Rev Indrea Alexander
Genesis 12:1-4a; Romans 4:1-5&13-17; John 3:1-17
The story of Nicodemus concludes with what is probably the most famous verse in the New Testament: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” John 3:16.
Everyone who believes in Jesus has eternal life. The first disciples believed in Jesus and received eternal life. They told people about Jesus, and a second generation received the good news, became disciples and received eternal life.
For some in the first century or two, becoming a Christian could bring a fairly swift end to their earthly life, as Christians were fed to lions or fell to the gladiator’s sword. But even the blood of martyrs spread the seed of the gospel — the depth of their commitment to the Christ who had died for them was a witness to others, including their persecutors.
And so across the centuries the good news travelled in peace and persecution, by word of mouth, in writing, in song, in stained glass, in drama, in art. And everyone who believed in Jesus, whatever their land, their language, their culture, their circumstances, everyone who believed received the gift of eternal life.
And in 1814 the gospel was preached in Aotearoa New Zealand. And those who believed in Jesus Christ received the gift of eternal life. And Maori and Pakeha spread the good news of Jesus throughout New Zealand, and also went overseas as missionaries to take the gospel to the Pacific and Africa and South America.
We have an ongoing responsibility to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. Many New Zealand Christians have been so moulded by cultural expectations, that we “don’t talk about religion”. But is that really good enough? Some people are too scared to try. Some try but do not receive a positive response, and “once bitten, twice shy” as the saying goes. But even if you were bitten, God may have used that moment.
I heard of a person who was invited to a course to find out about Christianity. The person who was invited bit back at the one who invited them (figuratively, not literally), but subsequently felt bad about having done so. Some time later they saw the same course, an Alpha course, advertised, went along and came to faith.
God so loves Ashburton that he gave his only Son, so that everyone here who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. God loves Ashburton, and we, through our lives, our individual testimony and our collective outreach as churches, we share the good news of God’s love in Jesus from person to person to person.
In 2014, when we were celebrating 200 years of the gospel in Aotearoa NZ, a new national inter-church initiative emerged—the Hope Project, with an initial dream of giving every household a quality booklet highlighting stories of our country’s bicultural and Christian history, and sharing the Christian message that is still changing hearts and lives and bringing hope.
That first booklet has been followed by seven more, and those eight are about to be joined by a ninth, to be delivered in the two weeks leading up to Easter. It focusses on the goodness of God, and offers Jared’s story “from addiction to hope”; along with the wonderful story of 1800s Maori Christian woman Heni Te Kiri Karamu, who lived out Jesus’ instruction: “If your enemy is thirsty, give him a drink.” While she is best remembered for taking water to wounded British soldiers on the battlefield at Gate Pa in Tauranga, she was committed to many Christian causes. The booklet also has Leayne’s story of losing faith as a child when her friend died in a car accident, and of finding fresh faith in God after what she describes as 40 hard years in a wilderness without God.
Hopefully within the next 10 days booklets will arrive for our congregations, and we can read them for ourselves before the public receive them, so we are then ready to engage in conversation with our neighbours and friends. Did you see Jared’s story? What did you think of Heni’s care for the enemy? Where have you seen the goodness of God?
The Hope Project encourages us to celebrate that Christian faith changes lives, makes a difference to communities, and has produced some amazing NZ heroes. Christian faith and action are powerful forces for good. We can be joyfully proud of Jesus Christ, joyfully proud of our faith, and joyfully proud of the positive impact we have together.
A new initiative of the Hope Project this year is the Help Project - promoting the good work done by the Christian church, and connecting people across the country with the help available at their local churches. Every church will be invited to identify what we do that helps others, and this information will become part of a national data base.
As well as this information making it possible to connect people in need with churches that can help, the Help Project organisers said that it had become evident through similar initiatives overseas that “considerable mana and opportunity can arise as Government and welfare agencies realise the scope of Christian churches’ work and engagement. This can lead to increased consideration, invitation and collaboration… as attitudes toward the Church are re-shaped.”
We can rejoice in our faith, but, sometimes, like Nicodemus, we are scared and full of contradictions. Nicodemus came to Jesus—yes, that’s what Jesus wants. Jesus called people to himself. But he came at night—and in John’s gospel the night is a place of uncertainty and confusion. Nicodemus states with certainty, “We know you are from God…” But he is also full of doubts. When Jesus says Nicodemus must be born again, that he needs a fresh start, Nicodemus says it’s impossible. How could he start again, how could he change after so many years of thinking differently?
Centuries earlier, God told 75 year old Abram to leave all he knew, and promised that he would father a great nation and be a blessing to others. Abram went. Nicodemus, however, teeters on the edge of faith. Accepting who Jesus was and responding in faith would throw his life as a Pharisee into disarray. But it would also bring cleansing and renewal, being found and being known. A life-giving fresh start.
Jesus spoke to Nicodemus urgently, you must be born again, you must be born from above. The only two further references to Nicodemus are both in the gospel of John - speaking in the Sanhedrin and preparing Jesus’ body for burial. They show he was at least a sympathiser, but it’s not known whether Nicodemus ever became a believer.
Doubt and questions are necessary for the creation of faith, but sometimes they can paralyse us. Jesus calls us to trust more than we doubt, and to step into belief—accepting his word and receiving his Spirit. As one writer put it, “To see the kingdom of God, we may well need to lay aside the wisdom of our years and receive the Spirit as unborn children. In doing so, we emerge newborn into God’s presence.” (Lost for Words” ed Jane Williams.)
It is then the gift of eternal life is received, immediately, in the here and now, a gift of life that continues through all our days, through death and beyond. Eternal life in the presence of God.