John Chapter 3: Bring Windbreaks to Church?

The Eleventh Commandment: Thou shalt not bring a wind-break to church

Part 1 of 2

John 3v16 has become a bumper sticker and is daubed white and large on the rocks near Clifton Suspension bridge in Bristol and on some park benches near Severn Beach. And it’s a favourite of placards at sports events and demonstrations.

John’s Gospel

John 3v3 has somehow been airlifted out of Jesus’ day from the dry and dusty villages of Judea and Galilee and transported to cool California or other bible touting regions in the good ole U.S .of A.

‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but inherit eternal life’ John 3v16

‘Truly I say to you unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God’ John 3 v3

A few years ago at a dinner party, the host started a somewhat amusing rant about this and that including, in very derogatory language, a barrage of complaints lodged at the door of those unspeakable ‘born again Christians.’

It went through my devilish mind to say quietly, placing my napkin slowly down on the table and looking him straight in the eye, ‘It might interest you to know that I am a born again Christian’ and see if he would choke on his words or show me the door.

But in the interests of being British…I didn’t.

But the question remains: is there any other kind of Christian than ‘born-again Christians?’ Jesus didn’t seem to think so.

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Tempting though it is to write about the above two verses I actually want to address verse 8, in fact, the whole of the discourse between Jesus and Nicodemus the Pharisee, a man clearly impressed with Jesus, but too intimidated to address him openly during the day.

v1 There was a man of the Pharisees…who came to Jesus by night

Such a small but significant detail: by night.

He came to Him by night

He seems to present Jesus with a theological puzzle. One can imagine Jesus, perhaps staying at someone’s house, supper is over and everyone’s relaxing. Then Nicodemus knocks on the door and Jesus beckons him in. The disciples fall silent, curious to know what will transpire. They’ve seen this man hanging around before.

Little did Nicodemus know that the conversation was to have such a profound effect on John, Jesus’ closest friend and disciple, who many years later includes this conversation in his gospel.

Jesus ignores Nicodemus’ opening gambit and cuts to the chase - verse 3 as above.

Maybe I’m wrong, but I feel Nicodemus is older than Jesus. He has risked being seen finding out where Jesus is staying and coming alone. But now feeling Jesus’ welcome, after initial nerves and enjoying this opening salvo, he is expecting a long debate, the verbal jousting he is used to, banter almost, theological sparring. But in his heart, he is looking beyond the words and wanting some answers. What he hears not only changed his life but countless others through the centuries.

He replies: ‘How can a man be born again? Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time?’

You may be familiar with Jesus’ reply. It is because of the familiarity that I am writing this post. I find that many have missed another important detail, and a critical detail at that. One that lifts the whole of Christendom into a new dimension.

Jesus’ reply: ‘Truly I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven…the wind blows where it wishes…you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is goes.’

Jesus is using the wind as an analogy of the Spirit of God. Just as in Genesis with the Spirit of God moving over the face of the water and Lord God walking in the cool breeze of the day.

So is everyone who is born of the Spirit

And this is where most commentators stop. Using this passage as part of teaching the biblical revelation of the Spirit of God, the Trinity, the promised Holy Spirit, and so on. It is incorporated, not without good reason, into the doctrine of the Trinity.

But Jesus’ reply was not simply information to improve Nicodemus’s grip on biblical revelation or correct his doctrine, His reply was ‘formation’. He wanted Nicodemus to know what it would be like to become a son of the kingdom once he was born again. Here are Jesus’ words:

‘So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit’

He is laying out a completely new blueprint of living to Nicodemus.

To paraphrase: ‘This is the ‘normal’ of the kingdom of God. Those that are born again of the Spirit, Nicodemus, are like the wind, you can’t tell where they’ve come from or where they’ll go next. So, unlike your life now, bound by all those rules and regulations. You’ll need to leave all that behind and have faith that the wind will blow you in this direction and then that. Look at Me. That’s what you’ll be like’.

And that’s what the church should be like.

That’s what church meetings should be like.

Those born again by the Spirit, when they arrive at the same place, maybe on a Sunday, but not exclusively, there’s no knowing what will happen. It’s a choice. Either everything can be pre-set, like Nicodemus’ world of regulations, tight liturgy, rehearsed like a formal ceremony with all the life squeezed out of it, or another journey into the unknown with a frisson of excitement in the air, wondering what the Spirit of God is bringing and in which direction He is blowing.

If this sounds scary and you’d prefer your Minister or Vicar to exert their control, well that’s a choice you will make. Whilst it’s important for elders and leaders to give oversight, one of their important tasks is to ensure that the people haven’t brought any windbreaks to church:

‘Whenever you come together each of you has a song, a teaching, a tongue, a revelation, an interpretation. Make sure everything is done to build up the body, the church.’ 1 Cor 14 v 26

This is entirely different to ‘When you attend church on Sunday, the leaders will have put the hymn numbers on a board and we will follow this liturgy so that each Sunday will be like the previous Sunday and on into eternity’

That way the Spirit of God is only allowed to speak through the preacher or in the song choices, usually by one person, the worship leader or choirmaster, depending on your tradition. Who is Lord? The Spirit of God or the Minister?

The natural reaction in all of us is to get our slide rules out, our spreadsheets, and our calculators. Our planning DNA comes to the fore. Leaders tend to be good organisers and organise they will do. It is so easy to cave into this pressure and temptation, even for those born again by the Spirit, to revert to human control…and human, soulish impersonation of the Spirit.

If you’ve tried ice skating, you’ll know what it is to cling to the side of the ice rink for dear life. But if you want to have the freedom on the ice you have to let go, be willing to fall over, look a bit strange…like a newborn baby…until you learn to move and balance in increasing orders of freedom.

Clinging on…or learn to skate?

It’s just the same for any who are born again by the Spirit of God. There are no windbreaks in the Kingdom of God.