The Wind of the Spirit
For the Lord’s Day:  the 25^th of July 2004 

John 3: 7-13

Introduction:  Out in the countryside, up on top of our hill, which is probably amongst the top ten highest hills in our county, there is usually some slight turbulence in the air at all times.  Several days a week there is noticed even a good stiff breeze.  Perhaps not enough on a regular basis to generate electricity with, but nevertheless the wind is a noticeable regular feature of the local geography. 

A decade or more ago, I kept a flock of sheep amongst other livestock.  Given the closeness of an ordinary barn, it was always well in summer time to open up the great doors of the barn to let the air circulate for the health and comfort of the animals.  Working close to nature at that time, I learned to read the weather – more so than I knew, since at least one neighbor watched the state of my doors to predict the weather.  That of course was more credit than I would have given myself – however, it was rare that heavy winds and storms affected the animals, hay and feed kept inside.  The point I would make from this example is that we are all differently gifted in many respects – in this case, I was simply sensing and acting upon the ordinary natural hints revealed day in and day out as the weather passed through the neighborhood.  At this point in time, I could not give the same performance, since I no longer have any livestock to worry about.

In the same vein, my father always seemed to have an uncanny knowledge of the local weather at the old home place.  He could seemingly compare any week’s weather with that from years past.  Once he passed away, we discovered his secret – a set of weather books detailing the daily goings on for over fifty years. 

Of course in any profession, one must make an honest attempt to become very good at your calling.  However, it has been my experience that only one out of ten doctors, plumbers and even pastors really truly knows what he is doing.  And while another tenth may actually do some purposeful damage, the other eight do well if they accomplish no harm to their patients, homes and members – in that order.

And so, with that windy introduction, we turn to the member of the Sanhedrin, one Nicodemus – who had risen to a top position within the Old Covenant Church.  One would suppose that such a professional would know something about his spiritual calling.  But, in his initial visit with the Son of Man – a great gulf of spiritual ignorance is quickly made manifest.  However, Nicodemus takes everything in stride and as we know from later chapters – he and a friend become a willing students of Christ and go out of their way to tend to His body when everyone else goes into hiding.

The Apostle Paul – we could all agree was among the ten percent of the Jewish leadership who had real talent.  Yet at first he steadfastly labors to destroy the Church of Christ and only by divine intervention is the course of Saul’s life changed dramatically.  Nicodemus – for a little as we know about him, seems to be one of the hard working eighty per-cent, doing no harm – but not setting the world on fire with a budding genius.  Until, he meets the Master and is invited to raise his sights higher than the world: to someone in real authority – the Son of God Himself.  And this eye opening, spiritually transforming fact is the intent and focus of the whole glorious gospel according to John.

Raymond Brown develops the intent of this whole chapter in this sense:  “Jesus’ answer is meant to show Nicodemus that Jesus has not come from God in the sense that Nicodemus thought (a man approved by God), but in the unique sense of having descended from God’s presence to raise men to God.  Commentators have noted that Jesus does not answer Nicodemus’ question directly.  However, the tactic of the Johannine discourse is always for the answer to transpose the topic to a higher level; the questioner is on the level of the sensible, but he must be raised to the level of the spiritual.  An appreciation of the radical difference between the flesh and the Spirit is the true answer to Nicodemus.”

Development:  Now, the passage before us must be ascertained correctly, in order to give the proper amount of glory to our God and Father.  Calvin outlines several considerations:  “This passage has been tortured by commentators in various ways.”

1.        One group of commentators with whom he disagarees, are those who believe that with “the regeneration of the Spirit we are set at liberty, and, having been freed from the yoke of sin, run voluntarily to God.”

2.        He also takes exception with Augustine’s view “that the Spirit of God exerts his power according to his own pleasure.”

3.        He believes a better view is given by Chrysostom and Cyril, “who say that the comparison is taken from the wind, and apply it thus to the present passage: though its power be felt, we know not its source and cause.”

4.        And Finally he shares his own thinking:  “Christ borrows a comparison from the order of nature. … Christ shows that even in the bodily life there is displayed an amazing power of God, the reason of which is concealed.”  Calvin concludes his argument in these pointed words:  “If in this frail and transitory life God acts so powerfully that we are constrained to admire his power, what folly is it to attempt to measure by the perception of our own mind his secret work in the heavenly and supernatural life, so as to believe no more than what we see?”

Thus, we may see in the person of Nicodemus: every man, woman and child ever born.  Again Calvin challenges us:  “They are therefore excessively stupid who, having been warned by the common order of nature, do not rise higher, so as to acknowledge that the hand of God is far more powerful in the spiritual kingdom of Christ.”

During the decade that I worked with sheep, I learned a lot about the natural order and how to use those laws to improve the flock.  I also took a page from the scriptural record about Jacob and his flock management.  I kept no ewe that did not conceive and present me with a lamb her first year.  And if with the proper feeding she did not have twins the second year – she was turned into mutton.  Having read through a few trade articles and books – I made certain that the breeding ewes had access to Selenium salts which one author supposed was in the technique of Jacob.  Despite several professional sheepmen telling me that you could not improve the twinning abilities of any particular flock, the last year I sold lambs I had twenty-four to sell from the twelve ewes.  However, any observations that I have acquired in the natural order have not allowed me to successfully multiply God’s spiritual sheep. While there are decided advantages for a pastor to have been a shepherd of sheep – one must quickly realize that the higher calling is beyond the power and ability of any pastor.

This is what mystifies Nicodemus, initially he believes that any religious scholar should be able to comprehend what Jesus is talking about.  There are many of his kind around today.  And yet, for both the ancient Nicodemus and those like him today, Raymond Brown tells us that “there was, at least, a limited Old Testament background that should have enabled Nicodemus to understand that Jesus was proclaiming the arrival of the eschatological times when men would be God’s children.  This concept was known to Judaism even if the theme of divine begetting had not hitherto received much emphasis.  It is precisely on the theme of begetting that Nicodemus stumbles.”

And so – in our text for today, Jesus would life the sight of Nicodemus to consider heavenly things.  Like the uncertain knowledge of the movement of the winds, Jesus tells Nicodemus: “so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”  Nicodemus balks at this revelation, since he cannot understand it – his pride has gotten in the way of his budding faith.  In verse ten Jesus must dress the proud member of the Sanhedrin down.  Calvin notes that “such persons will never make any progress, until the wicked confidence, with which they are puffed up, be removed.”  Jesus asks Nicodemus:  “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand this?”

Application:  There is in that reproof, a warning for all of us.  It is all too easy to sit in discussion groups, to read books and debate the intellectual truth of Christianity.  But the essential thing is finally to experience the power of the Holy Spirit in conversion.  Having been born again – even as Nicodemus is being challenged here in our text.

But Jesus does not dwell on Nicodemus’ ignorance, he lifts his view to a higher plain.  In verse eleven Jesus asserts that like the prophets before Him, He speaks of heavenly things that He has seen and known.  Then in verse twelve he challenges Nicodemus again:  “If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?”  And then He presents him with a heavenly revelation:  “No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended from heaven, the Son of man.”

If Nicodemus will understand Him, Jesus is saying that the Son of man has come down from heaven and if Nicodemus and any others would comprehend the heavenly things – this they must believe:  Jesus is the Son of God!  This is the focus of the new birth that we recognize our Father God in Christ.  And so when we come to John’s report of this earthly discussion we must come to the absolute certain realization that Jesus Christ is exactly who He says He is:  God in the flesh, God with us in order to save us!

The worldly do not like that option – perhaps they think that Jesus is just another wise man, even a holy man, a prophet perhaps – but God Himself?  What do you say this day:  who is the Son of Man?  If you have experienced the New Birth than you already know!  Praise be to God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, flesh and blood has not brought you to this knowledge, but only by the grace of God breathing His Spirit into you and giving you life – by that means alone you are saved.  Amen.

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PREACHING RESOURCES

 Barrett, C.K.  The Gospel According to St John.
Brown, Raymond E.  The Anchor Bible: The Gospel According to John.
Stewart, James.  The Wind of the Spirit.
Tasker, R.V.G.  Tyndale New Testament Commentaries: The Gospel According to St John.
The Holy Bible:  English Standard Version.

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