“The wind blows where it chooses,
Nicodemus' story is more than sorting out Jesus and the Pharisees differences.
It’s more than
figuring out how Jesus gets the authority to do many “signs”.
The Nicodemus
story is really about people coming to see and understand the amazing things
Jesus does.
It’s all about
understanding God’s Spirit, following Jesus and wanting to change to see God's
kingdom in a new way.
Since the Spirit
works mysteriously, it’s compared to the wind blowing wherever it wants.
It’s about
God and people working together, so followers of Jesus notice and experience
God’s work through him.
The “signs”
Jesus does are meant to show God getting involved in the world God made and
loved enough to send his Son.
Nicodemus’s
story is a great example the Spirit’s work.
Nicodemus, story
makes it clear something’s happening: he gets braver and acts more fairly because
God’s Spirit is moving in his life.
Looking at
Nicodemus’s whole journey you see something bigger.
You see Nicodemus’
story inviting everyone to see themselves in the narrative: starting out with
questions, moving to standing up for what’s right, and eventually saying “yes”
to Jesus, even when it’s risky.
The Spirit shows
how God is always at work in the world getting people to respond.
Belief is how
we see what God’s doing and get to be a part of it: “So must the Son of Man be
lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life”.
