Responsible Parents

1 Samuel 2: 12 – 36 and 1 Samuel 8: 1 – 3.

I.                    Introduction.

One of the good things about Facebook is the way it allows us to stay connected with people we haven’t seen in years.  But, there is at least one down side to Facebook.

Some people look at the pictures of happy smiling friends and family members and try to compare their lives to theirs.  Everyone looks so happy in the pictures from Acapulco, but my family isn’t that happy…And I can’t afford to travel to Acapulco.  They must have a better life than mine.

But, what you don’t see on Facebook is that they had to threaten and bribe their children to smile in the pictures.  They have conflict in their relationships just like you do.  Their lives are just as messed up as your life.  They just don’t post the negative things on Facebook.

http://healthland.time.com/2011/01/27/youre-not-alone-misery-has-more-company-than-you-think/

http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/doublex/2011/01/the_antisocial_network.html

  

http://www.digitaltrends.com/social-media/study-why-facebook-is-making-people-sad/

The fact is, everyone is hiding something.  Even the people who appear so happy on Facebook are hiding the fact that their teenagers are rebelling or their marriages are not perfect.

One of the interesting and good things about the Bible is that it doesn’t have anything to hide.  The Bible tells us the good and the bad things going on in the lives of God’s people.  If the Bible were like Facebook, it would only tell the good and happy parts of the story.

In our Scriptures today, we will read the good and the bad about two of Israel’s spiritual leaders: Eli and Samuel.  God used both Eli and Samuel to lead the nation of Israel.  But, both of these spiritual leaders had rebellious sons.

1 Samuel 2: 12 – 26.

12 Eli's sons were wicked men; they had no regard for the LORD.

13 Now it was the practice of the priests with the people that whenever anyone offered a sacrifice and while the meat was being boiled, the servant of the priest would come with a three-pronged fork in his hand.

14 He would plunge it into the pan or kettle or caldron or pot, and the priest would take for himself whatever the fork brought up. This is how they treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh.

15 But even before the fat was burned, the servant of the priest would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, "Give the priest some meat to roast; he won't accept boiled meat from you, but only raw."

16 If the man said to him, "Let the fat be burned up first, and then take whatever you want," the servant would then answer, "No, hand it over now; if you don't, I'll take it by force."

17 This sin of the young men was very great in the LORD's sight, for they were treating the LORD's offering with contempt.

18 But Samuel was ministering before the LORD-- a boy wearing a linen ephod.

19 Each year his mother made him a little robe and took it to him when she went up with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice.

20 Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, saying, "May the LORD give you children by this woman to take the place of the one she prayed for and gave to the LORD." Then they would go home.

21 And the LORD was gracious to Hannah; she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the LORD.

22 Now Eli, who was very old, heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel and how they slept with the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

23 So he said to them, "Why do you do such things? I hear from all the people about these wicked deeds of yours.

24 No, my sons; it is not a good report that I hear spreading among the LORD's people.

25 If a man sins against another man, God may mediate for him; but if a man sins against the LORD, who will intercede for him?" His sons, however, did not listen to their father's rebuke, for it was the LORD's will to put them to death.

26 And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the LORD and with men.

(NIV)

Eli and His Sons

One of the first things we notice as we read this Scripture is the way it moves back and forth between two stories.  On one hand, it tells us the sad, sad story of Eli and his two evil sons.  On the other hand, it tells us the sweet, sweet story of Samuel as a young boy obediently serving in the presence of the Lord.  We might say that this Scripture tells us about the rise of Samuel from a young boy to become a well-respected religious leader…and the Fall of Eli from well-respected priest to insignificant old man.

The Scripture is very specific that Eli fell from his well-respected position because of the sinfulness of his own sons.  An unnamed prophet confronted Eli and made it very clear that God was holding Eli responsible for the sins of his two sons.

What could be so bad that God would hold a parent accountable for the sins of their children?

Professional Misconduct

Hophni and Phinehas were taking the priestly share of the fellowship offerings “before the fat was burned”—that is, before the LORD had been given his portion…By demanding that they get their share before Yahweh’s portion itself was offered up, they despised the offering of Yahweh.

The priests were consuming fat from the sacrificial animals, an act specifically prohibited in the Torah… Don’t try to read this through modern-day, scientific, heart-healthy eyes.  This is not God’s way of protecting us from eating too much of something that can clog our arteries.  No.  The fatty parts of the meat are the most expensive and best tasting cuts of meat.  And these good, expensive cuts of meat were to be dedicated to the LORD. 

The blood was poured out and the fat was burned as a sacrifice to the LORD.  Then the priest was to take his portion of the meat.   The remainder of the sacrifice was then cooked and eaten by the family who offered the sacrifice.

There are three places in Scripture where the priest’s portion is described—it is different in every place.  Leviticus 7—Breast and the Right Thigh.  Deuteronomy 18—Shoulder, the Two Cheeks (Jowls) and the Stomach.  1 Samuel 2—Priests at Shiloh had developed their own method of arbitrarily sticking a large fork into the boiling pot and keeping whatever came out on the fork.

This egalitarian system was not good enough for Hophni and Phinehas…They chose the best portions for themselves rather than relying on potluck and included the fatty portions on their selection.  Normally, no one would eat the fat since it was to be burned for Yahweh.  Normally, the priest only took his share of the meat.  But Hophni and Phinehas took everything!  They sinned against the people by stealing their share and sinned against God by taking what had been reserved for God.

Personal Sin

They did not know the LORD…NIV translates “They had no regard for the LORD”…This phrase could be translated either way…Either they gave no thought to the things and ways of the Lord, only thinking of themselves…OR…They never actually knew the LORD in a personal relationship—religion without relationship; ritual without faith…

To Know is a Hebrew word that indicates personal intimacy…Hophni and Phinehas had a head knowledge of God but they had no heart-felt relationship with God…

I prefer to interpret this as indicating that Eli’s sons did not know or obey Yahweh…We can see this evidenced in the fruit of their lives.  If they had known God, then they would have desired to serve and please him.

Can you imagine two boys who had been reared in the church becoming adults who had no Love for God.  Familiarity has a tendency to breed contempt.  Thus it is easy to learn the words and rituals of religion without coming to love and understand God. 

The most important thing a parent could ever do is to pass along our faith to our children.  This is where Eli failed.  He passed his religion to his Sons.  But he never passed his faith.

1 Samuel 27 – 36.

27 Now a man of God came to Eli and said to him, "This is what the LORD says: 'Did I not clearly reveal myself to your father's house when they were in Egypt under Pharaoh?

28 I chose your father out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod in my presence. I also gave your father's house all the offerings made with fire by the Israelites.

29 Why do you scorn my sacrifice and offering that I prescribed for my dwelling? Why do you honor your sons more than me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every offering made by my people Israel?'

30 "Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: 'I promised that your house and your father's house would minister before me forever.' But now the LORD declares: 'Far be it from me! Those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disdained.

31 The time is coming when I will cut short your strength and the strength of your father's house, so that there will not be an old man in your family line

32 and you will see distress in my dwelling. Although good will be done to Israel, in your family line there will never be an old man.

33 Every one of you that I do not cut off from my altar will be spared only to blind your eyes with tears and to grieve your heart, and all your descendants will die in the prime of life.

34 "'And what happens to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will be a sign to you-- they will both die on the same day.

35 I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who will do according to what is in my heart and mind. I will firmly establish his house, and he will minister before my anointed one always.

36 Then everyone left in your family line will come and bow down before him for a piece of silver and a crust of bread and plead, "Appoint me to some priestly office so I can have food to eat."'"

(NIV)

Then, we learn through the words of an unnamed prophet that Eli’s house had, by its own actions, proved itself unworthy of continuing in its priestly office.

In the prophet’s speech, the use of the plural pronoun “you” (ya’ll) indicates that Eli was implicated in some sense in the sins of Hophni and Phinehas.  Eli faced the same judgment his sons faced.

The Scripture describes one moment when Eli condemned their sins, but it was too little, too late.  There may have been a time when Eli’s words might have changed things, but that time is long past.  Eli was too old.  Hophni and Phinehas were too old.  Eli waited until he was “very old.”  It is too late to try to train a child if you wait until he begins to stray—must begin at birth, or sooner.

On one hand, it seems that Eli was punished for the sins committed by his sons.  But that is not a view supported by the rest of Scripture.  The Bible teaches that every man and woman must give an account for his or her own sins.  Therefore, Eli did not bear responsibility for the sins of his sons!  He was judged for his own sin—honoring his sons more than the LORD (v. 29). 

By permitting his sons to appropriate the best of every kind of sacrifice, Eli honored them more than the LORD. 

Samuel and His Sons

As we compare and contrast the rise of Samuel and the decline of Eli, we recognize that Samuel is God’s chosen.  God has a special plan and ministry set aside for Samuel.  Surely this righteous, obedient, God-called man does not have the same kinds of trouble with his family that rebellious and disobedient Eli had?  Yet, in 1 Samuel 8, we read about the same kinds of problems…

1 Samuel 8: 1 – 3

1 When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges for Israel.

2 The name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah, and they served at Beersheba.

3 But his sons did not walk in his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice.

(NIV)

These verses show us that Eli and Samuel had something in common that we often overlook.  They were both spiritual leaders who were used by God to help the nation of Israel through a difficult time…But their children did not turn out very well.  Just as Eli’s sons Hophni and Phinehas became priests just like their father, so Samuel’s sons Joel and Abijah became judges just like their father.  And just like Hophni and Phinehas, Joel and Abijah were wicked judges who did not remind the people of their righteous father.

But there is one thing that Eli and Samuel do not have in common.  Eli faced God’s judgment for the sins of his family.  Yet, when we read the rest of 1 Samuel and the rest of the Bible, we discover that there was never a negative word written about Samuel…And Samuel was never held accountable for the sins of his family.

So, what is the difference?  How can God judge Eli, but let Samuel off the hook?  I think the key to understanding this mystery is found in two little words in 1 Samuel 8: 3…The Bible says that Samuel’s sons TURNED ASIDE and did not walk in their father’s ways.

In order to say that Joel and Abijah Turned Aside, we must agree that there was a time when they were headed in the right direction.  There was a time when they were walking in their father’s ways, when they were following in Samuel’s footsteps and obeying the Word of the Lord.  Then, when they were old enough to decide for themselves, they freely chose to Turn Aside from what was right and to go in a wrong direction.

Samuel was in a very familiar position as a parent.  He had done everything he could possibly do to rear his children in godly ways.  And while they were under his roof, they were in church every time the doors were open.  They were in VBS, sang in the children’s choir, went on all the youth trips…They were even officers in the FCA at Ramah Christian school.

But when Samuel appointed Joel and Abijah as judges over Israel, it was a different story.  That is when things began to change.  The power that came with being a judge brought pressure and temptations.  Joel and Abijah gave in to temptation and began to sell their decisions to the highest bidder.  Of course, Samuel had the same opportunities and temptations that they had, but Samuel had resisted them.  As the Bible says, Joel and Abijah Turned Aside and did not walk in their father’s ways.

This passage is very frightening to pastors and church leaders who worry about how their children will turn out.  It just goes to show that we can do everything possible to rear godly children, but when they are out of our care, they make their own choices.

II.                  Conclusion: Are Parents Responsible When Children Stray?

Are Parents Responsible When Children Stray?

We have two biblical examples of parents whose children went astray.  In one case, God held the parent accountable for the sins of the children.  In the other case, God only held the sinner accountable.  What is the difference?

Samuel was a parent who did everything he could possibly do to rear godly children.  As long as Joel and Abijah were under his roof, they walked in their father’s ways.  When they moved off on their own, they Turned Aside.  Some of you here today need that word of encouragement.  You have adult children who are not living like you trained them to live.  If so, I want you to know that you cannot make choices for your children and you are not alone. 

Eli was a parent who knew about the sins his children were committing and did nothing.  Eli let his children get away with sin.  He never stood up to their behavior.  And no matter what Hophni and Phinehas did, Eli took their side, defending them even defending them against God himself.  Therefore, God punished Eli.

Some of you here today need that word of warning and call for a change.  If your children are actively involved in a lifestyle of sin while under your roof, and you do nothing…Then Eli is your example.  God will hold you accountable for their sinful choices.  

The Unpardonable Sin

The Unpardonable Sin
Mark 3: 20 – 35.

Introduction.

We don’t like to rank sins.  This puts us in good company with other Protestant Christians.  In fact, this is one of the differences between Protestant and Catholic theologies.

In Catholic theology, there are basically two types of sins.  There are venial sins, which can be forgiven.  Then, there are mortal sins, which can be forgiven but are just a little bit harder to forgive.  A person who commits a mortal sin is required to confess that sin and all the accompanying details of the sin to a priest and then perform acts of penance.  Unless, of course, the sinner dies before confessing and performing penance.  In that case, the person’s soul goes immediately to Hell.

The difference between venial sins and mortal sins is not exactly precise.  A mortal sin is defined as a sin which is “grave” in nature and has been committed in full knowledge that it was a sin.  A mortal sin separates the sinner from God.  A venial sin is not “grave” in nature and was not committed in full knowledge…therefore, it represents only a “partial loss of Grace” and does not break fellowship / relationship with God.

Protestant theology—beginning with Martin Luther’s 95 Theses he posted on the door of the church in Wittenberg—rejects the Catholic system of confession and penance.  Instead, we believe every individual has the freedom and responsibility to confess their sins directly to Jesus, with no need of an intermediary priest to hear our confessions and pronounce our forgiveness.

We also reject the Catholic idea of mortal and venial sins.  Instead, we believe that all sin separates us from God.  Some sins are more effective at completely destroying your life and relationship with other people.  But, all sins effectively separate us from God.  There is no such thing as a small sin.

But, if we take the Bible seriously…we need to pay attention to something Jesus said about an eternal sin.  We usually refer to this as the Unpardonable Sin.

Mark 3: 28 – 29, “I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them.  But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin (NIV).”

In one sense, we can say that Jesus was very specific in describing the Unpardonable Sin.  He tells us that whoever “blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven.”  But, that raises a whole list of other questions for us.  Our primary question is: What is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit?

One way to answer this question is to define the terms “blasphemy” and “Holy Spirit.” 

The Holy Spirit is the eternal Spirit of God.  The Spirit was present with God in the act of creation—hovering over the emptiness and breathing life into the first human beings.  The Spirit descended on Jesus at his baptism and empowered Jesus to accomplish his ministry as well as his crucifixion and resurrection.  The Spirit is the gift of God, who was promised by Jesus and later given to all believers at the Day of Pentecost.  The Spirit empowered the early Christians and continues to empower us to live the kind of life God wants us to live and enables us to do the ministries God has called us to do.  God has not left us powerless.

In a general sense, “blasphemy” means the same thing as “slander.”  In this sense, it means to use “abusive speech” about other people—to speak disparagingly of others or even to tell outright lies about others.  In a more technical sense, it refers to taking the Lord’s name in vain, making a claim to be equal to God, or even denying the saving power of God.

I am not sure that defining these terms helps us out very much, since Jesus refers to a very specific form of blasphemy—blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.  That leads me to believe we need to look at Jesus’ comments in context of what was taking place when Jesus named the Unpardonable Sin.

Mark 3: 20 – 35.

20 Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat.

21 When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, "He is out of his mind."

22 And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, "He is possessed by Beelzebub! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons."

23 So Jesus called them and spoke to them in parables: "How can Satan drive out Satan?

24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.

25 If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.

26 And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come.

27 In fact, no one can enter a strong man's house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can rob his house.

28 I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them.

29 But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin."

30 He said this because they were saying, "He has an evil spirit."

31 Then Jesus' mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him.

32 A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, "Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you."

33 "Who are my mother and my brothers?" he asked.

34 Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, "Here are my mother and my brothers!

35 Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother."

(NIV)

This is the first time in the Gospel of Mark where we encounter Mark’s “sandwich technique.”  He begins by telling a story, then interrupts the story with another story, and then returns to finish the original story.  In this example, Mark tells us that Jesus’ family left their hometown of Nazareth to come to Capernaum where Jesus was teaching and healing the sick.  Before Jesus’ family arrive in Capernaum, Jesus gets into a controversy with the Pharisees.  Then, Mark finishes the sandwich by telling us Jesus’ family arrived.

Whenever Mark uses this “sandwich technique,” he is telling us that the two stories have something in common.  Therefore, we should read the stories together and interpret them together.  They should not be separated.

Jesus’ Family.

When Mark introduced Jesus’ family, he didn’t tell us exactly who he was talking about.  We have to read the very end of the story to discover it was Jesus’ mother and brothers.  But Mark did tell us why they traveled from Nazareth to Capernaum.  They wanted to arrest Jesus—to physically take control of him—because they believed Jesus was out of his mind.

It is easy for us to judge Mary, James, Jude and the others at this point, because we have a luxury they did not have.  We know about the crucifixion and resurrection.  We know that Jesus is the fulfillment of Israel’s hope in a coming Messiah.  But, they did not know.

All they knew is that Jesus had left the family carpentry business.  It is possible that Joseph had died, and they expected Jesus to take over in his place as the first born son.

All they knew is that Jesus was preaching about the Kingdom of God.  Crowds of people were attracted to Jesus, but the religious leaders were not.  In fact, the religious leaders were becoming more and more hostile toward Jesus.  More than likely, the family knew this would lead to serious consequences for Jesus.  He could be executed for preaching instead of working as a carpenter.

This leads me to believe one of two things was going through the mind of Jesus’ family.  Either, they wanted to protect Jesus, or they were trying to protect the family.  If they were trying to protect Jesus, then they wanted Jesus to stop preaching so that he could live.  If they were trying to protect the family, they wanted Jesus to stop preaching so they would not be embarrassed by what he was doing.  (Of course, if Jesus were to be executed, they would have been even more embarrassed.)

Whatever their motivation…Jesus’ family wanted him to stop.

Teachers of the Law.

Mark tells us that teachers of the Law had traveled from Jerusalem to check Jesus out.  These men did not come so they could learn from Jesus or to repent and become disciples.  More than likely, they represented an official investigation.

Word about Jesus, his teaching about the Kingdom of God, and his miracles had spread to the religious capitol.  Therefore, the religious leaders needed to investigate to see for themselves what was going on.

These religious leaders did more than just investigate.  They made an immediate judgment about Jesus and his ministry.  They thought Jesus was possessed by a demon.

In fact, they gave the name of the demon.  It was Beelzeboul, the prince of all demons.  This is a reference to Satan himself.

One of the things Mark wants us to learn about Jesus through reading his Gospel is that Jesus is the Son of God.  Mark tells us in the very first verse that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.  Then, Mark tells us about what happened at Jesus’ baptism.  The Spirit descended in the form of a dove and a voice from Heaven said, “This is my Son.”  At the end of Mark, a Roman soldier stood at the foot of the cross and watched Jesus die.  His immediate response was, “Surely this man was the Son of God.”  Since this was the only human to confess Jesus as the Son of God in Mark, I believe it makes a theological point.  The cross is the only way to know who Jesus really is. 

Until the cross no human recognized Jesus as the Son of God.  But, the demons recognized him.  Whenever Jesus encountered a demon in the Gospel of Mark, the demons bowed down to him.  They confessed, “I know who you are” and showed reverence to Jesus.  But Jesus would not let the demons tell others about his true identity.

Since Jesus had demonstrated power over demons, and since the demons recognized Jesus and bowed down to him, the religious leaders assumed Jesus was using the power of Satan to cast out demons.

Jesus told the teacher of the Law how ridiculous this idea is by telling two parables.

In the first parable, Jesus described an internal struggle within the kingdom of Satan.  If Satan is casting out demons, then his kingdom is doomed to fail.  Satan wants to take control over people’s lives.  He wants to distract people away from God’s will and ways.  He wants to lead people into destructive lifestyles, defined by continuing in a life of sin.  He wants to do to us what he did to Adam and Eve—(Genesis 3: 4 – 5, “’You will not surely die,’ the serpent said to the woman.  ‘For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil’ (NIV).”)  According to Jesus, if Satan is casting out his own demons, then Satan’s kingdom is losing ground.  It will be defeated by a civil war.

In the second parable, Jesus described an external threat to Satan and his kingdom.  The only way to rob a strong man is for a stronger man to overpower him and tie him up.  In this parable, Satan is the strong man, and Jesus is the stronger man who has already tied up Satan.  Now, the kingdom of Satan is under attack.  Satan’s kingdom is losing ground, because the Kingdom of God is advancing into enemy territory.

Notice that the religious leaders do not question that Jesus has the power to cast out demons.  They question where that power comes from.  That is why Jesus told two parables in order to set up a choice between two options.  Either Satan is fighting against himself, or Jesus is defeating Satan from the outside.  Since it is ridiculous to think of Satan fighting against himself, we are left to believe that Jesus is defeating Satan by the power of God—the Holy Spirit at work in him.

Jesus’ True Family.

When Jesus’ family finally arrives in Capernaum, they cannot get to Jesus.  Jesus is in the house.  The crowd is too large.  The family cannot get in the house.  All they can do is send a message to Jesus.

I believe Mark wants us to see a difference between the crowd and Jesus’ family.  The crowd is gathered around Jesus.  The family is left on the outside looking in.  Jesus says that the ones gathered around him are his true family.  Those on the outside are not a part of Jesus’ family.

At this point, I think we are supposed to draw a comparison between Jesus’ biological family and the religious leaders from Jerusalem.  Both the family and the religious leaders are on the outside looking in.  Why are they on the outside?  They are outside, because they have made similar accusations against Jesus.  His family said he was “out of his mind.”  The religious leaders said Jesus was possessed by a demon.  It is possible that these two accusations mean the same thing.  In the ancient world, people who were “out of their minds” were typically believed to be possessed by a demon.

There is one more similarity between Jesus’ family and the religious leaders.  They both tried to stop Jesus.  His family tried to stop Jesus by physically taking him back home to Nazareth.  The religious leaders tried to stop Jesus by turning the crowds against him.  They thought no one would continue to follow Jesus if they could discredit him by accusing him of demon possession.

Mark is telling us that the old sources of power do not provide special advantages in the Kingdom of God.  The ancient Jews placed a high value on their nationality, their religion, their family of origin and their standing in the community.  Jesus places a higher value on the work of God, which is empowered by the Holy Spirit.  The person who acknowledges the work of the Spirit is on the inside with Jesus.  The person who depends on their nationality, religion, family of origin or social standing is left on the outside looking in.

I don’t believe Jesus wanted his family and the religious leaders to remain on the outside.  In fact, I think Jesus actually left the door open for both his family and the religious leaders to come in and become a part of Jesus’ true family.  Notice Jesus’ last words in this section: “Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

“Whoever” means that anyone can become a part of Jesus’ true family.  All they had to do was acknowledge that Jesus is doing God’s work and join him in doing the same.

Conclusion.

Ultimately the Unpardonable Sin is rejecting Jesus and trying to stop his work in the world.  To reject Jesus is to reject God’s saving Grace which was demonstrated in the words and actions of Jesus.

There are two ways a person can commit the Unpardonable Sin…personally and publicly.

Jesus’ family demonstrates the personal side.  They willfully rejected that Jesus is the Son of God and Israel’s promised Messiah.  Therefore, they were blind and deaf to the Holy Spirit’s call.

The religious leaders demonstrate the public side.  They did everything in their power to turn other people against Jesus.  They could not even recognize the difference between good and evil.  They said the good work of Jesus was evil.  They claimed their evil works were good.  They challenged and sabotaged the activity of the Holy Spirit.

If you are worried that you might have committed the Unpardonable Sin, you can stop worrying.  The person who has committed the Unpardonable Sin does so without any sense of guilt or remorse.  That person has so rejected the work of the Holy Spirit that he or she does not believe in the difference between good and evil.  They don’t even believe they have sinned. 

All Out Christians

John 3: 1 – 21

Introduction.

One of my favorite times of the year is the annual used book sale at the Kurth Memorial Library.  I enjoy reading, but I love books…especially when I can buy books for about $1 apiece!  This year, I went to the book sale on Thursday, Friday AND Saturday.  I don’t think I spent more than $30, but I was able to pick up several books that I probably wouldn’t have paid full price for.

One of the books I bought this year was the Pulitzer Prize winning biography of President Harry Truman—written by David McCullough.  The book is 993 pages long, and so far I have read about the first 600 pages.  (I’m still reading it in case anyone wants to borrow it from me.)

Before I started reading Truman’s biography, there were only three things I knew about Harry Truman.  I knew he was the only president to use an atomic bomb in war.  I knew he was associated with the phrase “the buck stops here.”  And, I remember seeing the picture of him holding the newspaper with the headline “Dewey Defeats Truman.”

I didn’t know the story of how he became President of the United States.  In 1944, Harry Truman had served as US Senator from Missouri for 12 years.  During this same 12 years, Franklin Roosevelt had been President of the United States for three terms.  In 1944, Roosevelt decided to run for a fourth term as President, but the Democratic Party was not happy with his current Vice President.  At the 1944 Democratic National Convention, Harry Truman was selected to run as Franklin Roosevelt’s Vice President.  They were elected in the November election.

Harry Truman served as Vice President from January 20, 1945 until April 12, 1945.  At 5:00 on April 12, Truman received a phone call from the White House Chief of Staff telling him to come to the White House immediately.  (He received this call in Sam Rayburn’s office.)

Not knowing why he was called to the White House, Truman went so quickly that his Secret Service detail could not keep up with him.  He entered the White House and was taken to a room where the Chief of Staff and Eleanor Roosevelt were waiting for him.  The Chief of Staff said, “Harry, the President is dead.”  Truman took Mrs. Roosevelt by the hand and said, “I am so sorry Mrs. Roosevelt.  Is there anything I can do for you?”  Mrs. Roosevelt said, “No, Harry.  Is there anything we can do for you?  You are the one in trouble.”

For the next two hours, the White House staff made phone calls to assemble all the members of the President’s Cabinet.  The Cabinet gathered in the White House at 7:00 to swear in Harry Truman as the next President.  That is when they realized they needed a Bible and began frantically searching for a Bible in the White House.

Fortunately, one of the White House ushers kept a Gideon’s Bible in his desk drawer.  And, at 7:09 on April 12, 1945, Harry Truman was sworn in as President with his hand on a Gideon’s Bible.

Have you ever been in a situation like that?  Harry Truman had only been Vice President for two and a half months.  Now, he was expected to be President of the United States while the country was involved in a world-wide war.  He was inexperienced and woefully unprepared for the job he was expected to perform.

None of us have ever been asked to serve as President of the United States.  But, in many ways…this is what the Christian life is like.  We are imperfect human beings.  We are sinners who are separated from God by our own sins and weaknesses.  We are burdened by our own sinful nature and wholly incapable of living up to the standards God expects us to live.  But, we are not without help.  God has given us the resources we need to meet God’s standards.  These resources are best described by a phrase that is very familiar to us: “You must be born again.”

John 3: 1 – 21.

1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council.

2 He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him."

3 In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."

4 "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!"

5 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.

6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.

7 You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.'

8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."

9 "How can this be?" Nicodemus asked.

10 "You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus, "and do you not understand these things?

11 I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony.

12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?

13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven-- the Son of Man.

14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,

15 that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.

16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.

19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.

20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."

(NIV)

Most of the time when we read this passage, we focus our attention on one of two things.  Either we focus on verse 16, or we focus on the character, Nicodemus.  When we do this, we make this a passage about evangelism only.  But, there is more than just evangelism in this Scripture.

John 3: 16.

One of the reasons we typically focus on John 3: 16 in this passage is because this verse contains a very memorable summary of the Gospel.  It would be a meaningful exercise to analyze every word of this verse to discover the rich truth of the Gospel. 

Perhaps you have never thought about this before, but there is more than one way John 3: 16 has been interpreted by Christian people through the ages.  It is proof that all of us come to the Scriptures with preunderstandings and often press the Bible into our understanding of God instead of allowing the Bible to shape our understanding of God.

Some people come from a Calvinist point of view.  They read John 3: 16 and focus on God’s action in salvation.  For a Calvinist, John 3: 16 confirms that God is the one who loves and God is the one who gave his only Son.

Other people come from an Arminian point of view and focus on two completely different concepts.  They will concentrate on the word “world” and the phrase “whosoever believes.”  For an Arminian, John 3: 16 confirms that God loves all people and salvation is available to “whosoever believes.”

Since all of these concepts appear in one verse of Scripture, I think it is safe to say that the Calvinist interpretation and the Arminian are only half right in their interpretation.  It is true that God is the one who took the initiative to bring salvation as a result of his love.  It is true that God is the principal actor in salvation, because he gave his only Son.  But, it is also true that God loved the world and makes his salvation available to whosoever believes.  Therefore, I think we are missing the point when we isolate any one of these concepts from the others.  There is a mysterious tension between God’s work of salvation and whosoever believes.

Jesus demonstrates this by reminding us of an Old Testament story from Numbers 21.  While Moses and the Israelites were wandering in the wilderness for 40 years, the people were disobedient.  As a result, God sent a plague of poisonous snakes.  People who were bitten by the snakes died in the wilderness.

When the people recognized that the snakes came as a result of their disobedience, they confessed their sins and asked Moses to pray for them.  Moses prayed to God, and God provided a remedy.  God instructed Moses to build a bronze snake and stand it up on a pole in the middle of the camp.  Anyone who had been bitten by a snake could look at the bronze snake and live.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t like snakes.  I would be genuinely freaked out by poisonous snakes invading the camp.  Snakes in the tents…Snakes in the walkways… Snakes everywhere you look.  I would be so freaked out by the snakes that the absolute last thing I would want to look at would be a bronze snake on a pole.  But, this was God’s way for the people to be saved.  It was God’s way of giving them life.

It doesn’t have to make sense to us or even seem like a good idea.  The most important part of the story is that God provided the way.  The people could live as long as they followed God’s instructions to look at the bronze snake. 

In the same way, God has provided a way for us to be saved.  God loved us so much that he sent his only Son, Jesus.  Jesus was lifted up on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins and the means of a new covenant relationship with God.  God’s salvation is available to whosoever believes and looks to the cross of Jesus.

You Must Be Born Again.

This is what Jesus was describing to Nicodemus in verse 3 and verse 7 when he said, “You must be born again.”

You and I have heard the words “born again” so often that we don’t realize how confusing they sound to some people.  Nicodemus was hearing the phrase for the first time and demonstrates that confusion.  He thought Jesus was suggesting that he enter into his mother’s womb a second time in order to experience a second physical birth.  But Jesus wasn’t talking about a second physical birth.  Jesus was referring to a spiritual birth.

We see this in the way Jesus set up a contrast between water and spirit and flesh and spirit in verses 5 – 8:

Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.  Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.  You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You (ya’ll) must be born again.'  The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."  (NIV)

Jesus said that a person must have two births…born of water / flesh…born of Spirit.  Or, we might say a person must have a natural birth and a supernatural birth.

Water = Natural Birth…Does NOT refer to Baptism…This is a use of an ancient understanding of Water as a symbol for fertility…especially male fertility…It’s like Jesus is comparing the role of the earthly father and the Spirit…Perhaps we should say, Begotten Again…Since the word Beget or Begotten refers to the father’s role in the birth of a baby…

Spirit = Supernatural Birth…Or, Born Again…Or, Begotten Again…I see in this a reference to the original Creation in Genesis…Therefore, this is a NEW Creation…By yourself, you are flesh and you can never be more than you already are…You CANNOT change yourself…

Flesh begets Flesh…Spirit begets Spirit…A person who will inherit eternal life in heaven is a person who has been Begotten by both an earthly father and a Spiritual / Heavenly Father…

There can be no evolution from Flesh to Spirit…Not everyone who has a natural life can have a spiritual life…You must be begotten by the Spirit of God…

This leads me to believe that the key to understanding John’s term “Born Again” is the Spirit…And notice what Jesus had to say about the Spirit in verse 8…

You cannot stop the wind…It cannot be captured or contained…You cannot predict the movements of the wind…You can only see where it has been…The effects of the wind…

The Greek word for wind can be translated as wind, breath or Spirit…It is the word pneuma…This is the root of our English word “pneumatic”—which means “operated by air pressure”—and the English word “pneumonia”—which is a disease of the lungs or respiratory tract. 

Jesus is making a play on the Greek word pneuma and two of its meanings… Just as the pneuma blows wherever it wants…So it is with everyone born of the pneuma…

Just as the wind is a mystery, so is the Spirit.  God’s Holy Spirit cannot be grasped, contained, captured or controlled.  The Spirit cannot be predicted, anticipated or manipulated to do certain things.  The Spirit can only be seen by the ways he affects our lives and the lives of others…

There are a lot of things in life that I do not understand:  T.V…Car…Medicine…Yet we use these things daily…

Imagine how silly it would be to say that you will not take your medicine unless you understand exactly how it works in your body…

Medicine is like the Spirit…Just as it is better to experience the healing power of medicine, than to understand how medicine works…It is better to experience the power and guidance of the Spirit of God, than to understand how the Spirit works…

The Life of the Spirit.

Look at the way Jesus concludes his speech to Nicodemus in verses 19 – 21:

This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.  Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.  But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." (NIV)

Jesus concludes his speech with Nicodemus with a strange reference to darkness and light.  If we aren’t careful, we might be tempted to think Jesus is changing the subject.  But he is not changing the subject!  Remember what we read in verse 2 about Nicodemus?  Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a member of the ruling class.  He came to Jesus AT NIGHT.

Nicodemus was a good and admirable man.  He was extremely religious and probably went to church every time the doors were open.  He probably knew more about the Old Testament than all of us combined.  Not only did he know the Old Testament, he meticulously kept every commandment in the Old Testament.  He was probably even a member of a wealthy family and lived the good life only money can provide.  He was “good” in every sense of the word “good.”  But, Nicodemus still lived in darkness.

The only way Nicodemus could move from darkness to light is to experience a new spiritual birth.  This is not like the physical birth he received from his mother and father.  It is not like the religious path he was on—trying to make himself good by the good things he could do for God. 

Instead, it is the work of God in us.  Yes.  You must be born of the Spirit.  But that is not all.  You must also live by the power of the Spirit—daily yielding yourself to the power of God so that the things you do can be seen by all…And all will know it is God working in and through you.  It is not your own goodness or abilities.

Conclusion.

                The story is told about the Christian church on the island of Madagascar.  When a person presents themselves to be baptized, the pastor asks a question.  What first led you to think of becoming a Christian? 

                Perhaps you would expect a new Christian to say they felt led to become a Christian through evangelistic preaching.  But that is not what most people say.  Most people say, “I knew this man to be a thief; that one was a drunkard; another was very cruel and unkind to his family. Now they are all changed. The thief is an honest man; the drunkard is sober and respectable; and the other is gentle and kind in his home. There must be something in a religion that can work such changes.”

                On one hand, none of us is capable of making that kind of change in our lives.  It is only the Spirit of God working in and through us.  On the other hand, if the world doesn’t see a change in the ways we live our lives, they will never be interested in our religious views / faith / church.  They will simply think our God does not change lives.