Night School

If someone saw me slipping from darkness to darkness like this they might think me a robber. Perhaps that would be better than their actually recognizing me. It would not do for a Pharisee, let alone a member of the ruling Council, to be observed on this errand.

I am told that he commonly spends his nights in this area when he is visiting Jerusalem. I must find him. I must speak with him. As a teacher myself, it seems strange that I am compelled to learn more about him. How could there be so many stories about him, yet the Council is so conflicted about their accuracy, and what they portend?

Oh, here he is!

“Good evening sir. Please excuse this interruption. May I have a few minutes of your time?”

He bids me come closer. It seems safe to do so. Is my judgement sufficient to take this risk?

“Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs that you have if God were not with him.”

That sounded even better than I thought it would when I crafted the statement on my way here!

“Amen[1]. I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again” He says.

I had not even gotten far enough along to ask a question! Now we drift away from the ground I wanted to cover. I need answers. He starts off with Amen, claiming he has the truth, as well as his own inspired idea. We priests far more often quote the Tanakh and other sages from the past to support our lessons and intentions. What a strange approach this is! Still, I cannot resist following up on such a statement.

“How can someone be born when they are old? Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

“Amen. I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

My head spins! Born of water? Ah yes! Reminds me of baptism, though perhaps he simply refers to the water of natural birth. They say this man is a relative of Jochanan the Baptizer. Are they pursuing the same thing?

Now ‘born of the Spirit’ – that is a big concept to wrap one’s mind around. Which Spirit? What is there before such a birth? But ‘the wind blows’ almost sounds like the experience of Moses with the LORD. And ‘blowing where it pleases?” a wind has not self-direction, no desire. It simply – is. How can he say it ‘pleases’ to do anything? Spirit is like a breeze. Is that what he is talking about? Is he talking about the Spirit of the LORD? And what has that to do with this conversation?

It almost seems as if he is suggesting that even I, a priest and council member, have no clear grasp of the Kingdom of God! What does he mean by that anyway? Is it possible that we would not perceive what is obviously visible before us? Is he challenging me? But let us follow up on this birth thing. Surely this is nonsensical.

“How can this be?”

“You are Israel’s teacher” he replies,“and do you not understand these things? Amen. I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”

Excuse me? I understand many things! Though I don’t understand this course we are taking…

Now Moses lifted up the snake on his wooden stick. No spiritual leader is lifted up like that! Still, it would be a blessing if once again the sick and infirmed could look upon Moses’ snake and be healed. This man, some say, is a healer.

It’s as if he insists on taking me to the other side of this path that our conversation follows. As if he insists that I see something I am not seeking, yet miss the answers I came for. I ask about going back into the womb – which HE brought up first – and he talks about going into heaven. And what could he mean ‘everyone who believes’? Believes what?

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

‘One and only son’? Are we not all sons of Adoni, through Avraham Avinu[2]? Come to think of it, this reminds me of how Avraham was expected to give up his only son Yishaq[3]. His words make me tingle; I almost want to laugh. Will our LORD’s son save the world? Is this a joke?

“Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

He announces the ‘verdict’! Is the trial over? I didn’t even know anyone was called to testify! There must be witnesses! The law requires it!

Of course, the verdict he mentions is that light has come into the world. Would it take a trial to decide that there is light? And he says evil people prefer darkness. Perhaps we would agree on that even without a trial.

And where in all the Holy books does it say that belief overcomes actions? Could it be so simple that believing leads to no condemnation?

I don’t hate light! Though there are some things better accomplished in the darkness… like this meeting. After all, I am not even sure why I came. This is not at all the way I expected this conversation to go. This is all so confusing! Son, light, verdict, snake, belief! What does this mean?

Is this man a lunatic, or is he really from Adoni? I think this is too much for me now. I need some distance before I can more fully ponder these things. I better start back.

Now I can think further as I walk. So, he believes that we must be born of water and the Spirit to see the Kingdom of Heaven, whatever that means. He seems to be more interested in heaven than life on this earth. And who is this ‘Son of Man’ he speaks of? Is he referring to King David?[4] For that matter, was David speaking of himself? Or is it Ezekiel?[5]Or Daniel?[6] Or does he think that HE is this Son of Man? There are reports that he has spoken of the Son of Man in apparent descriptions of what he himself has done. Of course, the things he has reportedly done are quite unique. But does he really believe that HE has seen heaven, let alone come from heaven? And does he expect to be lifted up on a stick like Moses’ snake?

He obviously thinks that just believing will keep one from perishing; NOT by keeping the law! That would be a load off our shoulders, if true. But belief in what? The Son of Man? He said God has a son, gave his son, to save the world, or at least to save those who believe in him. Who is this one who is God’s son? Does HE think he is this Son of God? That would be blasphemy! Or at least it is blasphemy if it is not true. And how could it possibly be true?

And what of Moses? Who can overlook that? Sin MUST be atoned for. God himself says so. Atonement requires a blood sacrifice.

But then David spoke of one who would come from the order of Melchizedek,[7] a man who was considered righteous even before the giving of the law. And his troops will come like dew from the morning’s womb. Hmm. Almost like being born of water… Now THAT one will judge the nations. That sends chills up my spine! But he says that God’s Son does not come to condemn, but to save. How can this be?

And he issues his own verdict, as if he were authorized to do so: Light has come into the world, but people love darkness! Now who would love the darkness?

Oh my! Morning is coming soon! I must hurry back. I must not be exposed by the dawning. In the meantime, I have duties to perform at the temple. I must keep an eye on this one, even if from a distance. The Council must soberly consider what this man says and does. Surely he will come up again in conversation among the people.

 

(c) 2017 Chuck Curtiss

To read more about how this character reappears later in the historical accounts, go to Night School – Aftermath

To read other similar stories in this series see The Witness List.

Based on John 3

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. http://www.zondervan.com.

The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

 

[1]Translated into English as ‘Truly, Truly’ or ‘Verily, Verily’

[2]Our Father Abraham

[3]Isaac

[4]Psalm 80:17

[5]Ezekiel 2:1,3,6,8; 3:1,3,4,10,17,25 as well as many other later chapters

[6]Daniel 7:13, 8:17

[7]Psalm 110