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Good  morning – I am preaching from the pulpit this morning rather than in the aisle. Not, as Harvie said, because I want to be above contradiction but because one of my rules as a teacher was to make sure you could see the whole class. No pupils behind you out of range, especially the naughty ones. It’s a good rule.

There is another rule that is appropriate for today: the rule of Three – a rule I only learned about formally on a creative writing course some years ago. I wasn’t one of the high flyers on the course as my scientific background didn’t lead to great feats of creative imagination. But I learned a lot about writing articles, poems and short stories from a popular published author.

Rule of three

Although I am never going to be a Conan Doyle, an Anne Cleeves, or even an Enid Blyton, some of the advice has been enormously useful in writing sermons. In particular the rule of three – which is a writing principle that suggests that a trio of entities such as events, phrases or characters is more humorous, satisfying or effective than other numbers. Slogans, film titles fairy stories, nursery rhymes have all deployed this tactic. In fairy tales, Goldilocks and the three bears, Three Billy goats gruff, Nursery rhymes, three blind mice. And novels, The Three Musketeers.

It’s there in history too. Julius Caesar is thought to have said Veni, vidi vici – I came I saw I conquered. In political life, the French Republic has Liberte, fraternity and egality. And the Americans have government of the people, by the people, for the people. I have even heard Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer using the same ploy already in electioneering.

This year we will hear the motto of the Olympics: Faster, Higher, Stronger and in advertising what would Rice Krispies be without snap, crackle and pop.

Triads

These are called triads and the Bible has its fair share of them. In the Old Testament Noah had three sons, Shem, Ham and Japhet. Shadra, Mishak and Abendigo were thrown into the lion’s den with Daniel. In the New Testament, the wise men brought three gifts: Gold, frankincense and myrrh. Note I am not saying there were three wise men, just three gifts. Jesus was tempted three times. In the parable of the talents, three servants were given gifts. Peter betrayed Jesus three times and of course there is that famous phrase: Faith Hope and Love in St Paul’s letter to the Corinthians.

Today we celebrate the greatest Biblical triad, Father, Son and Holy Spirit – the trinity. You will have realised over the years that I am no great shakes as a theologian and there is much theological debate about the threefold nature of God and I have heard many interpretations of it, The three leaves of a clover or shamrock, the three parts of an egg even three parts of a bottle opener -all essential parts of the whole. I am happy to accept that these are the three facets of God each with its own part to play in our journeys of faith.

Nicodemus

One part of that Trinity features strongly in our gospel reading. A man called Nicodemus comes to Jesus in the night. Who was Nicodemus and why did he come to Jesus in the night?

Nicodemus  was a teacher and a Pharisee, which meant he was one of a select group of Jews  – a brotherhood who took a pledge in front of three witnesses that they would spend all their lives observing every detail of scribal law. He was also a member of the Sanhedrin which was a court of seventy members and was the supreme court of the Jews.

Although the powers of the Sanhedrin were restricted under Roman governance, they were still extensive and one of their tasks was to examine and deal with anyone suspected of being a false prophet.  The Sanhedrin were indeed the law enforcers and could exact strong punishment on those who broke them.

Rule breaker

By the time of our reading, Jesus had become quite the law breaker. He had been performing miracles, overthrowing tables in the temple, preaching new ideas, gaining influence with the people and attracting many followers. People began to talk about this unorthodox Rabbi Jesus, who was certainly different, challenging accepted practices and becoming quite a threat to  the established religious system.

The Sanhedrin would certainly have heard about him and would have been watching him and noting his activities carefully and with interest and apprehension.

It is amazing that Nicodemus came to Jesus at all.

Apprehensive

Obviously, he had heard of Jesus and his teaching and was curious.  But it is significant that he went to Jesus at night. Perhaps he was afraid of being seen with Jesus. Apprehensive that his colleagues would disapprove of him consorting with this radical teacher.  We cannot be sure, but he obviously wanted to see Jesus alone.  He had obviously thought deeply about  the works of Jesus, for he asserts that Jesus must have come from God to accomplish such things.  And then Jesus tells him that no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above – other translations say ‘born again’.

Nicodemus takes the statement literally and asks unsurprisingly: “How can someone be born after growing  old?” You can see his mind working – that is just not possible  – how can someone re-enter their mother’s womb? And Jesus recognises his amazement.

He attempts to explain that being born again is to be born of water and of the Spirit. Jesus explains that the Spirit is like the wind – you can’t see it but you can see what it does.

Power of the wind

We often watch the programme about the RNLI – the lifeboat service – and it is only too apparent what happens to the sea when the wind becomes fierce.  The  power of the wind is amazing and its effects can be life changing. And likewise when people allow the Spirit to enter their lives they can be changed in ways they never thought possible. They become changed people, new people – they are indeed born again. The most obvious example is Saul who became Saint Paul but there have been millions of others through the ages whose lives have been similarly transformed.

Nicodemus still does not understand, although he would have been familiar with the concept of the influence of the Spirit of God, as it is told in the Old Testament, most notably by Ezekiel, who says: “A new heart I will give you and spirit I will put in you.” But still he is apprehensive, unconvinced.  And now it sounds as if Jesus is getting a little irritated. Nicodemus, you are a teacher of Israel, you are a learned man and yet you do not understand. Perhaps he didn’t want to understand. As my mother would have said there is none so deaf as those who do not want to hear.

Well placed

Nicodemus, as an orthodox Jew, a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin must have thought that he was well placed to see the kingdom of God. He had the very best credentials, he had devoted his life to studying the Torah was more qualified that most to find favour with God.  He had amassed a great number of loyalty points.  Was all his hard work and experience to count for nothing?  To be born again should not be necessary for him.

And even worse, did this mean that those who were not Jews, who were not descendants of Abraham would be able to see the kingdom of God as long as they were born again. Was the kingdom of God open to everyone? Surely that couldn’t be right.

Nicodemus was trying to get an academic explanation but Jesus tells him that to experience the Spirit is what is necessary. Discussing the Spirit is all well and good but experiencing the power and effect in real lives is infinitely more valuable. Jesus says I am telling you about things we have seen and you are not accepting them. If that is the case, how will you possibly accept things that you have not seen?

Love and forgiveness

Jesus then relates a story with which Nicodemus would be very familiar.  One in which God’s love and forgiveness to all was revealed through Moses to the Israelites. I am not going into great detail .

I think by now Nicodemus may have had some idea what Jesus was trying to tell him about the grace, forgiveness and love of God for all.

And then Jesus gives us one of the most famous verses in the Bible: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that everyone who believes on him may not perish but have eternal life.”

Gospel in a nutshell

My tutor on the writing course would be very proud of that verse. It certainly fulfils another of her maxims and boils the gospel down. In fact Martin Luther called it the “gospel in a nutshell”. Just as there are tours in Scandinavia called “Norway in a nutshell” which take people just to the most important sights, this verse encapsulates the most important message of the gospel.

God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that everyone who believes on him may not perish but have eternal life.

What is eternal life?  How do we find it?  I believe it is not something that just happens to us in the future, not just after we die although it does feature strongly in funeral services, but I believe it is a state of righteousness with God that comes after we are born again. When the Spirit enters our lives. It can be here and now and we can experience it because of God’s great love for us.

Born again?

So, what happened to Nicodemus – the man who came in the night? That’s a good title for a short story.

Was he born again? We aren’t told directly but he must have been changed by his meeting with Jesus for later on he defends him at a meeting with the Sanhedrin and after Jesus’ death takes his body from the cross and lovingly wraps it in spices and linen cloths.

Are we afraid?

But what has this story to say to us 2000 years later?

Firstly, I wonder if we like Nicodemus we are happier to meet Jesus in private to keep our faith to ourselves or at least within these walls rather than share it with others. Are we afraid of being associated, with him frightened of embarrassment or ridicule?

Secondly, do we like Nicodemus not want to understand what being born again means? Do we think we are alright with God, that our place in the kingdom is assured? After all we live mainly good lives, are charitable and come to church regularly. Isn’t that enough? Are we afraid of the power of the Holy Spirit and the change it may bring to our lives?

And thirdly and lastly (there we are triads again) do we believe and live according to that boiled down verse: “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that every one of us might have eternal life?”

Certain

The tutor on my writing course also recommended that when you began an article, speech or story having knowing at the beginning how you were going to finish was a good idea so that you didn’t ramble on.  How am I going to follow that advice – with this thought.

In the week to come may we go forth into the world certain of the faithfulness and love of God the Father, blessed by the salvation through Jesus the Son and empowered by the strength of the Holy Spirit to bring about God’s kingdom here on earth. Amen

“For God so loved” was based on John 3:1-17 and was delivered by Margery Spencer at Christ Church Walmersley on Trinity Sunday, 2024.