Tag: nicodemus

Some of the people therefore, when they heard these words, were saying, “This certainly is the Prophet.” Others were saying, “This is the Christ.” Still others were saying, “Surely the Christ is not going to come from Galilee, is He? Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the descendants of David, and from Bethlehem, the village where David was?” So a division occurred in the crowd because of Him. Some of them wanted to seize Him, but no one laid hands on Him. The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, and they said to them, “Why did you not bring Him?” The officers answered, “Never has a man spoken the way this man speaks.” The Pharisees then answered them, “You have not also been led astray, have you? No one of the rulers or Pharisees has believed in Him, has he? But this crowd which does not know the Law is accursed.” Nicodemus (he who came to Him before, being one of them) said to them, “Our Law does not judge a man unless it first hears from him and knows what he is doing, does it?” They answered him, “You are not also from Galilee, are you? Search, and see that no prophet arises out of Galilee.”
– John 7:40-52

We look again at one of the people mentioned in the gospels in order to see how Jesus can transform a person’s life. Our subject this time is a person whose name is quite familiar to the readers of John’s gospel account: Nicodemus. Like many of the people who encountered Jesus, we are given nearly no details about Nicodemus. Even so, we are left with a portrait, even if just a passing glimpse, of someone who experienced transformation through an encounter with Jesus. His name is mentioned in only three places, all in the Gospel of John. His most prominent appearance is the initial conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus as described in John chapter 3. After that, we see Nicodemus offer one seemingly benign comment in the debate over Jesus in John 7, not to appear again until John 19 where he is identified as one who helped bury the body of Jesus. It doesn’t seem to be much evidence on which to build a case regarding Nicodemus. Therefore, we shall proceed with modesty regarding what we know with certainty, all while remaining open to consider what the scripture suggests.

A Man of Prominence. Let’s begin with what we are told about Nicodemus. He was one of the religious leaders of the sect called Pharisees. These were men whose primary concern was adherence to the scriptures, including Torah, Prophets, and Writings. They had advanced education in scripture study, and were the group of religious leaders who had the greatest influence with the general population. Further, Jesus even recognizes Nicodemus as “the teacher of Israel” (John 3:10), leading most to believe Nicodemus was part of the Sanhedrin, sometimes called Council, a 70-member body functioning as the highest authority for Jewish religious affairs.

We enter the narrative in John 7 with a scene where public opinion about Jesus—and opinion among the religious leaders—is being debated. The general public can’t agree on a position about Jesus. For some, the evidence is clear; Jesus must be the one for whom our people have waited. For others, they can’t put all the pieces together in their minds, and therefore the limits of their knowledge prevail over the evidence of Jesus’ ministry. The religious leaders have also focused their attention on Jesus, mostly in agreement that he presents a problem that must be eliminated. Chapter 7 begins with the comment that “the Jews” (i.e. leaders) were seeking to kill Jesus. During one of the feasts, when all were gathered in Jerusalem, the chief priests and Pharisees had sent officers to arrest Jesus. Their orders were abundantly clear, yet they returned to the leaders empty handed. When asked why, their response essentially is, “You should hear him teach!” (7:45-46). From the commoners to the most learned, influential leader, there was something powerful in a first-hand encounter with Jesus.

This invites our curiosity regarding Nicodemus’ role in the public debate happening in John 7. As readers who look back on the whole story, we know that Nicodemus has had such an encounter with Jesus. At the time, though, no one among his colleagues seems to be aware of this (with one possible exception, which we will mention later). This is why Nicodemus’ comment during the debate is telling to us, and was not graciously received by the other Pharisees. What Nicodemus says seems benign. His only observation is that there are processes in place that should be followed. According to those processes, a person should have the right to give a first-hand defense for themselves before judgment is rendered against them. While that seems reasonable to us, the Pharisees seem to consider that an indication that Nicodemus has been “infected” by Jesus’ teaching. The Pharisees, as we observed regarding the general population, were willing to draw conclusions about Jesus because they couldn’t get all the puzzle pieces about him put together (“he comes from Galilee, therefore he cannot be what you are suggesting”).

The Encounter. What do we know that the Pharisees didn’t know at the time? Nicodemus had already heard from Jesus. As readers of the Gospels, you and I are given the benefit of knowing about a meeting between Nicodemus and Jesus. This is not the only interchange between Jesus and Pharisees mentioned in the Gospels, but it is unusual because Nicodemus is not confrontational. He is genuinely seeking understanding. He comes by night, we assume for the reason of privacy. His lead in to the conversation indicates he desires to assemble the puzzle pieces in his mind, and is willing to go where the evidence leads. “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him” (John 3:2). It isn’t a question, but there are many questions embedded in the statement. He is opening a door, hoping Jesus will help him understand what is missing or conflicting. He wants resolution.

What Jesus offers is more than Nicodemus was expecting. What Nicodemus had in mind probably involved questions about Jesus’ lineage, why Jesus seemed to be at odds with Pharisaic understanding of the Law, and other similar things. Any of these questions are seeking the same kind of resolution: more information. What Jesus offered revealed that there were deeper matters where Nicodemus needed understanding. “Unless one is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God” (John 3:3). Apparently Nicodemus didn’t have the right kind of questions in mind.

The Beginning of Wisdom. Psalm 111:10 and Proverbs 9:10 tell us that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” You and I belong to a race of creatures who have pursued knowledge with great zeal. We learn, attain and process information, formulate conclusions and build philosophies about all things related to life. In his own way, Nicodemus would have been just like this. As a Pharisee, detailed knowledge of the Mosaic Law was of utmost importance. Nicodemus would have been able to quote scripture impressively. He would have been able to unpack the meaning of nearly any text in his Bible. Knowledge was not what Nicodemus lacked. What he lacked, or at least what he needed to remember, was not something knowledge would resolve.

When I was in high school, there was a teacher who gave our class an exam I will never forget. The papers were distributed with the exhortation from the teacher to “read the instructions carefully.” At the top of the page was the instruction to “read through the entire test before starting your work.” Following this was a long series of questions, as one would expect on a high school exam. Naturally, I and all of my classmates began working through the questions on the test. As I recall, there was a time limit on the test, so finishing quickly was important. After working through all of the questions, the last thing we read on the paper was, “After you have read through all the questions, write your name at the top of the paper and turn it in.” We had been set up! But it wasn’t the teacher’s fault; it was our own for not paying attention to the instructions we were given.

The scriptures from Psalms and Proverbs seem to be teaching us the same lesson. There is something key you need to grasp. Without it, all else will crumble. What is that “something?” The fear of the Lord.
– Knowing how to live rightly before God, and doing it.
– Being in reverence and awe before God, not losing sight of His glory.
– Acknowledging our need for mercy, and God’s desire to give it (Psalm 51:10).
If we do not have this foundation, any pursuit of God through knowledge will be lacking power. Knowledge can point us toward God; it will not restore us to God. This requires a movement that comes from God and works within us. This the movement of the Spirit, who moves whenever and wherever He wishes. Though we can’t control Him, we can respond to Him. The fear of the Lord opens our heart to this response.

The Downside of Knowledge. In the first two verses of 1 Corinthians 8, Paul makes an observation in the context of the church living out the faith. In short, he points out that knowledge is problematic when not accompanied by a heart of love. Without a renewed heart, knowledge makes one proud, and that pride causes division rather than unity. Knowledge is only able to bear kingdom fruit when it is sanctified by love. The finishing work is done by the Holy Spirit in a person’s heart, not the head.

If any group of people in Jesus’ day should have been prepared to receive Jesus, we would think it would be the Pharisees. Knowledge wasn’t what they were lacking. They had the scriptures. They knew the scriptures. In their defense, the nature of the Messiah’s ministry may have been difficult for them to grasp, as it would have been for us if we were in their context. Nevertheless, Jesus time after time affirmed to the Pharisees that they should know what they were seeing. Knowledge was not the barrier. Pride was. Pride kept their hearts closed, for all except people like Nicodemus.

Our Final Clue. As mentioned earlier, Nicodemus is mentioned in only three places in the gospel accounts. We have touched on two; now for the third. It is only a brief statement at the end of John chapter 19, where we are told that Nicodemus comes with myrrh and aloes to help prepare Jesus’ body for burial. Does this tell us anything explicitly about Nicodemus? No, but it does leave us wondering why two lone people among the Sanhedrin cared about the body of a dead “troublemaker.” Why do I say two? Because we are also told of Joseph of Arimathea, who asked the Roman governor Pilate to have Jesus’ body for burial. The interesting thing about Joseph? He also was a member of the Sanhedrin (see Mark 15:43; Luke 23:50). Do you think Joseph and Nicodemus knew each other? Had private conversations about Jesus? I suspect they did. And whether or not they stood on the mountaintop to proclaim it, I suspect both of them were never the same after a real, honest encounter with Jesus.

Just Like Us. When I reflect on Nicodemus, I see the potential for many factors that can keep a person unchanged by Jesus. Nicodemus likely saw himself as accomplished, educated, and living a full life. He knew God, or at least knew about God. At a crucial point, though, Nicodemus became aware of his limitations. His heart told him there was more to be experienced, and Jesus made clear that Nicodemus would only get there by allowing the wind of the Spirit to do His work. In this regard, Nicodemus is no different than many of us. We may think we have God figured out, and if our life isn’t on the skids, there is no impetus driving us to further exploration.

If you have made it this far, I have an invitation for you. I invite you to take a deep look at Jesus. Don’t just settle for the Jesus you think you know; look at the witness of scripture until you see the mystery of who Jesus is, and why he came. Look at him until you become aware that he is looking back at you, seeing into your soul and exposing needs you didn’t even know you had. If you will allow yourself this humble endeavor, you will be positioning yourself to be transformed deep in your heart.

Just like Nicodemus.