3-1-25 SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT

The liturgy opens with confession, absolution, and prayer, then moves into the Johannine account of Nicodemus. Nicodemus approaches Jesus by night, calls him Rabbi, and affirms the signs that accompany Jesus’ ministry. Jesus confronts Nicodemus with the necessity of rebirth: unless one is born of water and the Spirit, the kingdom of God remains unseen. The text contrasts flesh and Spirit, uses the wind as an image of the Spirit’s inscrutable work, and challenges religious confidence that mistakes ritual for renewal.

Scripture supplies a road map: ritual cleansing gestures toward deeper spiritual cleansing, but the heart’s condition requires the Spirit’s creative work. The bronze serpent episode in the wilderness functions as typology: a lifted sign brought life to those bitten, prefiguring Christ “lifted up” on the cross to reverse sin’s poison. John 3:16 centers the passage—God’s agape love sends the only Son so that faith will deliver eternal life rather than condemnation.

Baptism emerges as the concrete sign of rebirth and entrance into God’s family. Water and Word together bury the old nature and clothe the baptized with Christ’s righteousness; the sign of the cross recalls that baptismal reality. The sign on Calvary stands as the decisive traffic sign toward salvation—faith in the crucified and risen Christ grants life. The narrative closes by noting Nicodemus’ later action at Jesus’ burial, bringing costly spices and publicly participating in the Lord’s death and honor, evidence that the encounter bore fruit. Worship practices—making the sign of the cross, receiving the Lord’s Supper, and remembering baptism—function as recurrent reminders of rebirth and of the Spirit’s sustaining presence until the final coming. The liturgy concludes with thanksgiving, the Lord’s Supper, notices of fellowship, and a blessing that sends worshippers back into daily life under the peace of Christ.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Born of water and Spirit The phrase identifies baptism and the Spirit as the means of entry into God’s kingdom, not a replay of physical birth. Baptism unites water and Word to effect a decisive reorientation of identity: the old, flesh-bound life ends and a Spirit-formed life begins. This rebirth does not yield to human planning or merit; it requires faith to receive what the Spirit gives. [13:39]
• 2. Sin wounds the human condition Humanity’s default orientation toward flesh reveals a pervasive infection that ritual alone cannot erase. The confession and wilderness serpent illustrate that sin distorts desire and judgment, producing death unless met by divine remedy. Honest spiritual assessment exposes the need for a cure beyond human effort. [25:41]
• 3. The cross as the saving sign The lifted bronze serpent points forward to Christ lifted on the cross as the turning point for sin’s poison. The cross functions as a divine traffic sign: look in faith, and life follows. Atonement is not an abstract idea but a visible, enacted sign that heals and restores. [30:03]
• 4. Baptism marks rebirth and belonging Baptism buries the old nature and clothes the baptized with Christ’s righteousness, marking incorporation into God’s family. The sign of the cross at baptism and in daily devotion recalls that belonging depends on Christ’s work, not on human status or achievement. Ongoing life in the Spirit sustains the baptized until the last day. [31:08]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [04:58] - Confession and Absolution
• [12:40] - Gospel Acclamation
• [13:39] - Nicodemus: Born Again
• [19:20] - Lost Signs and Road Maps
• [24:10] - Baptism and Spiritual Rebirth
• [30:03] - The Cross as Sign of Salvation
• [31:08] - Baptismal Sign in Daily Life
• [32:04] - God’s Agape Love (John 3:16)
• [34:01] - Nicodemus at the Tomb
• [35:30] - Invitation to the Lord’s Table
• [47:05] - Great Thanksgiving and Doxology
• [64:33] - Announcements and Fellowship
• [68:49] - Blessing and Dismissal

Bible reading
John 3:1–15 (ESV)
Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus answered him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.”

Observation questions

1. What time of day did Nicodemus come to Jesus, and what might that suggest about his intentions or fears?
2. How does Jesus respond to Nicodemus’s statement about signs, and what does He say is necessary to see the kingdom of God? [13:39]
3. What Old Testament event does Jesus refer to when explaining how the Son of Man must be “lifted up”?
4. What change do we see in Nicodemus’s actions later in John’s Gospel? [34:01]

Interpretation questions

1. Why might Nicodemus, a respected teacher, have struggled to understand the concept of being “born again”? [23:11]
2. Jesus uses the wind as a metaphor for the Spirit’s work. What does this reveal about how God’s grace operates in a person’s life?
3. How does the story of the bronze serpent in the wilderness help explain the meaning and purpose of Jesus’ death on the cross? [30:03]
4. In what way does baptism serve as both a sign and a means of spiritual rebirth? [31:08]

Application questions

1. Like Nicodemus, people sometimes seek God secretly or with hesitation. When have you hesitated to openly seek or express faith, and what helped you move toward greater openness?
2. Jesus says that being born of water and the Spirit is essential for entering God’s kingdom. How does remembering your baptism help you when you feel uncertain of God’s love or your identity in Christ? [31:08]
3. The cross is described as a “divine traffic sign” that directs us toward salvation. [30:03] How can you train yourself to “look to the cross” in moments of temptation, guilt, or confusion?
4. Rituals like making the sign of the cross or receiving Communion are meant to remind us of God’s presence and promises. Which of these practices helps you most, and how could you incorporate it more intentionally into your daily routine?
5. Nicodemus eventually stepped out of the shadows to honor Jesus publicly. Is there a situation in your life where God may be calling you to step forward in faith or generosity, even if it feels costly?
6. How does the truth that “sin wounds the human condition” affect the way you view your own struggles and the struggles of those around you? [25:41]
7. John 3:16 speaks of God’s “agape” love—a love that gives sacrificially. Who in your life needs to experience that kind of love through you this week?