Easter Sunday, April 21, 2019 A.D.
Jesus spoke many times about His own Death and His Resurrection. This is the way, truth and Life.
In hindsight, 2,000 years later, we do understand Jesus is the Son of God and fulfills God's Plan. And Jesus spoke so many times to us all about our own lives and decisions knowing Scripture and God's Love and Mercy in our Prayer lives.
If we were to look at our life spans as being in an unusual time, we could come up with some astonishing reasons why this is an extraordinary time of life. Our Great-grandparents would be in utter astonishment to see - - - today. Our parent's life trends aren't necessarily our own.
And in History, we are alive during the Two Millennium absence of the State of Israel.
We live the Born Again time of Israel.
Today being Easter, we have an idea - how much Jesus would do to reach out.
What would Jesus have to say to our time frame in History?
John 3:1-21, 33-36
Now ~
there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”
3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?”
5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
9 Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?”
10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony.
12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?
13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.
21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
33 Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. 34 For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. 35 The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
One of the surprising things in Israel, when the Bible says something to the effect an altar was built or a landmark was created for something like which tribe inherited the land - usually, the landmark is found. If you're skeptical these stones are the exact same, why? The stones are put there from what the people could find at the time. Rocks nearby... "What God has put nearby." Landmarks are made from what God has put in our hand and in our lives to dwell in life. The question answers itself - is it the same landmark - yes.
John 3 is our landmark for our times. Nicodemus could answer some of our 'today' questions. Revelation says as the world grows old - knowledge will vastly increase. Nicodemus is not the sign for end of days, this isn't what we are looking at. Nicodemus is a Landmark. A touchstone. A great place to make a permanent memory.
Let's give us a stone marker to start this landmark.
The Great Sanhedrin Counsel met in the Temple, Chamber of Hewn Stone.
Sanhedrin - various political, religious, and judicial functions have been attributed. The Great Sanhedrin, or simply the Sanhedrin, in Jerusalem. There were also local or provincial sanhedrins of lesser jurisdiction and authority.
A council of elders, or senate.
Although eminent sources—the Hellenistic-Jewish historian Josephus, the New Testament, and the Talmud—have mentioned the Sanhedrin. In the writings of Josephus and the Gospels, for example, the Sanhedrin is presented as a political and judicial council headed by the high priest (in his role as civil ruler.)
The Talmud it is described as primarily a religious legislative body headed by sages, though with certain political and judicial functions. Combining political, religious, and judicial functions in a community where these aspects were inseparable. Until the Roman Empire and Herod.
According to the Talmudic sources, including the tractate Sanhedrin, the Great Sanhedrin was a court of 71 sages that met on fixed occasions in the Lishkat La-Gazit (“Chamber of the Hewn Stones”) in the Jerusalem Temple and that was presided over by two officials (zugot, or “pair”), the nasi and the av bet din. It was a religious legislative body “whence the law [Halakha] goes out to all Israel.”
Before the Roman rule, it could appoint the king and the high priest, declare war, and expand the territory of Jerusalem and the Temple. Judicially, it could try a high priest, a false prophet, a rebellious elder, or an errant tribe. Religiously, it supervised certain rituals.
Nicodemus. He is placed as a man who has been chosen for wisdom to be part of the Jewish rulers. He is a man determined to seek understanding, God and wisdom.
Nicodemus would certainly appeal to us because he seeks wisdom - we have at our fingertips.
We can surmise Nicodemus is not new to his own thoughts on God. Nicodemus makes none of the mistakes being puffed up by his own importance. Nor does he follow the crowd to become evil. Clearly, Nicodemus is not a new convert.
1 Timothy 3:6
He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil.
Nicodemus is certainly not going to appear to Jesus as sitting with Jesus. Jesus has been known to be part of sinners. And wisely, Nicodemus goes with questions. In Privacy.
Jesus speaks with Nicodemus forthrightly. Jesus is God. Nicodemus has perceived Jesus is not using the opportunity to elevate Himself. This is an interesting conversation. This is a blend of worldly places. We certainly live in a material world. We would have to meet Jesus as we are - because Jesus sees us.
Here we have Messiah and a Jewish ruler. And the Jewish ruler makes no pretense to be other than himself and not a typical "suit' or robe of nothing but a well-read, bent on the "everyone opinion" pop-culture knowledge of really it's all about Herod, Rome career and money, money. Nicodemus is there for his own soul and the soul of Israel - God's People. Nicodemus is not faking his own depth of soul and shallow soul. He has sought Jesus for reasons we would - Nicodemus wants to complete his life having spent his efforts, his heart pleasing to God.
Jesus knows something of people seeking the way, truth and Life.
If we put this very simply - real Nicodemus - real Jesus, really a soul.
Jesus explains in a world suddenly nothing like David's mercenary history of Israel - there are still landmarks. Nicodemus lived in a time so much Roman power and trade had created the mega-rich. The upper class Judea was now middle or struggling to make Roman taxes - when never asked if they wanted Caesar. Isaiah 7 indicates all the usual ways of commerce are done in - harmed or replaced. Capernaum, adult hometown of Jesus - is brand new to create fish for the Roman increasing population in Jerusalem. So much Roman money. And Money is being made in Capernaum. Jesus is living in what we might call a nice suburb. (And going forth to be God meeting all the people, all the time in poverty and even Herod's Stewart's wife - the Bible is the BLEND of ALL the People.)
The wealth and the new had swept in and overcome little Israel now Judea, a suburb of Syria. This was a time where all the classes and rules had changed. A time where the King of Israel stamped his non-Davidic image on a coin - to smile and be seen. And the king was not only living with his brother's wife - he was sending his own kids to be educated in Rome. Or kill them off.
Jesus arrived - when the People of God were earnestly needing Jesus.
The Sanhedrin had been a Council everyone in the nice "1950's" could really enjoy doing what was expected. Now Herod picked with an eye to making fussy, rural people happy, too. But really, mostly, to please the Governor and Caesar.
This was run for your dear life if the Sanhedrin made Herod unhappy.
Nicodemus is truly in a time all the landmarks are changing.
1. God is Spirit. He is here not to condemn us - but help us find Life.
2. Born of water and Spirit. Reality and Heaven. The needs of today, the flesh, cannot ever crowd out the Spirit. The reality of seeing life with eyes of faith - like a child. This is Good News. Hope for this very day and every day.
3. The beliefs we held for ourselves, about our life, as children as having a necessary Life, do not end. Like Nicodemus, we are unsung. Nicodemus is not held forth in the Talmud as being the Mr. Important who Tried horrible Jesus and got Him down. Nicodemus is going to make a choice. Nicodemus is going to be the people of God who speak with Jesus in the eternal being - soul.
4. Nicodemus is not going to move the freight train. The Roman Empire is bigger than Nicodemus. What Nicodemus is going to do is use the way, truth and Life to make these inspiring little changes. No one is going to notice. After all, Nicodemus is not Pilate, Herod, Rabbi. And yet. Really. The inspiring little things God put in the hand and opportunity of Nicodemus - make eternal differences. We have found Nicodemus is Jimmy Stewart and "It's a Wonderful Life."
5. Nicodemus speaks up (during another, earlier end-that-Jesus- say the Sanhedrin Council. Because Nicodemus spoke up - Jesus has more time for Ministry. Given what Jesus does every day that is probably 25,000 or more people healed. Jesus healed them all on several occasions.
6. Good Friday and Holy Saturday - Jesus is seen by the Sanhedrin Counsel as deceased. Not just the Romans. We find Nicodemus' bravery cancels the spin, spin, spin over Jesus reviving from being beaten beyond recognition and dragging a huge cross to Crucifixion.
7. Nicodemus teaches us small amounts of bravery and wisdom lead to greater paths of a fulfilling life. We have an example of Nicodemus as a landmark. We can do a 'little of this' and "a little of that."
8. Reassuring us God will make a path for His Goodness in our efforts, lives and prayers. He is a Good Father making Life.
And the best point for last, Jesus spoke forthrightly to Nicodemus and never did Nicodemus feel Jesus had condemned him as inadequate. God has given Nicodemus so many years ago and us - tools to live the way, truth and Life.
Making the Point. God is Alive, Working and Father of Living Jesus Christ. Still for us. Still our Father. Still our Savior. Still our Father God of Love and Encouragement. Taking us out of darkness to become people who have seen a Very Great Light of the World, Jesus Christ.
Abba,
We Thank You for Your Blessing of Jesus. Today. In the Nature of Jesus, we are given Your Exact Nature.
Finding You Alive and Loving. Discovering again how 'for' us You are. God of Love.
Bless us to see You more clearly. Love You more dearly.
Bless our family. Bless our Loved Ones.
Let Your Glory sweep our Nation Trusting in You.
Let Your Majesty put all of Creation bringing more Heaven on earth. Bless the nations living in Your Brightness. Uphold, Bless, Keep Safe, Strengthen Encourage and Build up the Kingdom of Heaven in Your Beloved children all over Your Good Creation. More Jesus.
Let the Light of Your Love far outshine the darkness, to see the Victory of Your Son Today.
In Jesus, the Lord, God's Only Son, Alive, Working, Loving, Guiding us to Live.
Jesus God, Amen.
♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †
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