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In the name of Jesus. Amen. How can we see the kingdom of God? We'll let Jesus answer that one today. But first, who here knows how the eyes of faith work? What do we think we see? We're always clinging to what we can wrap our minds around or to what our eyes tell us. But we will never see the kingdom of heaven that way. Even Jesus says so. If we want to see the kingdom of God, then we must be about receiving what our Lord is handing out. If we try for the kingdom some other way, well, God will make fools of us. Not much different than those Tower of Babel folks who thought they could reach heaven by their own means. God made fools of them. No one could understand each other after that. When we attempt kingdom of heaven things by going after them by our own means or by worldly attempts, God will make fools out of us too. That is no different than our friend Nicodemus today. That's what happens when you try for the kingdom of heaven by your own means or your own terms. You won't even understand what's being said to you. So let's see what our good friend Nicodemus the Pharisee is doing. Nicodemus is a good example of all of us. He wants to know who Jesus is. He has questions, but he doesn't come right out and ask them. We have questions, but we often don't come right out and ask them either. Maybe we don't have the guts. Maybe we really don't want to hear the answers. Either way, Nicodemus is a good example of how we often approach things when we're not ready to receive them the way God is telling us. All his doubt and curiosity are hidden under his demeanor. He comes to Jesus at night. Maybe that way no one will find out he's having a heart-to-heart with the one person all his friends don't like. It's more safe that way. Inquiring minds want to know. His questions are all hidden under his opening statement to Jesus. Rabbi, we know that you're a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with them. His questions are there. There it is, the assertion that Jesus couldn't do these things unless God is with him. In saying that he was just waiting for Jesus to give him a nod, a wink of affirmation, yes, you got it right, Nick. God is with me. But that's not what Jesus does. And that's not what Jesus says. He knows the real question in Nicodemus' heart, are you the Christ? Instead, Jesus gives him the punchline up front. Truly, truly I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Who would have thought seeing the kingdom of heaven is conditional? But that's the condition spoken by Jesus. It is as if he said to poor old Nicodemus, who is on the fence about this Jesus guy if you want to see the kingdom of heaven, if you want to recognize who I really am, you must be born again. Or if you want what the original language says to be born from above. But the Lord of life doesn't lie. If we want to see the kingdom of heaven, we must be given the eyes of faith. If we want the eyes of faith, that can only be worked in you by the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit never lies. If we want to see Jesus, then the truth must be what the Lord of life has told us. If we want to enter Jesus' kingdom, then we must be born of water and spirit. In other words, if you want to see the kingdom of heaven, the Holy Spirit must give you the eyes of faith. If you want to enter the kingdom of heaven, well then you must be united to Jesus. But you don't have the ability to do either one of these things by your own means. And what is, and what means does Jesus give us? But to be born again, born from above by water and spirit, well, this is none other than baptism. Baptism where you were washed with water with the word of God. God's word and spirit never work apart from each other. You cannot have baptism without both. But God's word combined with the water is what makes it a life-giving water. There you are given the eyes of faith. There you are united to Christ with certainty so that you can enter the kingdom of heaven. Who here can see the wind? Yet it blows when and where it pleases. Is it not the same with everyone who is born of the Spirit? But if you want to be born of the Spirit, then you must be about receiving it the way Jesus has set it aside for you. If you try by your own means, well, God will make a fool out of you too. Maybe it's time to let God make fools out of all of us. Maybe it's time to let God make us see the kingdom of heaven with eyes of faith given to us in our baptism instead of trying to see it with our own reason and intellect. Maybe that's the only way we'll understand how baptism actually rescues from death and devil. Maybe that's the only way we'll understand how it delivers to us the forgiveness of all our sins and the Holy Spirit. Maybe that's the only way we'll realize the heavenly things Christ sets before our very eyes, where angels and archangels and all the company of heaven join us here in the divine service. But if we continue to act like Nicodemus, we will ask the same thing old Nick asks. How can these things be? But the truth Jesus speaks to Nicodemus is the same truth Jesus speaks to us. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? The truth is we can't. Only the eyes of faith given by the Holy Spirit can. Right here today in his divine service. For no one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. If you're about believing in Jesus, then you will be about believing what he says. If you're about receiving his word, then seeing Jesus on the cross won't be embarrassing to you, but you'll see the Son of Man lifted up for your sake. If you receive the eyes of faith the way Jesus gives, well then you too will see his kingdom and enter it. For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. But this is not just about how much God loves us, as it is about the manner in which God demonstrates his love for us. He demonstrates his love by giving his only begotten Son to die in our place. These are his verbs, not ours. He is the one who gave and acted on our behalf. He is the one running all the verbs of salvation here. Only the eyes of faith can see that. And just like only the eyes of faith can receive the fruit of Jesus' life-giving cross at the table of our Lord, where he actually delivers his promises into our mouths. Only the eyes of faith can see the promises of God are found in the words of Jesus and what he attaches them to. If you desire the promises of God, then you must be about receiving things the way God sets it up. You must receive them the way God gives them to you. Baptism is necessary for our identities as Christians. It is necessary for our faith. It is necessary for salvation because it delivers everything that God promises it does. Whether we believe Jesus' word and let God's word have its way with us, or we don't. We either let the Holy Spirit give us the eyes of faith to see what we cannot by our own reason and strength believe, or we refuse to believe Jesus' word and we let God make fools of us. If you want eternal life, then you must be about receiving the things that Jesus is giving out. If you want to see the kingdom of heaven, well then you must be receiving things the way Jesus comes to you and makes his home with you. His ways are the best ways, I promise. His ways are the right ways. When you let your Lord have his way with you, you will leave here knowing that all your sins are forgiven in Christ Jesus by his means of grace this very day. Amen. Now the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.