Podcast: Play in new window
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Preparation
O Lord, open our lips
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
In your resurrection, O Christ,
let heaven and earth rejoice. Alleluia.
Blessed are you, Lord God of our salvation,
to you be praise and glory for ever.
As once you ransomed your people from Egypt
and led them to freedom in the promised land,
so now you have delivered us from the dominion of darkness
and brought us into the kingdom of your risen Son.
May we, the first fruits of your new creation,
rejoice in this new day you have made,
and praise you for your mighty acts.
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Blessed be God for ever.
John 3.1-8
Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, ‘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.’ Jesus answered him, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.’ Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?’ Jesus answered, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, “You must be born from above.” The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.’
Reflection
Nicodemus came to Jesus by night.
We all have ‘guilty secrets’: those secrets we would prefer others not to know about. Those secrets that may be evidence of ‘real’ guilt, or evidence of self-indulgence and greed, or evidence of our predilection for some sort of secret vice. Such ‘guilty secrets’ are often inconsequential, but they remain ‘secret’ for all that.
In today’s reading we hear of Nicodemus’ guilty secret. He wanted to know more about Jesus, but he was afraid of the attitudes and opinions of others should his secret become public knowledge. Nicodemus was a Pharisee, one of the religious elite who led the campaign that would ultimately lead Jesus to his crucifixion. For Nicodemus’ secret to become known within his community would lead to his exclusion and persecution, and possibly even to his death. But … Nicodemus wanted to know.
In their conversation, as it is recorded in John’s gospel, we read of Jesus explaining the need for re-birth to the confused Pharisee. We know that Nicodemus will be re-born in faith, even to the point of tending the broken body of Christ after the crucifixion, but what about his coming to Jesus by night?
Jesus teaches his followers to proclaim the Good News to all. Such proclamation cannot be done effectively under the cover of darkness. As we read in the Sermon on the Mount: let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. If we are to accept Jesus’ challenge to live the life of true faith we must step out into the light and shine with the Good News.
Too often we skulk in the twilight, or even the darkness … even when it comes to matters of faith. Today we are being challenged to stand firm in the full light of day as we accept Jesus’ call to proclaim the Gospel message to all we meet as we journey through this life.
Let us pray for the strength of the Spirit to guide and inspire us as we emerge from the shadows of those ‘guilty secrets’ and take pride in the faith which sustains us as we shine the light of Christ into the darkness which encloses and imprisons others.
Prayers
To Christ, the Lamb who was slain,
and who now lives in the glory of the Father,
let us lift our voices in praise, saying:
risen Lord, we bless you, alleluia.
Lord Jesus, you are the Amen, the faithful witness,
the firstborn of the dead:
Risen Lord, we bless you, alleluia.
You are Alpha and Omega,
the one who is, and was, and who is to come:
Risen Lord, we bless you, alleluia.
You search into the thoughts and affections of all people:
Risen Lord, we bless you, alleluia.
You reprove and chasten those whom you love:
Risen Lord, we bless you, alleluia.
You open the eyes of the blind
and set the prisoners free:
Risen Lord, we bless you, alleluia.
In your paschal victory,
you have proclaimed the coming of the kingdom:
Risen Lord, we bless you, alleluia.
God of glory,
by the raising of your Son
you have broken the chains of death and hell:
fill your Church with faith and hope;
for a new day has dawned
and the way to life stands open
in our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Rejoicing in God’s new creation,
let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
The God of peace,
who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus,
that great shepherd of the sheep,
through the blood of the eternal covenant,
make us perfect in every good work to do his will,
working in us that which is well-pleasing in his sight;
and the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among us and remain with us always.
Amen.