God has come down from Sanai and beyond to rescue his chosen people once again from slavery. God has come into his lost world, walked among his very own people and discovered he was not welcome. However one of this people’s leaders has broken rank and arranged a private meeting with God Incarnate. It seems this Pharisee has seen something he cannot dismiss.

Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him. (John 3:2)

Rather than trying to build a bridge back to the hardened institution of Judaism, Jesus begins construction directly to Nicodemus’ heart.

Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3)

The first component of Jesus’ bridge was a delineation between the flesh and the spirit.

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’  The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit. (John 3:5-8)

The Spirit? Pneúma? Rúach? God’s Breath? What is Nicodemus to think? If this is a bridge its structural members seem insubstantial. However, construction proceeds as Jesus allows him to ask his questions. With each query and response, Jesus is building a relationship and credibility for the mystery he is proposing. He drills down to the bedrock of Nicodemus’ heart and builds a pier as he connects Moses to this revelation about the Spirit.

Nicodemus said to Him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things? Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony.  If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life. (John3:9-15)

Resting on something solid now, Jesus compounds the mystery with another structural component. “Eternal life?!” Nicodemus’ sense of amazement doubles. Even though he didn’t understand where the wind was blowing this conversation, he was still listening. Their relationship now has sufficient load bearing capacity for Jesus to place the main structural members. As their eyes were now locked on each other, Jesus puts the girders in place…

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.  For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.  But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.” (John 3:16-21)

Love? Belief? Eternal life? Judgement? Light? Darkness? Evil? As a Jew, Nicodemus had seen all of these components strewn about the yard of Jewish theology. While he had a sense they were intregal to what God was building, he had no clue how they all fit together, until now.

The Jews, on the other hand, are growing in their hatred of God’s Son but Jesus even uses that to build with. We know where this hatred leads. They ultimately have him crucified which allows the deck of the bridge to be poured. After his resurrection, the project was complete. Construction is finished! All of those who have seen something they cannot dismiss are invited to cross over from death to life. This must have included Nicodemus. He appears a few more times in the New Testament, each time in a place where he is trying to be a buffer between Jesus and his murderous colleagues. He was even there when the Son of Man was lifted up. I definitely see Nicodemus as one who believed, who would not perish, but have eternal life.

God our Savior, desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator (bridge) also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time. (2 Timothy 2:3-6; parenthesis mine)

Father, I pray that Your wind would blow us about in such a way that the world will see something in us they cannot dismiss. Even if we do not know where it comes from or where it is going, may the wind blow us in the direction of Your 1 in 99 who is nearest to us. May load bearing relationships take shape such that we can help assemble the pieces in their understanding.  May our deeds be manifested as having been wrought by You – that all men might cross over this Bridge into Life. Amen.

Where is God’s breath carrying you?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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