Why won’t we just admit it when we are wrong?
Why do we try to cover up our mistakes, hide when caught, become defensive when accused? Remember, the very first guy who ever lived hid when he thought he was going to be caught, and then blamed his wife for it!
The instinct for self-preservation is a powerful driver even when we know we are guilty. Even individuals who know they have committed terrible crimes often fight for their lives and seek leniency. The instinct to hide, justify, or overreact when confronted is a very common human reaction when our sins are exposed.
Our human brains struggle to cope when we are caught, making the sensation of being wrong incredibly intolerable, even painful. Our selfish fragile ego makes admitting mistakes feel like a threat. We fear have the fear of Looking Foolish, so we become defensive to avoid embarrassment.
We have been listening in to a conversation between Nicodemus and Jesus. Why did Nicodemus come to Jesus by night?
He probably came for Privacy: Jesus was constantly surrounded by large, demanding crowds during the day. Night offered a quiet environment for deep, uninterrupted theological dialogue.
He may have been doing a nighttime investigation for the Pharisees. Though the Bible does not definitively state his exact motive, his use of the word "we" may mean that he came as an envoy seeking answers about Jesus’s miraculous signs. He is called “The Teacher of Israel,” which was very high office. It meant that he was an elite, prestigious and distinguished scholar and judge, who was responsible for making the deepest of theological decisions for the Sanhedrin. It may have been Nicodemus's responsibility to investigate public figures to ensure they were not leading the people astray.
Symbolism: In the Gospel of John, night is frequently used to represent spiritual darkness and a lack of understanding, perfectly framing Jesus's lesson about the need to be "born again" to see the Kingdom of God.
But as much as anything, He likely came out of Fear of Public Scrutiny: He dared not identify with Jesus openly, but he was intrigued by Him. Nicodemus may have feared losing his status or he may have faced excommunication if seen associating with a controversial figure. He could not afford to damage his esteemed reputation.
Nicodemus had much to lose. Jesus knew this. So in today’s review of the meeting between the Messiah and the Pharisee, Jesus laid it all out on the table. If Nicodemus chose Jesus he would avoid eternal condemnation. If Nicodemus chose not to follow Jesus he would be condemned. This was his choice.
And that same choice is ours. Sure there’s a price to pay. But you can either pay a little now or pay it all later.
So Let’s begin with the good news! You can avoid condemnation!
Avoid Condemnation! 16-18
16 For God so loved the world, that He gave his one and only son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.
The Good news is that God Loves Us!
Listen. Jesus loves you! This is incredible news! Let me break it down for you.
The question God is asking you right now is this, would you like to receive the gift of eternal life? You see, God does not want to condemn us, he wants to save us!
Jesus Saves Us!
17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
There are two strong senses of the word “condemn.” (κρίνω) The first is the feeling or expression of disapproval. Some people feel like God is watching them and shaking his head, like he is writing down their every move. They have concluded that God only sees their faults and flaws, and is staring down in displeasure.
The other sense of the word has to do with the sentencing of sinners to punishment. In this case eternal punishment. Those who do not believe will be condemned to an eternity in the lake of fire.
Now In ancient Judaism, "condemnation" was a legal and theological concept concerning judgment, justice, and the breaking of God's covenant – the Mosiac Law. But Rather than focusing on a the state of eternal damnation, condemnation to the Pharisees primarily meant being declared guilty of transgressions, which invited immediate, earthly consequences.
Nicodemus would have been startled by the idea of eternal condemnation. The Old Testament Law meeted out severe consequences for crimes, sometimes ending in the death penalty, sometimes resuling in judgement on the nation, sometimes ending in divine curses; but Jesus refined the idea of condemnation.
Condemnation was not just about earthly punishment, which was a very Jewish thought, but it is about eternal punishment. We do deserve to get arrested and punished here on earth, but Jesus response to Nicodemus made it clear that eternal punishment is far worse than that! We deserve eternal condemnation!
Thank God that He did not send his Son into the world to condemn us, he came to save us! In fact Romans 8:1 says, “There is therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.”
That’s good news! You can escape eternal condemnation by trusting Jesus as Savior!
We Believe in Him!
18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned;
It is a simple act of faith that will remove you from the category of the condemned into the household of faith! Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.
In the human realm, if you do good, you deserve to be praised, and if you do evil, you get punished. You have to pay the penalty required by the courts. Period. But in the divine realm, the way to avoid punishment is to repent of your sins and place your faith and trust in Jesus. Because Jesus paid our penalty.
That is the good news. However, there is bad news. If you do not believe, you shall receive the condemnation that you will wish you could have avoided.
Receive Condemnation! 18-20
Don’t Believe in Jesus.
18 But he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Nobody wants to be condemned. Tragically, every person that ever lived, was born with the sentence of condemnation already upon him. Every man, and every woman, and every child is condemned already from childhood. No one needs to pass the sentence of condemnation upon any of the billions of people born on this planet. We were born that way. We were condemned already. And because we sinned all, we were already facing the sentence of condemnation.
It is a sad reality, but true. In Adam’s fall, we sinned all. But in Jesus rise, we can reach beyond the skies. And the only way out is to believe in the only begotten son of God, our Savior. Jesus coming is just the stroke of providence we need! He is the only way out of our mess. But if you don’t believe in Him you are sure to be condemned. If you don’t believe in Him, you won’t love Him!
Don’t Love Jesus.
19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
Instead of loving Jesus, humanity loves darkness. This is the only reasonable explanation for the evil in the world. Our sinful natures are drawn toward evil just as a moth is drawn to the light. Why are so many people in this world evil? Why is there so much corruption? Why the rapes, murders, adultery, drunkenness, drug addictions? Because we love our sin and we don’t want to give it up.
If you don’t believe in Jesus, you will love your darkness, and you it is highly unlikely that you will come to Jesus in repentance.
Don’t Come to Jesus.
20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.
If you are living in sin, you probably don’t want other people to know about it. You probably would like to keep it hidden. But if it does become exposed; it is likely that you will become offended at the very people who discover it. You will want to shut them up. You will want to shut them out. You will want to shout them down.
That’s why people don’t want to come to Jesus. They don’t want the Light of the Gospel to expose their faults, their sins and their failures. They will either deny their sin or hide their sin.
That is why Christianity is so threatening! That is why it is so hard for a proud woman or a sinful man to repent. We don’t want anyone pointing the finger at us.
But listen, your eternity hangs in the balance. You can come to Jesus in repentance and transparency and avoid condemnation, or you can hide your sin and live in unbelief. But there is a price to pay for turning away from God: The choice is yours.
The Choice is Yours! 21
21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”
And that choice is ours. You can pray the price yourself, with eternal condemnation, or you can let Jesus pay it for you. You can either pay a little now and eat humble pie in simple faith, or pay everything later. What are you going to do?
Come to Jesus! Tell Him you love Him. Simply believe! And He will save you because He loves you! Avoid condemnation in this life and the next, come to the Light!
The greatest person that has ever lived, has shown the greatest love ever given, made the greatest offer ever made, now he is asking the greatest question ever asked. The question God is asking you right now is this, would you like to receive the gift of eternal life?