Undoubtedly he had heard this teacher, Jesus, being discussed by his colleagues and probably condemned by them. After all this incident in John is placed directly after Jesus' Cleansing of the Temple. That was a dramatic and provocative action in the extreme. No doubt the Temple leaders were furious at this upstart from Galilee. Who did he think he was? With all that going on it was not surprising that Nicodemus came to Jesus “by night” just to be on the safe side. And then Nicodemus asked questions of Jesus. I like that inquiring, curious, questioning faith which Nicodemus exhibits. Sometimes as a church we have been afraid of people's questions and have protected ourselves from them by demanding a rock hard faith or by simply denying their right to ask them.

Christian history is littered with brave men and women who questioned and criticized the institutional church and who suffered for it. Think of the martyrs of the early Reformation period like John Hus or Wycliffe or the Marian martyrs in England: Cranmer, Latimer and Ridley and so on down the ages to the likes of Deitrich Bonhoeffer in the 20th century. They were all people who died because they dared asked questions.

But Jesus did not reject Nicodemus and his questions. On the contrary Nicodemus' questions elucidated some incredible answers which enrich our understanding of the nature of God on this Trinity Sunday. But before we forget Nicodemus there are two more things I want to say about him and who he represents. On Friday the President visited Buchenwald Concentration Camp along with the German President. It was an important visit and one made by made by many leaders before him. But as the President remarked it is a constant reminder of where hatred of any group of people can lead. Anti-Semitism was deeply ingrained in European culture in the Modern era. It was rife in England, France, Italy, as it was in Germany and indeed as it was in this country. Sadly the Christian church was complicit in this dangerous attitude by allowing the popular sentiment that the “Jews killed Jesus” to often pass unchallenged.

One of the problems we face as a church is that a superficial reading of St John's gospel, with his repeated use of the phrase “the Jews”, would seem to support the popular notion. Reading the gospel of John more carefully reveals a much more nuanced approach. For passages like today's gospel and the passages about Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea who were both Jewish leaders indicate that John was fully aware that there was division among the Jewish leaders. Some argue that the phrase “the Jews” should be translated “some Jews” or “some Jewish leaders”. Be that as it may John's Gospel was written at a time when there was a hardening of the division among those Jews loyal to Jesus and those who rejected him. We need to read the texts with care mindful of the potential dangers of misinterpretation.

The second thing I wanted to say about questioning Nicodemus who came by night to Jesus is his second mention in the Gospel immediately following the Crucifixion. “After these things Joseph of Arimathea who was a disciple of Jesus though a secret one because of the fear of the Jews (Jewish authorities?) asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission; so he came and removed his body. Nicodemus, who had first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds. They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, according to the burial custom of the Jews.” In other words Nicodemus, the one who asked questions had come around full turn and was now the faithful committed disciple. It is good that Nicodemus has a window in his honor in our St Joseph of Arimathea Chapel.

But what about his questions and Jesus' answers? Nicodemus asked three questions: or really a statement and two questions. First he said “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.” To which Jesus replied “Very truly (the Greek is Amen, Amen I say to you) I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” In other words God is the Initiator; the Creator; the source of all things; the beginning and the end as Revelation puts it. All things come from God and go to God. In light of that enigmatic answer Nicodemus labored on not really getting Jesus' meaning: “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the womb and be born?” Poor Nicodemus had taken this phrase “born from above” as relating to physical birth. To which Jesus once again said: “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.” And Jesus continued to describe the work of the Spirit of God which is like the wind which “blows where it chooses” In other words Jesus began to describe God's inspirational, life giving presence, a presence we recognize as the Spirit which sanctifies, which makes us holy; the Spirit we celebrate in baptism and confirmation; the Spirit we celebrated last Sunday on the Feast of Pentecost. And not to put off by these complex and seemingly obtuse answers Nicodemus, perhaps in a fit of exasperation, asked: “How can these things be?” Once again Jesus began: “Very truly I tell you” and went on to speak of the Son of Man and to utter those familiar words: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” What we encounter here is God incarnate in the person and work of Jesus, who is the Redeemer of the world. Jesus spoke of a God who cares so much for us, who loves us so much, that he gave his only Son so that we may enjoy eternal life in God's love.

One has to be careful not to say “here is the doctrine of the Trinity”. That doctrine was the product of theological debates in a later era and its formulation in terms of Greek philosophical thought. But what we do have in John and also in the passage from Romans with its references to Father, Spirit and Christ is what we call an implicit Trinitarian doctrine which would later be made more explicit as the times demanded. What is helpful in the John passage based on Nicodemus' questions is a sense not just of the three persons of the Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Spirit but of the several aspects of the work of God. I chose three “I” words: initiation; inspiration; and incarnation to describe this work. God is the one who made us: who brings all things into being. God is also the one who inspires and renews us by his presence in our lives: the one who sanctifies us; the one who activates us. And God is the one who by his Incarnation in the person of Jesus comes along side us in our humanity; who takes our suffering and struggle into himself; who by his death and resurrection opens up the path to glory; the way to our full humanity.