WEBVTT 00:00:20.640 --> 00:00:22.640 Hey everyone, Olivia here. 00:00:22.879 --> 00:00:29.920 Pastor Ryan has been on sabbatical, so I will be re-releasing some of our most listened to episodes from the Reflections podcast. 00:00:30.160 --> 00:00:33.840 Today's episode originally aired in February of 2025. 00:00:34.079 --> 00:00:40.960 One of the most interesting ideas in this episode is the difference between getting a little better and becoming something new. 00:00:41.119 --> 00:00:42.000 Enjoy. 00:00:42.640 --> 00:00:43.679 What is up, everybody? 00:00:43.840 --> 00:00:50.960 Hey, my name is Ryan, and I am here in the the laboratory, the Beats Laboratory, as we call it, with Mike Lauer. 00:00:51.039 --> 00:00:51.759 He's our producer. 00:00:51.840 --> 00:00:53.039 So we want to say what's up. 00:00:53.119 --> 00:00:55.119 Welcome to our Reflections podcast. 00:00:55.280 --> 00:00:57.359 And I want to talk a bit more about John. 00:00:57.439 --> 00:01:01.759 Last week I was telling you guys that I meet with these young guys every week and we chat about the Bible. 00:01:01.840 --> 00:01:07.920 We read, and we're reading through John's gospel right now, which is a doozy, and they just have all these great questions. 00:01:08.000 --> 00:01:11.840 And so we came across another one, and I want to just do another episode on it. 00:01:12.000 --> 00:01:15.439 And so, John 2, last week we chatted about the water and the wine. 00:01:15.599 --> 00:01:21.599 This week in John 3, we chatted about this conversation that Jesus has with this rabbi named Nicodemus. 00:01:21.680 --> 00:01:23.120 So you can read John chapter 3. 00:01:23.200 --> 00:01:26.879 And it's a wild one because Jesus is kind of, I don't know, he's cruising around at night. 00:01:26.959 --> 00:01:34.959 And this rabbi, very prominent, well-to-do, and well-known, and probably an esteemed, I mean rabbis were esteemed in the ancient Near East generally. 00:01:35.200 --> 00:01:38.560 He comes to Jesus and approaches him, but he does it at night. 00:01:38.719 --> 00:01:43.280 And so it's like under the, it's like this clandestine meeting between Jesus and this rabbi. 00:01:43.439 --> 00:01:46.959 And it's like under, you know, under the shadows of the evening. 00:01:47.040 --> 00:01:51.680 And it's like almost like this rabbi doesn't want to be seen talking to Jesus or something like that. 00:01:51.840 --> 00:01:55.120 It's hard to know what's going on here, but but he does go to them at night. 00:01:55.280 --> 00:02:05.359 And he they have this conversation, and and Nicodemus asks him, he says, Hey, Rabbi, we know that you're a teacher who has come from God, for no one could perform the signs you're doing if God weren't with them. 00:02:05.439 --> 00:02:13.840 And Jesus responds and answers him, he says, Hey, look, truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again. 00:02:14.000 --> 00:02:18.879 The the verbiage could also be rendered born from above, born from heaven, this kind of thing. 00:02:19.039 --> 00:02:26.319 And then Nicodemus asks what we probably all would be asking in this moment if we weren't overly familiar with the story. 00:02:26.479 --> 00:02:30.080 But he asks him, Hey, uh, yeah, about that, Jesus. 00:02:30.240 --> 00:02:32.719 How can someone be born when they're old? 00:02:32.960 --> 00:02:38.159 Like, surely they can't enter a second time into their mother's womb to be born to be born twice. 00:02:38.479 --> 00:02:39.120 Yeah, of course. 00:02:39.280 --> 00:02:46.639 Like Jesus, like, hey, Nicodemus, in order to enter the kingdom of God, to experience the rule and reign of God, you have to be born again. 00:02:46.800 --> 00:02:52.560 And Nicodemus thinks he means like literally be born from your mother again, which is like, well, how can I do that? 00:02:52.639 --> 00:02:56.000 How can I go back into my mother's womb and be born again? 00:02:56.240 --> 00:03:00.639 And uh then Jesus answers him and says, Hey, very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God. 00:03:00.800 --> 00:03:04.639 Again, he says the same thing, unless they're born of water and the spirit. 00:03:04.879 --> 00:03:09.759 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but spirit gives birth to spirit. 00:03:10.000 --> 00:03:13.599 He says, You shouldn't be surprised by me saying, You must be born again. 00:03:13.759 --> 00:03:14.879 Then he says this, I love it. 00:03:15.039 --> 00:03:18.240 The wind blows where it pleases, Jesus says in verse 8. 00:03:18.400 --> 00:03:27.039 Well, Jesus wasn't speaking in verses, but you know, in verse 8 we read that he tells him, The wind blows wherever it pleases, you hear its sound, but can't tell where it comes from, where it's going. 00:03:27.280 --> 00:03:31.360 So it is with everyone who's born of the Spirit. 00:03:31.599 --> 00:03:32.800 And here's what's going on. 00:03:32.879 --> 00:03:38.240 I love it because Nicodemus is a rabbi and he's looking for like the next big thing. 00:03:38.400 --> 00:03:42.719 And he's looking within this institution of rabbis or the rabbinical tradition. 00:03:42.800 --> 00:03:52.159 Like, hey, maybe Nicodemus thinks if if Jesus is just another rabbi or teacher, and this is what we need another another good rabbi, another good teacher. 00:03:52.400 --> 00:03:59.919 And Jesus tells Israel, or Jesus tells Nicodemus that Israel needs more than just another new teacher or new rabbi. 00:04:00.080 --> 00:04:01.280 They need something else. 00:04:01.520 --> 00:04:06.400 And so here, the while Nicodemus is looking for like the next big thing, and Jesus is like, no, you're looking in the wrong places. 00:04:06.639 --> 00:04:12.080 What you need is not another new rabbi, a new teacher, a new self-help book, a new counselor. 00:04:12.479 --> 00:04:17.920 What you need is a new heart, a new life, a brand new way of being. 00:04:18.079 --> 00:04:20.079 You need to be born again. 00:04:20.399 --> 00:04:23.279 The Greek, again, it means literally like to be born from above. 00:04:23.439 --> 00:04:28.800 What he's saying is you need not just another one of these other outside institutions. 00:04:28.879 --> 00:04:32.079 You need to be reborn, literally transformed. 00:04:32.240 --> 00:04:34.639 You need to have a complete transformation. 00:04:34.879 --> 00:04:43.040 And so Nicodemus needed some kind of like a transformation, um, I don't know, a shedding, a dying of the old, and a rebirth of the new. 00:04:43.279 --> 00:04:59.519 And what Jesus gets, and I think Nicodemus is probably on to, but doesn't fully grasp, is that people are caught in this web of like what Daniel Erlander calls self-love run amok, or selfishness and sin that always, always, always leads to death. 00:04:59.759 --> 00:05:08.480 And no matter what you're trying to do, another new teacher, a new rabbi, a new pastor in town, a new therapist, a new self-help book, those are all great things. 00:05:08.639 --> 00:05:10.480 But those things won't save you. 00:05:10.639 --> 00:05:11.519 You're stuck. 00:05:11.759 --> 00:05:16.000 You need to be born anew, born afresh, a complete transformation. 00:05:16.160 --> 00:05:21.680 I think it was Luther who said, you don't just need a softer heart, you need a brand new heart. 00:05:21.839 --> 00:05:24.879 You need the old one to be taken out and a new one put in. 00:05:25.040 --> 00:05:26.319 And I think many of us are the same way. 00:05:26.399 --> 00:05:31.120 Like we're looking every which direction for like the next thing that will save us in all those same places. 00:05:31.439 --> 00:05:38.399 Advice from a friend, a great book that has all the wisdom I've been looking for, you know, another new teacher, new rabbi, a new church. 00:05:38.480 --> 00:05:43.600 And all the while, Jesus is like, no, no, you you need to die and let me raise you from the dead. 00:05:43.839 --> 00:05:45.199 Which is, in fact, the good news. 00:05:45.360 --> 00:05:51.920 The story of the resurrection is this that God loves you, God forgives you, and God wants to raise you from the dead. 00:05:52.079 --> 00:05:54.639 So, friends, today, may you hear what Nicodemus heard. 00:05:54.720 --> 00:05:56.000 That you don't need all these other things. 00:05:56.160 --> 00:05:58.160 They're good, and do them, and that's fine. 00:05:58.399 --> 00:06:06.399 But what you need is complete transformation, a brand new heart where your heart has grown old and tired and stoned and and and has even died. 00:06:06.480 --> 00:06:07.920 You need it, you need a brand new heart. 00:06:08.000 --> 00:06:11.439 You need resurrection to be born from above. 00:06:11.680 --> 00:06:15.199 So, today, may you experience that in all kinds of ways. 00:06:15.279 --> 00:06:16.079 All right, love you guys. 00:06:16.160 --> 00:06:16.800 Peace. 00:06:20.720 --> 00:06:23.680 Hey, if you enjoy this show, I'd love to have you share it with some friends. 00:06:23.839 --> 00:06:32.399 And don't forget, you are always welcome to join us in person at Central in Elk River at 8 30, which is our liturgical gathering, or at 10 o'clock, our modern gathering. 00:06:32.560 --> 00:06:36.319 Or you can check us out online at clcelkriver.org. 00:06:36.560 --> 00:06:37.360 Peace.