You Must Believe This
John 3:1-18
May 27, 2018 – Redeemer
For God so loved the world. Most people would be content if that was the extent of the Christian Creed. Don’t tell me any more about God. Don’t tell me any more about love, let’s just leave it at that – God loved the world. Those well-worn words are from a conversation Jesus had with Nicodemus. There was much more to the conversation than “God so loved the world.” Jesus was concerned that Nicodemus had the whole truth necessary for his salvation so He spoke in detail, with both promise and warning.
This text from Saint John is complemented by that detailed Athanasian Creed we just confessed. We should not be surprised that the Creeds echo the Scriptures. The Athanasian Creed begins “whoever desires to be saved must.” How many times does Jesus tell Nicodemus what must happen if a person is to be saved? “Unless one is born of water and the spirit … you must be born again … the Son of Man must be lifted up … you must believe – whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
Consider also how the Athanasian Creed, unlike either the Apostles or Nicene Creed, contains some negative statements. “Whoever does not keep it (the catholic faith) whole and undefiled will without doubt perish eternally. We are prohibited by the catholic religion to say that there are three Gods or three Lords. Finally the Creed states – whoever does not believe it (the catholic faith) faithfully and firmly cannot be saved.
Jesus also speaks negatively to Nicodemus. Unless you’re born from above you won’t see the Kingdom. Unless the Son of God is lifted on the cross there is no forgiveness. Unless you believe you are condemned.
Since I’ve used that word catholic let me take a moment to explain it. Catholic comes from two Greek words – kata (meaning “according to”) and holos which means whole (not as in donut hole, but the as in the whole enchilada). The faith we confess is faith according to the whole – not part of God’s Word, not what we determine is God’s Word, not what we like in God’s Word, but the whole faith confessed in God’s Word, confessed by the whole of the church through all time. The Creed is not referring to the Roman Catholic Church. That didn’t even exist at the time this Creed was written.
“Whoever desires to be saved must hold the faith.” Nicodemus desired to be saved – that’s why he came to Jesus. Do you think people today desire to be saved? Do you think people fear hell or desire heaven? I think everyone wants to be saved. They may not be thinking of heaven or hell, but they want to be saved from trouble, from unhappiness, from death, from evil in the world, from their guilt, from their negative view of themselves.
Learn from Nicodemus – if you want to be saved go to Jesus. If you want to know who God is, go to Jesus. If you want know what real love is, go to Jesus. He is the only-begotten Son of the Father. He took on flesh so we could see God, know God, and hear God. Whoever has seen the Son has seen the Father.
Jesus tells Nicodemus an impossible way to God – “unless one is I born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” How does one choose to be born again? I didn’t choose to be born the first time – that was the will and work of Myrlen and Marlys Timm, so how could I be born again? Nicodemus does not understand. He is thinking of an earthly birth, but Jesus is speaking of being born from above – born of God the Father.
Jesus goes on “that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit”. Nicodemus does not need to born again on earth, but born from above. Just as you don’t choose to be born to your earthly parents you don’t choose to be born of God. God chooses to be your Father – He chooses to give you life through Jesus, through the death and resurrection of His Son. Born of the flesh – you’re a dead man because of sins. Your earthly birth will lead back to the earth – earth to earth in the cemetery of your choice.
Sinners die. The only way out of sin is love. God’s love. God loved the world in this way, in this manner – He sent His only-begotten Son to die for your sins. “It is also necessary for everlasting salvation that one faithfully believe in the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The second person of the Holy Trinity took on human flesh. He took our humanity into His divinity. Although He is God and man, He is not two, but one Christ. This is the manner in which God loved you – He became man, a man so real if you kicked Him in the shins He would bruise. Man so real that he died and water and blood flowed from his side. Man so real that after the resurrection he had shore lunch with his fishing disciples to prove He was a real man risen from the dead.
Nicodemus did not understand this – being born from above by water and the Spirit. God assuming human flesh into the divine being. The Father sending His Son who sends the Spirit yet there are not three gods, but one God. God dying on a cross. Jesus asks Nicodemus, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?”
Do you understand these things? Do you understand how God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, that these three persons of the Trinity are equal and yet there are not three gods, but one? Can you explain how Jesus is true God and true man – not some time, not in parts, but truly human and divine in one person? Can you explain why God doesn’t simply say, “I forgive you” but instead sends His only begotten Son to a cross to suffer your hell for your sins? Does it make any sense why God would love you? Would give His Son for you? How the Holy Spirit comes in water to give us a heavenly birth? How can water do the great things of bringing us Christ’s death and resurrection and faith to believe it?
Do you know one of the words not found in the Athanasian Creed? Or in Jesus’ words to Nicodemus? Nowhere do you hear “You must understand this to be saved.” If you can understand your god that would be a good indication he’s not god, but an invention of man. If your god makes complete sense to you – serve me and I’ll reward you with a room a beautiful women in heaven – that’s another good indication that your god is not god. You cannot explain the Trinity with math and you cannot explain the death of Jesus on the cross with any earthly sacrifice. But you can believe it. The Father has sent His Son who died and rose and then the Son sent His Spirit. The Spirit grabs hold of you by faith and brings you to believe in Jesus and the Son brings you to His Father now in faith and prayer and on the last day in the Resurrection. Whoever believes the Holy Trinity is the only true God and that His Son was incarnate (made flesh) for our salvation will be saved. You will be saved in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Pastor Timm
May 26, 2018