The gospel passage from the Revised Common Lectionary for Trinity Sunday, May 30th, John 3:1-17 says..
There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a Jewish leader. He came to Jesus at night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one could do these miraculous signs that you do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered, “I assure you, unless someone is born anew, it’s not possible to see God’s kingdom.” Nicodemus asked, “How is it possible for an adult to be born? It’s impossible to enter the mother’s womb for a second time and be born, isn’t it?” Jesus answered, “I assure you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, it’s not possible to enter God’s kingdom. Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit. Don’t be surprised that I said to you, ‘You must be born anew.’ God’s Spirit blows wherever it wishes. You hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. It’s the same with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus said, “How are these things possible?” “Jesus answered, “You are a teacher of Israel and you don’t know these things? I assure you that we speak about what we know and testify about what we have seen, but you don’t receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has gone up to heaven except the one who came down from heaven, the Human One. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so must the Human One be lifted up so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life. God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him won’t perish but will have eternal life. God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him.
John 3:16 is certainly one of the most well known passages in the Bible. It is memorized, quoted, and has provided many with comfort and assurance. It tells us the truth of God’s promises of eternal life. Yet, how is it that we receive this most important Bible verse— through a theological conversation at night time.
Jesus and Nicodemus converse together at night talking about some of the most important topics life has to offer. In his book, Preaching, Fred Craddock writes,
All activities after dark are quite unlike daytime events. One’s mind can focus on the differences by reflecting on experiences of day and night meals, day and night parties, day and night ball games, day and night concerts. think about it; “after dark” says a great deal about leaving home and getting to the church, going from the parking lot to the building, coming into light and security from the dark outside, not to mention dress and physical weariness after a day of activity.
I have often found that a nighttime conversation lends itself to more openness. One of the most powerful things about our ministry at the Wesley Foundation is students having conversations at nighttime about some of the most important topics life has to offer. These conversations have helped students discern their future vocation, where they stand theologically, and have created relationships that have lasted a lifetime.
Later in the gospel of John after Jesus has been placed in the tomb, Nicodemus reappears bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes weighing about a hundred pounds. This abundance brought from Nicodemus to honor Jesus displays just how important that relationship was to him and how impactful that nighttime conversation was. Out of their openness in dialogue and the love and respect that happened in that conversation we have been given the gift of John 3:16.
Perhaps when we, like Jesus and Nicodemus, are open with one another and discuss some of the most important topics life has to offer in love and respect, we will experience theological realities like “for God so loved the world.”