Unlimited Grace

Bryan Chapell: He will be sent for all kinds of people: the good ones, the bad ones, the well-appearing, the poor-appearing, this language, that language, this color, that color. He is sent by God for you. And when that's first your belief, you just say, "He was sent for me." That's the beginning of the journey into the heart of the Son.

Guest (Male): So glad you joined us for today's Unlimited Grace, the audio broadcast ministry of pastor and author Bryan Chapell. In today's episode, Pastor Bryan shares the second half of a lesson from John chapter three. Dr. Chapell highlights the spiritual journey of Nicodemus, as we see his growth from his first conversation with Jesus to his willingness to leave his position and status after Jesus' crucifixion.

You can find this lesson and many others when you visit unlimitedgrace.com. And while you're there, look for Pastor Bryan's book, The Multigenerational Church Crisis. This compelling book asks the question of the church, "What could be accomplished in the name of Christ if we could better understand each other?" Let's hear now from Dr. Bryan Chapell as he shares the second half of the lesson, "A Journey To The Ends of the Earth."

Bryan Chapell: 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? Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak what we know and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And 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." He is a leader in Israel, and yet he comes to Jesus at night. He's this cautious inquirer saying, "Do you have something I need?

I mean, I recognize you can't say and do the things you do unless you're from God, but I think I know God. I think I know what he's supposed to be, but somehow I'm not satisfied yet. I've got questions still. I've got emptiness still." And so this "You are here" point begins with just this cautious inquiry of, "I don't have all the answers yet. I'm supposed to, but I know there's still some emptiness in me."

This isn't the end of our introduction to Nicodemus. If you've got your Bible still open, look at John chapter seven. John chapter seven and verse 50. Nicodemus begins this journey by acknowledging Jesus might have some answers for me. But that "maybe" gets underscored in John 7:50. Here's what's happened: the other Jewish rulers are getting intimidated by Jesus and the people following him.

So they send soldiers to arrest him. But the soldiers, when they hear Jesus, say, "We shouldn't arrest this guy. He tells us things we've never heard before." And so the soldiers come back and the rulers are even more unhappy with Jesus. But verse 50 of John 7, Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus before and who was one of them, that is the rulers, said to them, "Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?"

They replied, "Are you from Galilee, too? Search and see, no prophet comes out of Galilee." Now, what Nicodemus has done here is he's just taken a little risk. "You want to arrest Jesus, but doesn't our own law say you have to be fair? You should give him a hearing." And instead, his own colleagues turn on him and they say, "Are you from Galilee, too, the slums? Are you going to stick up for this guy?"

Well, all that Nicodemus has said so far is, "Maybe. Maybe we ought to listen to this Jesus." But he's not going to stay there. If you'll keep going through the book of John, you'll see that more needs to be done. John chapter 18. John chapter 18 and verse 24. It's another trial now. Jesus has been arrested by Roman soldiers after the Last Supper.

And one of the places that he is taken is to the house of the high priest. Do you see that? John 18:24: Annas then sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest. Now the full account of what happens in Caiaphas' house is in Matthew 26. We're not going to turn there yet. Let me just remind you. At Caiaphas' house—he's the high priest—Jesus is put into a dungeon.

The throw into the dungeon is such that it would normally break the legs of a man simply thrown into the dungeon, a deep, dark place. But Jesus is pulled out, he's beaten, and then he's put on trial. "Are you the Son of God? Do you claim to be the King of the Jews?" Jesus at this point does not respond.

And so the whole Sanhedrin, all the rulers who have gathered together in Caiaphas' house, make a final declaration: "He is worthy of death." Did you hear what I said? The whole Sanhedrin gathers in Caiaphas' house. Who do you know is on the Sanhedrin council? Nicodemus.

And at this pivotal place, where he could have spoken or someone could have spoken to rescue Jesus just by justice alone, there is no voice raised. The silence is not broken. Nicodemus risks nothing. "I might lose. I might lose my position. I might lose my reputation. I might lose all that people think me to be. I might risk too much."

So he does nothing. And still we're not done with Nicodemus. One more place. If you look in your Bibles to John chapter 19. John chapter 19. Jesus' trial went forward, as you may recall, ultimately ending up before Pilate and then a condemning sentence that put him upon a cross. Now to all visual appearance, he is dead and done for.

So what happens? Verse 38 of John 19. After these things, that is after Jesus' crucifixion, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body.

Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about 75 pounds in weight. So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. Now in the place where he was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid.

So because of the Jewish day of preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there. Did you catch it? Jesus has been crucified upon a cross. You remember the account: his back opened up with the whip that flayed him, the thorns on his head piercing his brow, the blood running down—but not just from his brow, but from the nails in his hands, the nails in his feet, the wound in his side.

And not only does Joseph of Arimathea, a disciple, take him down, but someone else comes on the scene. Who is it? Nicodemus. And Nicodemus helps prepare the body for burial with 75 pounds of myrrh and aloes, perfume that is intended to stop the stench of the body of Jesus. But it's 75 pounds. It's an extravagant amount.

Those in your notes who reckon what was going on, this was the equivalent of 150 to 200 thousand dollars of perfume. It's an extravagant supply, as what seems to be happening is the stench that Nicodemus is trying to stop is the stench of his own sin. "I could have stopped this. I could have made this not happen. He was willing to tell me what I needed to know, but I took no risk for him, nothing."

"When I could have saved him, I did not. What has all this gained me? My position, my wealth, my prestige, my reputation. I have it all and it's worth nothing. I can't even look at myself in the mirror. I can't stand the smell of me, what I have done to him." And so he gets 75 pounds and then does even more.

He is a Jewish holy man. He has the white robe, and here he begins to handle the blood-doused body of this itinerant rabbi. Does he get the blood on him? He's not even supposed to touch the things of the dead. And yet he seems to have come just to the absolute end of his world, as though he is saying, "What did this gain me? Everything that I've tried to do, the reputation, the scholarship, the religion, the wealth, what has this gained me? Nothing. I can't even stand me."

And what he's willing to do when he has come to the very edge of that world is leave it behind. You recognize the fact that he would care for Jesus and touch the body and smear himself with the blood of this dead man is basically to say, "I'm willing to leave my position, my status, my reputation behind." But the glory of that is, you must recognize that when you have come to the end of self, the Savior is there.

Guest (Male): You're listening to Unlimited Grace, the audio broadcast ministry of pastor and author Bryan Chapell. It may seem hard for younger Christians to believe, but people over 50 were raised during an era when 90% of Americans identified as Christian. These older believers were once part of a majority group that understood the mission of the church was to take control of our culture, to halt its evils.

At the same time, Christians under 50 have lived their entire lives perceiving themselves as a minority that needs to make credible their faith to a secular, pluralistic culture. These distinct experiences and perceptions have a profound impact on the priorities different generations have for church ministry. It's no wonder that younger and older believers don't always see eye to eye.

In his new book, The Multigenerational Church Crisis, Dr. Bryan Chapell asks the question, "What could be accomplished in the name of Christ if we could better understand each other?" This practical and hopeful book is backed by thorough research, revealing how to open the lines of communication, appreciate the experiences that shaped each generation in your church, and unite in one mission to impact your community and the world.

You can request your copy of The Multigenerational Church Crisis when you donate online at unlimitedgrace.com or by calling 844-41-GRACE. That's 844-414-7223. And now, more from Bryan Chapell on today's Unlimited Grace.

Bryan Chapell: When Nicodemus has all the scholarship and all the reputation that should satisfy him, he goes to Jesus. And when his colleagues begin to turn against Jesus, but Nicodemus still has questions—maybe he's the guy—he at least puts the "maybe" in, doesn't defend Jesus a lot, but at least puts "maybe" in the first trial. And Jesus is there.

And then when Nicodemus totally abandons his own principles and lets Jesus be murdered by the mob, Jesus is still in the picture. And finally, when he faces his own disappointment of everything that he's allowed to happen and he tries to cover the stench with this extravagance of wealthy perfume, Jesus is still there. At every point of his disappointment, Jesus was still there.

Why is that important for you to know? Because some of you know exactly what I'm talking about. At every stage—establishing family, establishing career, raising kids, moving forward—you've had all these things the world says should satisfy, should make it right, and the emptiness doesn't go away.

And at every stage, what has happened in your life, as is happening right now in this service, is Jesus is still there. At the end of the journey of self is a Savior. Anne Lamott, the novelist, talks about it that way as an immature yet learning Christian describes her own conversion. She says it this way:

"I never felt like I had much of a choice with Jesus. He was relentless. I didn't experience him so much as the 'Hound of Heaven', as the old description has it, chasing after you. Jesus to me was more the alley cat of heaven, who seemed to believe that if he just keeps showing up and meowing outside your door, you'll eventually open up and give him a bowl of milk.

I resisted as long as I could, like Sam-I-Am with green eggs and ham. I would not, could not in a boat. I could not, would not with a goat. I do not want to follow Jesus. I only want expensive cheese or something, anyway. He wore me out. He won. I was tired and vulnerable and he won. I let him in. This is what I said at the moment of my conversion: 'Okay, come in, I quit.'"

And then I came to believe. Believe what? To believe that at the end of the journey to the end of your earth is the beginning of a journey to the heart of the Son. The Son of God at the end of your journey of self is still there and is still saying, "You come with me. If you're ready to step out of your realm and into my realm, I've been there and I can get you there."

How? Jesus says, "Whoever believes in me would have eternal life." What are you supposed to believe? Well, you are supposed to believe that Jesus was sent for you. That's the essence, way back over there in John 3, of what Jesus is explaining to Nicodemus. It's verse 13: "No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man."

Now, that language may not echo in your brain the way it would have in Nicodemus's. It's the language of Daniel seven, as Daniel the Old Testament prophet is speaking about the coming of the Messiah and says, "When he's coming, the Son of Man, who he will be declared to be, will gather people from all languages and people and nations to himself."

He will be sent for all kinds of people: the good ones, the bad ones, the well-appearing, the poor-appearing, this language, that language, this color, that color. He is sent by God for you. And when that's first your belief, you just say, "He was sent for me." That's the beginning of the journey into the heart of the Son.

To just have some sense of what that would mean, it's expressed in a story fashion in the children's book, The Watsons Go to Birmingham. Now, if you've seen the Hallmark movie, the book is different. In The Watsons Go to Birmingham, ten-year-old Kenny Watson is saved from terrible hurt by an amazing provision of God.

Before the Watsons move to Birmingham, Kenny has had some experience in the church. He writes about it: "Every once in a while, Mama would make me go to Sunday school. Even though it was just a bunch of singing and coloring in coloring books and listening to Mrs. Davidson, I learned one thing. I learned about getting saved.

I learned how someone could come up to you when you're feeling real, real bad and could take all your problems away and make you feel better. I learned that person who saved you was your personal savior. He was sent by God to protect you and help you out." Which didn't make sense when the Watsons moved to Birmingham and Kenny was mercilessly teased on the bus for what he looked like and how he talked and thought there was no way out.

Where was his personal savior now? One day there's two new boys at the bus stop. When the bigger of the two boys got on the bus, he said to the driver in a real down-home accent, "Thank you for stopping, sir." And when he said that, wrote Kenny, "I knew right away. I knew that God had finally gotten sick of me being teased and picked on all the time."

"As I looked at this new boy with the great big smile and the jacket with holes in the sleeves and the raggedy tennis shoes and the torn-up blue jeans, I knew exactly who he was. Maybe he didn't live a million years ago and didn't have a beard and a white robe and he wasn't born under a star, but I knew who he was. God had finally sent me some help.

I knew God had sent my personal savior, because the jokes and the jibes that had been aimed at me would now fall on him." It's exactly what a personal savior does, that all the sin and the shame that is justly ours, God would send Jesus to take in our behalf. Jesus says, "Even as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up."

What a strange statement. Do you remember what it's about? Back in the Old Testament, the people of God are getting tired of walking in the desert, and they complain against God who has delivered them from slavery and given them manna in the wilderness. "God, do better." And emblematic of the poison that is coming out of their lips, God sends among them poisonous snakes.

And as the people begin to cry out for their salvation, God says to Moses, "I want you to fashion a serpent of bronze and you lift it up on a pole and say to the people, 'Look at it and you'll live.'" Now, I must tell you, from the time I heard that story in Sunday school, I always thought to myself, "Why wouldn't anybody do that? I mean, just look at it, you'll live. Why not?"

Because of what it looked like. It did not look like God. That serpent didn't look like Moses their deliverer. What did that serpent look like? It looked like their sin. They had to face their sin before God. And now Jesus says to Nicodemus, "Even as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up."

"Nicodemus, you must look at me and see your sin. The bloody mass that will be lifted up, the back that is torn open, the nails in the hands, that is the consequence of your sin. But Nicodemus, if you will see your sin on me, you will be free of it. Look at me and you will live. Believe that your sin is on him and any barrier that is between you and God is gone."

Here's the reality: if we look at him and see our sin on him, God looks at him and pardons us. That's the exchange. If I will believe that I'm not made right with God by my performance, by my profession, by my scholarship, by my wealth, by anything I do, but if I believe I'm made right with God by what Jesus has done in my behalf, then my sin is on him, and God looks at him and pardons me.

Guest (Male): That's Pastor Bryan Chapell, and you've been listening to Unlimited Grace. If you would like to hear more from Dr. Chapell, you can find a collection of valuable resources at unlimitedgrace.com. Please be sure to join us next time as once again we endeavor to put Christ at the center of our efforts so that lives might be transformed by his unlimited grace. This ministry is brought to you by Unlimited Grace Media and continues to be made possible with your generous financial support.