https://joelssermons.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/20140316sermon.mp3
Texts: John 3:1-10, Genesis 12:1-4
One of the advantages of having a sanctuary with very little natural light is that we can make it unnaturally dark in broad daylight. It can actually get quite a bit darker than this, but we decided to make it a little more user friendly for kids who like to draw or anyone who needs to move around.
It’s dark, (ish), because we are dealing with a text containing a conversation that happened in darkness. In John chapter three, we are introduced to Nicodemus, a leading Pharisee, who came to Jesus by night to ask him questions. That “by night” part is fairly easy to miss and might not seem all that important. But John’s is a highly symbolic gospel, and giving these kinds of details is one of the ways he shapes the meaning of these stories. You may call to mind certain conversations you’ve had in the late evening and night hours, and how the tone and the content differed from daytime conversation.
Knowing that Nicodemus is a Pharisee and that he comes to Jesus “by night” means he already has two strikes against him. Even though Pharisees shared...