Text: John 3:1-17
5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
On [Christmas Eve] December 24, 1968, in what was the most watched television broadcast at the time, the crew of Apollo 8 read in turn from the Book of Genesis as they orbited the moon. Bill Anders, Jim Lovell, and Frank Borman recited Genesis chapter one, verses 1 through 10, using the King James Version text.
https://youtu.be/J_hRRiXKdqc
William Anders began:
"We are now approaching lunar sunrise, and for all the people back on Earth, the crew of Apollo 8 has a message that we would like to send to you."
"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness."
James Lovell Continued:
"And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day."
Frank Borman concluded:
"And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good." "And from the crew of Apollo 8, we close with good night, good luck, a Merry Christmas – and God bless all of you, all of you on the good Earth."
"And from the crew of Apollo 8, we close with good night, good luck, a Merry Christmas – and God bless all of you, all of you on the good Earth."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_8_Genesis_reading
I remember this like it was yesterday. As a 13 year old watching on TV I was fascinated to see the image of the earth from the perspective of the moon. But not until the pictures were published in TIME Magazine did I see the true vivid color of the Good Earth against the backdrop of a grey and black space.
Reactions to this reading were overwhelmingly positive though a lawsuit did ensue brought on by Madalyn Murray O’Hair who was the founder of the American Atheists, but it was dismissed by the Supreme Court, their reason … “It is out of our jurisdiction.”
Mixed reactions to God and his word have been around since the serpent questioned, “Did God really say?” In our gospel lesson for today another questioning occurs.
3 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night …
In the grey and black of the night a leader - a man of the Pharisees – comes to see Jesus. It is as if in and through the blackness of sin he sees the light of the Good Earth in the distance and in this person Jesus saying:
“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.”
Nicodemus sees in the signs that Jesus has been doing, and probably his teaching as well - proclaiming; “Repentant for the Kingdom of God is at hand.” Gods work, and it is through this work that God had brought Nicodemus to this place this night to be with Jesus.
Jesus’ reply that “… unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God …” comes as a bit of a surprise to him. In a similar sense the view from the Apollo 8 capsule and the connection of "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” also brings for some a questioning thinking, “It’s just a fable, it can’t be real. No one really believes this is how things came into existence, do they?”
Even Nicodemus asks, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?”
Just as God and his creation brings many questions that we and others might wrestle with God’s word points us to the source of truth and understanding … his son, our Lord Jesus.
Genesis’ beginning and the Gospel of John’s beginning have one thing in common and that is Jesus. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth or, in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God, have Jesus connected in a real way to creation and redemption. The word of God spoken in the beginning, and the word of God [Jesus] speaking to Nicodemus, is the same word of God heard now by you.
The word is not only connected to your hearing now but it is also, as Jesus is making known to Nicodemus, connected to the washing away of sins in Holy Baptism. He asks Jesus, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?”
In reality though even if this were possible it would do Nicodemus and you no good; for being born in the natural way only brings forth one who is born in sin and brought forth in iniquity. One needs rebirth as Jesus tells him … to be born again which is a new birth that is born from above, born anew, or born of the Spirit.
Paul writes to the Corinthian church about the need to see with new eyes born from the Spirit when he writes:
14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 1 Cor. 2:14
You too needed to be spiritually born and this came for you and me in our Baptisms. God’s word connected to simple water and his command and promise by the working of the Holy Spirit brings as our Catechesis bulletin insert says for this week about the benefits baptism gives:
“It works forgiveness of sins, rescues from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this, as the words and promises of God declare.”
As Jesus declared, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
And the Apostle Paul affirmed in 1 Corinthians 6 when he writes:
… that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Saying:
11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Dear friends, we have been given the Spirit. God has called you to faith so that the Kingdom of God is yours.
8 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.”
As one washed in the waters of Holy Baptism you have been born from above and born anew by God, that same God who from the beginning spoke God’s creation into existence and has breathed new life in you now and for eternity.
In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen
Amen
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