How Do You Measure Grace? John 3: 1-21 – 2023/3-26

Grace is often so intangible that we don’t know we need it until after we have experienced it.

March 26, 2023

“Measure Your Life in Love”
How Do You Measure Grace?
John 3: 1-21

Rev. Dr. Heather W. McColl

John 3: 1-21

Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with that person.” Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’ The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, 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 said to him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? “Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen, yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just 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. 

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned, but those who do not believe are condemned already because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.

 

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How Do You Measure Grace? John 3: 1-21

How do we measure grace? As I was preparing this sermon this week, I kept wondering why the Spirit led me to the story of Nicodemus for our conversation about grace because nowhere in John 3 is grace even mentioned. Yet as I have discovered, grace is there if we open our hearts and minds to the Spirit’s invitation, 

Which is why the story of Nicodemus is so perfect for our conversation about grace because it really isn’t a story about Nicodemus. Yes, I know if all our bibles, it is labeled the story of Nicodemus but hear me out. Remember, John is the Gospel author which likes to have his stories reflect two different conversations. Usually there is a physical conversation which taken literally can mean one thing and then there is a spiritual conversation which invites us to ponder God’s word and God’s wisdom. That’s what’s happening here. John has Nicodemus come to Jesus in the night to set up the conversation about understanding and knowing. John wants us to see that there is more than just a conversation happening between Nicodemus and Jesus.

Nicodemus’ conversation is really about us, the supposed insiders. It is about us, the ones who should know what Jesus is talking about when he mentions being born from above. It is about us, the supposed insiders who should know the power of God’s grace, the ones who have experienced God’s grace and love in our lives,

The author John makes this story, not about Nicodemus, but about us, his readers, about us as people of faith, about us as disciples of Christ, because we are the ones who should know GRACE. We are the ones who should be the first to extend it others but when it comes to Nicodemus and other people who don’t fit what we think is “correct behavior”, we are too quick to judge. We are quick to write them off. When it comes to Nicodemus, we are quick to make him a minor character only needed to help move the story along. And in doing so, we miss God’s grace at work. We miss God’s grace transforming and making a person whole. When we are quick to judge Nicodemus or any one for that matter, we miss the opportunity to be a part of the life-giving process of experiencing the Kingdom of God in our midst.

Because you see, this meeting between Nicodemus and Jesus is where GRACE comes into the story. This is where GRACE begins the process of transformation for Nicodemus, the process which allows him to become the person God created and called him to be. Sure it takes a few several chapters to happen but still it happens.

After his conversation with Jesus, as readers, we don’t hear about Nicodemus until…John 7: 50-51. Nicodemus defends Jesus but at this point, Nicodemus is described as “one of them”. So no, GRACE isn’t fully realized at this point for Nicodemus.

Grace is not fully realized for Nicodemus after the crucifixion. In John 19: 39, we meet Nicodemus again, this time described as one who came to Jesus by night. I like to think John describes Nicodemus this way because he wants us to understand how much Nicodemus has been changed by Jesus, by his teachings, by his ministry, that Nicodemus has been transformed by the grace showed to him by one who embodied God’s love.

Because you see, we cannot talk about measuring our lives in love without talking about grace. God’s love and God’s grace go hand in hand with one another. We cannot talk about one without mentioning the other. And we cannot practice and share one without practicing and sharing the other. For as  John 3: 16 tells us, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” In other words, God showed us grace upon grace upon grace through the gift of God’s only Son. Or if that one does not work, let me put it this way.. 

“God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we may walk in them.” (Ephesians 2: 4-10)

In other words, God has shown us grace, upon grace, upon grace time and time again. As people of faith, we know that God’s grace found us when we needed it the most  and it did not leave it where it found us.” Instead it invited us, transformed us, challenged us to become the person God created and called us to be. And every single day we give thanks for this indescribable life changing gift.

Amen.

See also: Theology Tuesday for Sunday, March 26, 2023 – How Do You Measure Grace? John 3: 1-21. 

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