God of justice and joy, we turn to your Word to hear your will and your wisdom for our times. Open our hearts and minds by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit so that we might hear what you are saying to the church through Christ, our Friend and Saviour.
Gospel Reading: John 3:1-10
Over the first two Sundays of Advent, we’ve been reflecting on what it means to wait expectantly for the Second Coming of Jesus. We began with the call to be “Awake”—to live with awareness, not simply drifting through life without noticing what God is doing around us. Then we moved to “Arise”—to not only be alert, but to take action, preparing ourselves for the day when Christ returns.
This morning, on this third Sunday of Advent, our focus turns to the word “Accept.” It’s not enough to be awake and ready in mind; we must also open our hearts to receive Jesus fully—as the Son of God, and as our personal Lord and Saviour.
So, let’s turn now to our Gospel reading, and see how one man, who came to Jesus by night, discovered what it truly means to accept him.
The Disciple John introduces us to this man, Nicodemus, with these words: “Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him…” From this introduction, we learn, first of all, that Nicodemus was not only a Pharisee, but also a man of considerable influence and authority. Ordinarily, that might make us cautious, for we know that many of the Pharisees stood in opposition to Jesus—resentful of the growing crowds that followed him and they felt threatened by his teaching.
It may well be for that reason that Nicodemus chose to visit Jesus under the cover of night, not wishing to be seen speaking with one whom many regarded as a troublemaker or even a false prophet.
Yet, whatever his initial caution, it appears that Nicodemus had begun to recognize that Jesus truly was who he claimed to be. He addressed him with respect, saying, “’Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.’” In these words, Nicodemus acknowledged that Jesus was far more than a lawbreaker or a threat to authority. He had awakened to the truth of who Jesus is, and he had taken the courageous step to rise and come to him, seeking to understand and affirm his newfound faith.
So, not only was Nicodemus awake to the fact that Jesus was more than just an ordinary teacher of God’s word — he was aroused in spirit, stirred by something deeper. Many around him were spiritually asleep, content to go through the motions of religion, satisfied with knowledge about God but not open to an encounter with God. Nicodemus, however, sensed that there was something different about this man, Jesus. His heart had been awakened to the truth that what he had seen and heard could not be explained by human wisdom or tradition alone.
But being awake is only the beginning. Nicodemus didn’t just lie in bed pondering these things in the darkness of his mind — he arose and went to find Jesus. He took action. He moved from curiosity to commitment, from wondering to seeking. It’s one thing to be aware that God is stirring your heart; it’s another thing entirely to get up and go to where he is calling you.
And so, in the quiet of night, Nicodemus came to Jesus. That was his moment of arising — stepping out from the safety of what he knew, out from the approval of his peers, and into the presence of the One who could give him new life. His story reminds us that being spiritually awake must always lead us to arise — to move toward Christ, to seek understanding, to live out our faith in action.
In this way, Nicodemus becomes a model for us in our own journey. God awakens our hearts, but he also calls us to rise — to seek, to follow, to act on the light we’ve been given. To be awake is to recognize God at work; to arise is to respond.
It’s at this point that Jesus says to Nicodemus, “‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.’”
What a startling thing for Jesus to say. Nicodemus had come to Jesus as a learned man, a respected teacher, a leader among the Jews, someone well-versed in Scripture and tradition. Yet here, Jesus tells him that all his knowledge, all his status, all his careful religious observance are not enough. To truly see, to perceive, to understand, to experience the kingdom of God, something entirely new must happen. He must be born from above, born again of the Spirit.
In other words, being awake to the truth of who Jesus is not the final destination, it’s the beginning of transformation. Nicodemus had opened his eyes; now Jesus invites him to open his heart. Jesus is saying, “Nicodemus, you have awakened to the light, but now you must arise into new life. What you need isn’t more learning — it’s rebirth. You don’t need another set of rules — you need renewal.”
And that’s the same message Jesus speaks to us today. We can spend years learning about faith, discussing theology, even serving in the church, and yet still miss the heart of the kingdom if we haven’t experienced this new birth from above. To see the kingdom of God, we must let his Spirit breathe new life into us, to awaken our souls and cause us to rise as new creations in Christ.
Jesus’ words to Nicodemus are both a challenge and a promise. The challenge is that no one can enter the kingdom on their own merit; the promise is that new life is possible, right now, for anyone who believes. To be born from above is to let the light of God awaken us fully — not only to awareness, but to transformation — and to arise each day as people renewed by his Spirit. Being born again is something that God does in us by the power of the Holy Spirit. It results in a complete change of heart and character in the life of a man or woman, turning indifference toward God into love and turning disbelief in Jesus Christ into faith.
We don’t know exactly what Nicodemus thought as he left that night. The conversation with Jesus must have turned his world upside down. This man, who had come seeking understanding, found himself confronted with mystery — the mystery of new birth, of life from above. But while we don’t hear about Nicodemus’s immediate response, the Gospel gives us glimpses that his awakening continued to deepen, and that he did indeed begin to arise in faith.
The next time we meet Nicodemus is later in John’s Gospel. Here’s what John tells us took place, “Then the temple police went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, ‘Why did you not arrest him?’ The police answered, ‘Never has anyone spoken like this!’ Then the Pharisees replied, ‘Surely you have not been deceived too, have you? Has any one of the authorities or of the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd, which does not know the law—they are accursed.’ Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus before, and who was one of them, asked, ‘Our law does not judge people without first giving them a hearing to find out what they are doing, does it?’” (John 7:45-51)
There, among the council of Pharisees, who were plotting against Jesus, Nicodemus dares to speak up. He reminds them that their own law does not judge a man before hearing him out. It’s a small moment — just a sentence or two — but it shows courage. The man who once came to Jesus under cover of darkness now speaks a word of truth in the daylight, even in the midst of opposition. His awakening has moved him to action; he is beginning to act.
And then we see Nicodemus one final time, once again in John’s Gospel. John writes, “After these things, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, though a secret one because of his fear of the Jews, asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission; so he came and removed his body. Nicodemus, who had at first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds.” (John 19:38-39)
Jesus has been crucified. The disciples have scattered. Most have fled in fear or grief. Yet Nicodemus comes — this time not by night, but in the open — carrying a mixture of myrrh and aloes to anoint the body of Jesus. He joins Joseph of Arimathea in giving Jesus an honourable burial. What a remarkable transformation. The man who once sought Jesus quietly now stands with him publicly, when it costs him everything.
Nicodemus’s journey is a powerful picture of spiritual awakening and rising faith. He began in the shadows, searching for truth. Then, as the light of Christ grew within him, he arose — first to speak a cautious word of justice, then to act in open devotion. His story shows us that being “born from above” is not a single moment of emotion, but a gradual awakening that leads to courage, to compassion, and to costly love.
So perhaps the question for us is this: where are we on that same journey? Have we awakened to who Jesus truly is, and if so, are we willing to arise, to follow, to live out our faith in the light of day? Because to be awake is to know the truth; but to arise is to let that truth transform our lives.
Nicodemus’s story is, in many ways, our story too. Like him, we are invited to wake up — to recognize that Jesus is not just another teacher or moral example, but the very Son of God who brings light and life to the world. But Jesus doesn’t stop there. He calls us, just as he called Nicodemus, to rise — to step out of the shadows, to let the Spirit make us new, and to live as children of the light.
For some, that awakening may come suddenly — a moment of clarity, a deep stirring of the heart. For others, it unfolds slowly, as the Spirit keeps whispering truth and drawing us closer, step by step. However it comes, the invitation is the same: “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” (Ephesians 5:14)
That’s the promise of the Gospel, that Christ’s light awakens us, renews us, and calls us to arise into the fullness of life that comes from above. So may we, like Nicodemus, not only awaken to who Jesus is, but also arise to follow him, with courage, with faith, and with hearts made new by the Spirit of God.
Let us Pray:
Gracious and loving God, we thank you for the light of your Son, Jesus Christ, who awakens our hearts and calls us to new life. Like Nicodemus, we come seeking understanding, and you meet us with grace and truth.
Lord, open our eyes to see more clearly who you are. Awaken our spirits from complacency and fear. When we hear your call, give us courage to arise —to step out of the shadows, to follow you with faith and with joy.
Breathe in us, Holy Spirit, the life that comes from above. Renew us in heart and mind, that we may walk as children of the light, living each day as witnesses of your transforming love.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and our Redeemer. Amen