It’s another Trinity Sunday and another John 3:16 Sunday. What more could we ask for, right? But I’d like to start with a few permissions (if you need them). First, you do not need to preach on the Trinity. You don’t need to try to explain a mystery and you don’t need to try to explain the heresies. Second, you don’t need to say the Athanasian Creed. In fact, I encourage you not to. Unless you plan on doing a lot of teaching around it, please don’t use it. Third, it’s okay to cherry pick this one. We’ve been in Easter and Maundy Thursday for so long that trying to jump back into the narrative of John will be difficult. And while the story of Nicodemus is a little familiar to some, it’s not so familiar that people will know exactly where we are in the story of Jesus’ ministry. All of this to say, you can be easy on yourself this week. If you needed to hear that, I hope that it’s helpful.
John 3:1-17 (2nd Sunday in Lent) – March 5th, 2023
I’d argue that many of us are more like Nicodemus in our faith journeys that some of the other characters that we will hear about this Lenten season. Many of us have ups and downs in our faith and Nicodemus is a character that tells us that that’s okay. We can ask hard questions that bother us, and Jesus does not shy from those questions. We can ask for more time to listen to the Word so that we can be in a better place to hear the message. We can participate in the rituals, not knowing all the ins and outs of the theology, and it can still be holy and faithful. If we only preach on Nicodemus as a foil for the Woman at the well, then we miss a huge opportunity to preach to those who are struggling with their faith. We miss a huge opportunity to preach to family members that are concerned about their children or grandchildren not experiencing Jesus. We miss a huge opportunity connect with a character that learns and grows and isn’t just immediately “perfect.” This Sunday is an opportunity to preach on doubt, questions, and the growth of faith.
Micah Krey 