Trinity Sunday – Sermon 18
Prayer to start
May every thought and every word be graciously received for the Glory and honour of our Lord Jesus Christ
AMEN
Introduction
Who saves? –
who do we call on in an emergency – if its a matter of life and death? – the doctor ? – the police ? – the fire service? – the ambulance service?
what if its a matter of life after death ? – who saves us then? – is it God the Father – God the Son or – God the Holy Spirit ? – or is it all three – or does it really matter?
Point 1
Nichodemus thought he knew the answer – he was a Pharisee and a member of the Jewish Council – as far as he was concerned – everything that was needed for salvation – was given in the Torah – the first 5 books of the Bible –
Pharisees spent their lives observing every detail of the law – They followed a system of rules and regulations – written by Scribes – to govern every conceivable situation in life – special rules for what you can and can’t do on the Sabbath for instance – even rules on what sorts of knots could be tied – and whether you had to use one hand or two to untie them –
Nichodemus came to Jesus by night – to avoid the crowds and so he wouldn’t be seen – He was attracted by the miracles that Jesus had performed
“We know that you are a teacher sent by God” He said, no one could perform these sign of yours unless God were with Him”
Throughout Jewish history miracles have been linked with the works of God’s grace and His promise of salvation – particularly during the period of the Exodus – the miracles of the burning bush – the ten plagues of Egypt – and the numerous miracles between the parting of the red sea and the crossing of the Jordan – all came at a time of great spiritual depression and the need for rescue –
God provided them with a liberator – to take them out of Egypt to the land – He promised for them
in verse 7 of our OT reading:
“I have witnessed the misery of my people………heard them crying out……….. know that they are suffering……………..I have come down to rescue them………. and bring them to a land flowing with milk and honey “
Our OT reading tells us of a God who speaks – and reveals Himself to His people – a God who remembers and fulfils His promises – who is active in History – A Holy God who requires His people to respond to Him in faith – A God who lives among His people – and has a close bond with them –
When Moses expresses doubts God promises to be with Him – God revealed His name – “Yahweh” – translated as “I am ” – ” the Lord” – the God of their forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob”
names were important to the Isrealites – they described their character and role in life – and signified the person as they had been revealed to others
Moses brought no new or unknown God to His people but a fuller definition of one whom they have known
Throughout the Bible God reveals Himself to us at an ever deepening level – By concentrating on the first 5 books Nichodemus had missed all later revelations of God – His spiritual journey had stopped at God the Father of Isreal –
but with the coming of Jesus – the definition of God’s nature was made complete and final – when He declared Himself in His Son
In Gospel of John Chpt 1 v 14
“So the word became flesh, He came to dwell among us, and we may see His Glory, such Glory that befits the Fathers’ only Son, full of grace and truth”
Point 2
Being a man of the law – we might have expected the conversation between Nichodemus and Jesus to be about whether salvation was possible through the law – after all Rabbis taught that when all Israel kept the law – the Kingdom of God would come –
But Jesus moves the discussion onto a completely different level – salvation in the Kingdom of God requires a “new birth” – a fresh start – and such a change is possible only by belief in the Son of God – in Jesus Himself
As Jesus says in verse 16
“God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that everyone who has faith in Him may not perish but have everlasting life”
Here Jesus describes the source of our salvation – God’s free love – a love that extends beyond His chosen flock – to all without exception – God is not only the Father of a nation but also the Father of each one of us –
but God cannot love our sins – so He gave His only Son Jesus Christ – to die upon the cross – so that all who believe in Him – will have their sins forgiven – and will be reconciled with Him – and only through one channel – Christ’s redemption – can we be saved –
Jesus came down to dwell among us – so that we could participate in all of God’s blessings – He is the only interpreter of the Father and tells us what God is like and how God wants us to live our lives – He stretches out his hand to us – so that He might raise us to heaven along with Himself –
In verse 14 Jesus says
“Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness so the Son of Man must be lifted up , in order that everyone who has faith in Him may have eternal life
When the Isrealites sinned in the wilderness through disbelief – they were afflicted by serpents and many died – but through Moses’ interceding on their behalf – God instructed them to make an image of a serpent – so that who ever looked on it and believed God would heal them – would live –
In the same way – Jesus is lifted up for all to see – Jesus is free from sin – but took on the sin of mankind – through the image of the cross – so we might be rescued – God provided the antidote for the serpents bite – and He sends His son to counter the bite of Sin
Point 3
not only do we need to look to the Son – we have to be “born again” – “No one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and of Spirit” – we have to change from the inside out – not just a little – its not just a question of doing a good deed for the day – but a total transformation – is needed
This must have really stuck in Nichodemus’s throat – after all – wasn’t he born of the seed of Abraham – wasn’t he a scholar – highly respected – and a follower of the law – and here Jesus was telling Him that all this counted for nothing – that he would have to discard it and start again –
“What do you mean born again? – how can someone be born when he is old? – how can he enter his mothers womb a second time and be born again?
Despite Nichodemus’s answer the idea of rebirth was not strange to him – when a foriegner became a Jew he was regarded as being reborn – “like a new child”
So Nichodemus understood what Jesus was saying – he knew the theory – it was the practice that was the problem! – as far as he was concerned what Jesus wanted Him to do was impossible –
we can’t do it by ourselves – “flesh can give birth to flesh ; it is Spirit that gives birth to spirit “
this newness of life comes from the Spirit alone – we cannot be renewed by our own efforts but by the Spirit of God – He is our guide and comforter and moves us to act – He is essential to the work and expansion of the Church
The Spirit is the very breath of Church life and comes in response to prayer – only if we allow the Spirit to act through us can this transformation be achieved –
Jesus draws on an illustration from the wind – There is much about the wind that is mysterious and inexplicable – we cannot touch it – or see it – or know when or where it starts or finishes – but we see its effects – and so it is with the Holy Spirit – incomprehensible to us in many ways – but the presence of the Spirit cannot be denied – and the effect of the Spirit in a person is there for all to see
Conclusion
So who saves? – is it the love of the Father? – or the redemptive act of the Son? – or the result of our inner transformation by the Spirit? –
In the Creed we affirm our faith to one God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit,- Trinity Sunday tells us that they are totally united – We do not worship three Gods but one – in our Christian experience three persons but in nature one God
– joined in a unity of love –
Jesus tells us that for our salvation we need all of God’s love – We should not be like Nichodemus and concentrate on only one aspect of His grace – or split Him up into historical sectors – and close our minds to the other parts of His nature –
if we do that we will miss out on many of the gifts that God has for us – and indeed as Nichodemus learned we might even miss out on salvation itself
So if we want to enter the Kingdom of God – we call one rescue service – not three – there’s only one God – and only one way to eternal life –
Prayer to finish
In the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit
AMEN