Out of the Darkness

As I said last week, I am nerd when it comes to C.S. Lewis, and before I put The Voyage of the Dawn Treader back on the shelf, there is one last story I want to share with you.

After Eustace became a boy again (remember that he had been a dragon), they continued on their journey and soon came across a vast darkness which enveloped the sea, “utter blackness as if they had come to the edge of a moonless and starless night.” What lay in darkness was anyone’s guess, so as any good adventurers would, they lit their lanterns and plunged into the unknown.

Within the darkness they discovered a place where dreams came to life; dreams that could haunt a person and drive them mad. I’m normally not a fan of anything scary; however, Lewis caught my attention when he wrote, “… lit by the masthead light which was only just above her, seemed to be a little lighted world of its own floating in lonely darkness.”

“Floating in lonely darkness,” I cannot think of a better way to describe the world in which we live. Everywhere you turn, it seems people have gone mad. They are living in lonely darkness chasing after dreams that aren’t real, and most don’t even realize it. 

Depressing yet all is not lost because there are those who question the darkness and wonder if there isn’t, perhaps, another way. Those who seek understanding in the midst of the chaos, which makes me think of Nicodemus.

You may remember that it was under the cover of darkness that he first sought out Jesus. But even coming to Jesus at night was truly a risky thing. You see, he was Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin. What would people think if they saw him, a powerful member of Jewish society, talking with a known troublemaker from Nazareth?  

Yes, he had much to lose, but he was willing to step out of the darkness in order to find the truth. He was wanting to know the answers to questions he didn’t even know to ask, yet he was astonished when Jesus said, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” (John 3:3)

Nicodemus may have assumed that he would be the one posing the difficult questions, and he was baffled: “How can someone be born when they are old?” (John 3:4a) Of course, we know that Jesus was speaking about a spiritual birth, but at the moment, Nicodemus couldn’t reason through it. It was nonsensical to think that a man could enter his mother’s womb a second time (John 3:4b).

Yet what strikes me as I read this account again is that Nicodemus didn’t walk out. He didn’t shake his head in disgust at the outrageous statement Jesus had made, but instead, he sits, listens, and then asks a very important question, “How can this be?” (John 3:9).

As deep calls unto deep (Psalm 42:7), Nicodemus must have recognized there was truth in what Jesus said. I read that the phrase translated “born again” can also be translated as “born from above.” Did those words cut through the darkness of Nicodemus’ world. Did he feel the truth that even he, a Pharisee, needed a change of heart - a spiritual transformation - that could only come from above?

The thing is the confusion over this statement is no different today than it was the night Jesus and Nicodemus met.  Being “born again” now holds a political stigma and people are still missing the fact that it has nothing to do with politics and everything to do with a spiritual transformation that is a necessary step in the Christian faith. As Paul wrote:

He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:5-7)

This transformation takes place when God removes our hearts of stone and replaces them with hearts of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26). That’s right, through Christ we have a new heart and a new spirit! However, if you ask the average person on the street if they have been born again, they might tell you how “spiritual” they are or that they are a “good” person. If they believe in God at all, they hang their hat on the idea that he is love and a loving god wouldn’t condemn anyone to hell.

And again, the words of Jesus roll through my mind on how broad the road is that leads to destruction (Matthew 7:13). Friends, here is the truth: The difference between perishing and living, between condemnation and salvation, is faith in Christ. Jesus is the light that shines in the darkness, “and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:5) But what baffles me though is why people will not come into the “light of life” that Christ offers.

What is wrong with people?

As I think about it, I look back at the passage and read: “Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.” (John 3:20) Could it be that people simply want to persist in their sins? As we discussed last week, sometimes we find comfort and solace in them, and it can be hard to turn from our iniquities even when we know they are wrong. Thus, people shrink from the light that will expose them.

But we don’t have to live that way, and Nicodemus shows us that it is possible. At the beginning, he came to Jesus under the cover of darkness, but he did not stay in the shadows. After the crucifixion, he went with Joseph of Arimathea to Pilate and asked for the body of Christ (John 19:38-42). They both willingly risked their reputations and their lives to provide a funeral for Jesus.

But what about us?

As we say, that is a loaded question and as you consider it, listen to what Paul had to say to the believers in Thessalonica:

But friends, you’re not in the dark, so how could you be taken off guard by any of this? You’re sons of Light, daughters of Day. We live under wide open skies and know where we stand. So let’s not sleepwalk through life like those others. Let’s keep our eyes open and be smart. People sleep at night and get drunk at night. But not us! Since we’re creatures of Day, let’s act like it. Walk out into the daylight sober, dressed up in faith, love, and the hope of salvation. (1 Thessalonian 5:4-8 The Message)

Since we are sons and daughters of the light, we should not live like the rest of the world. As Eugene Peterson so beautifully translated Romans 13:14, “Get out of bed and get dressed! Don’t loiter and linger, waiting until the very last minute. Dress yourselves in Christ, and be up and about!”

Do you hear the urgency in this verse? We can’t afford to squander our time on things that do not matter, because people’s lives hang in the balance. Remember that little light that was floating in the darkness in Lewis’ novel?  That light attracted the attention of a man who had been lost in the darkness of his dreams, and when he saw the light, he swam towards it and was saved.

Friends, that’s why we are here. God wants us to be his little lights shining in the darkness showing people that there is a different way to live. Therefore, we must stop sleepwalking through life, and instead, try walking like Jesus (1 John 2:6)!

For the glory of God!  Lisa

Discussion Questions

How would you explain being “born again” if someone were to ask?

How can you cultivate a heart that loves light more than darkness?

We can all be guilty of sleepwalking through life. What are signs to watch for that might indicate you need to wake up and stop loitering?