Some of his lifelong beliefs were being challenged.

He was being forced to see himself through another persons eyes.

And as a result, the mission and ministry of his life changed forever.

I read recently about two men sitting together on an airplane, on a long trip. As they introduced themselves, one man said to the other, "What do you do for a living?" "I am a minister, a pastor" the man said." "Oh" the first man said, with a tone of voice that indicated, 'This is going to be a long and boring flight'. He said: "Well, I don't believe in any of that religious stuff; it is all about myths and fairy tales." "Kid stuff like:
"Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so."
The pastor politely smiled then asked the other man what he did for a living. "I'm employed at the state university; I am an astronomer."

The minister replied, "Oh, I don't have much belief in the value of all that star gazing stuff." "It is all about wasting time and nursery rhymes." "You know, Kid stuff like:
"Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder where you are."
The scientist did not think that was very funny, but he got the point.

Sometimes we get so full of our own importance that we need another person's view of our situation to bring us back to reality.

Sometimes we need to have our faith and attitudes challenged.
I think that this was what was happening to Nocodemus.

Nicodemus went into his meeting with Jesus ready to confront Jesus about his theology, but it was Nicodemus who ended up having to re-think his relationship with God.

Nicodemus was having a crisis in faith; but the challenge to his faith led Nicodemus to a new understanding of his faith.
When Jesus told Nicodemus, "You need to be born in the Spirit" in order to truly be a part of the kingdom of God, it turned his world upside down.

Nicodemus thought, how could he not qualify for godliness?
Nicodemus did not know anyone who was any holier than himself!!
He was Hebrew, one of God's chosen people.

He was a Pharisee, the most holy group among the chosen people.

He was a member of the Sanhedrin, the leadership of the Pharisees.

He was a chosen leader, of the chosen group, of the chosen people.

He followed every one of the Ten Commandments & laws faithfully.

He prayed, he fasted, he paid his tithe; how could he not be blessed?

We have a Nicodemus problem today, in our own community.
The problem that Nicodemus presents us, is a problem that we face in our communities every day.

As we seek to share our faith with others, most of the people that we meet are like Nicodemus; they believe that they are blessed and holy just the way they are!!

Many times we find ourselves trying to explain the blessings of God to people who have no idea about what we are talking about!!

All they know is that whatever we are selling, they do not want to buy it, because it is likely to disrupt the lifestyle that they are living right now.

In our text today, Jesus confronts that problem with Nicodemus.

Jesus is explaining the New Covenant; but Nicodemus does not understand how this fits into God's plan for his life.

Nicodemus is perfectly happy with his place in the old covenant. (He is one of the leaders of the old covenant.)

The only thing that Nicodemus understands about this new teaching is that it is going to disrupt his lifestyle.

The only way that Jesus can help Nicodemus understand how this new concept is part of God's plan for him, is to start from where Nicodemus is at.

Jesus had to start at the place of Nicodemus's understanding.
Jesus had to explain the New Covenant by using an example from the Old Covenant.

That is why Jesus used the analogy of the serpent in the wilderness.

Nicodemus understood the story of serpent in the wilderness.
The journey though the wilderness was a foundation stone of Hebrew history and religion. Every Hebrew person understood it.

We read in Numbers 21 that the people were punished for their complaining against God and against Moses.

Their punishment was a plague of poisonous snakes.

The people repented of their complaining and they asked Moses to intercede with God to stop the infestation of poisonous snakes.

Moses ordered them to make a serpent out of bronze, and mount it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten shall look at it and be healed of their snake bites; they will look up at the snake and live.

The serpent, or snake, is a symbol of sin and evil.

God made the symbol of sin and evil into the vehicle for the people's healing. God showed His superior power over the evil beings.

Jesus made a comparison: "So must the Son of Man be lifted up."

And Nicodemus understood. Nicodemus understood that the snake on the pole under the Old Covenant is a representation of Jesus.

Jesus is the symbol of sin and evil on the cross, who becomes the vehicle for the healing of all mankind.

The truth of the Old Testament shines a light upon the New Testament. The truth of the law became the truth of Grace.
Sin and evil has lost it's power forever.

In the midst of the wilderness, we can look to Jesus on the cross, and the effects of the snake bites in our lives are healed forever.

Nicodemus understood that connection. He learned the lesson.
The lesson for us to learn this week is to notice the method that Jesus used to teach that lesson. The Jesus method is important.
Jesus did not tell Nicodemus that his knowledge of history was wrong; even though that was true.

Jesus did not tell Nicodemus that his interpretation of the scriptures was ignorant; even though that was true.

Jesus did not tell Nicodemus that his holy lifestyle was offensive to God; even though that was true.

Jesus entered the place where Nicodemus was, and He carried him to the place where God wanted him to be.

Jesus has called us to share our faith by that same method.
We are called to share the faith not by telling people how dumb their ideas are; or how corrupted their lives are, or how liberal & revisionist & fundamentalist their political views are.

We are called to share the faith by becoming an example of the faith.

By meeting people where they are, and carrying them to the place that God wants them to be.

Jesus speaks about bringing people out of darkness into the light.

But a sudden burst of bright light will sometimes cause a person to be blinded. It may cause a person to run back into the darkness.

We are not called to shine high-beam headlights into anybody's eyes.

We are called to strike a match, and use it to light the trail as we walk with our brothers and sisters along the rocky road of this life.

And as we walk that road, we should not be surprised when we discover that we too, have traveled out of darkness and into a new and glorious light.

AMEN