“ For God so loved the world that He gave
His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have
everlasting life.” John 3:16
To begin our study on encounters with Jesus we
start with the most famous New Testament verse in the Bible. It is probably one
most Christians first memorized, and that football fans know as the end zone
verse. It’s the gospel in a nutshell. Still, with as famous as it is, very few
people know who it was spoken to and the context of the conversation. Some may
not even know that it was Jesus who said it about Himself. So let us dive right
into the encounter between Jesus and the religious man, Nicodemus. It is found
in the third chapter of the Gospel of John, and we’ll be covering the first 21
verses.
There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus,
a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him,
“Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these
signs that You do unless God is with him.” John 3: 1-2 Here we get introduced
to our man, Nicodemus. It’s important to remember in these studies that these
were actual people, not story characters that we’re viewing through a lens of a
camera. Nicodemus was a real man who lived in the first century, who served in
the Pharisaical council. He was a leader in the community, recognizable by many
in the streets. Yet, when he goes to see Jesus he goes by night. He would have
drawn the attention of many if he would have gone by day, so he went out to see
this teacher, this man he admits is sent from God, by night. Why? Obviously
because he didn’t want the attention drawn to himself. Little did he know that
the words said to him would become the most recognizable Christian tag line.
When Jesus looked
upon the speaker he didn’t see the celebrity. Jesus saw a man in need. He knew
the reasons Nicodemus needed to come by darkness of night. Despite all the
trappings of his religious outward expression, Jesus also recognized what was
going on that brought this man out of his comfort zone. Nicodemus’ religious
life was not fulfilling him spiritually. Something was lacking. It was evident
in the actions this very recognizable man was taking, sneaking around at night,
so as not to bring attention to the reasons he’d sought Jesus out; Nicodemus
needed the Counselor.
The encounter begins
with Nicodemus acknowledging that he knows Jesus is not what the other
Pharisees are saying about Him. Nicodemus admits that Jesus is doing the work
of God, for the things that are being done are what was prophesied about. “In
that day the deaf shall hear the words of the book, And the eyes of the blind
shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness. The humble also shall increase their joy in the Lord, And the poor among men shall rejoice In the
Holy One of Israel.” Isaiah 29:18-19
It’s interesting
that Jesus didn’t bask in his praise, or praise Nicodemus for recognizing that
he was sent by God. Perhaps it was because of all of the people in Israel, it
was the religious that should have known what signs to be on the watch for. Why
should these watchmen be praised for doing their job? Shouldn’t they simply
sound the alarm? Shouldn’t we when we see the signs of our times?
Instead Jesus jumps
right into the reason Nicodemus was there. “Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you,
unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3 There’s
Nicodemus, standing right in front of the Son of God, and he doesn’t see the
kingdom of God is within arm’s reach. If only he would fall to his knees and
say, “My Lord and my God!”
Nicodemus gets
stuck, as many do, on the first part of what Jesus said and missed the last
part. “Nicodemus said
to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into
his mother’s womb and be born?” John
3:4 Seeing only the physical, a grown man, trying to climb back into
his mother to be born, he finds it laughable. He’s limited by his own
understanding of God. God is not limited by us; we are limited by Him.
Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born
of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and
that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be
born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the
sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is
everyone who is born of the Spirit.” John
3:5-8 Jesus gives him a briefing on
what Nicodemus isn’t getting. Nicodemus has something missing, and it’s not the
physical. Like so many others, he is missing the spiritual side of things,
which is everything he thinks he has a handle on. The physical that he has on
the outside is apparent to all, but the spiritual can’t be seen no matter how
he tries to guide it. The spirit goes where it wills despite his efforts. The
spirit has to be born.
Nicodemus
answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?” John 3:9 As many
of us do, Nicodemus holds on to the traditions of his religion rather than what
he’s being told. It just doesn’t make sense to give up what has been the stable
of his community for generations. “This is the way it’s always been,” is his
thinking. “We’ve always had it this way.” Everyone knew the laws and how they
were practiced. How quickly he had forgotten the history of his people as a
rebellious nation. Who had they rebelled against? God.
Jesus answered
and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know
these things? Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We
know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. If I have told you earthly things and you do not
believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended to heaven but He who came
down from heaven, that
is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.” John 3:10-13 Jesus
continues to point out to Nicodemus was lacking inwardly. He wanted, thirsted,
for God. His inward sinful man was killing him, both figuratively and
literally. He was the white washed tomb that Jesus spoke of, beautiful on the
outside but filled with a dead man’s bones on the inside. Jesus reminds him while
he is a teacher of Israel, he doesn’t know everything. The one thing Nicodemus
wants to know most of all is where he is with God. Don’t we all?
Nicodemus, like many
religious people, found his identity with God in the practice of his religion.
He did all the right things, but he still felt far from God. He still didn’t
understand why he couldn’t find the communion that the fathers of the faith
held with God. He wanted that kind of relationship with God. He wanted to be
able to really experience God in the fullness of His glory. And there he was,
with Jesus, who calls him on it. Jesus uses the term (We) the One spoken of in
Scripture, the omnipotent. Yet Nicodemus still doesn’t pick up on it. Jesus
continues explaining that He testifies of what Jesus has seen, giving Himself
yet another godly attribute, that of omniscience. It’s as if Jesus tells
Nicodemus, “I’m right here, in the flesh, and you’re not reaching out. How is
it you’re reaching for heaven when you won’t reach for what’s right here right
now? You’re reaching up, and you can’t reach God, so that’s why I’m here. I’m
here for you. I came from heaven for you.”
The next part of
Jesus’ discussion with Nicodemus is by far the most memorable text in the New Testament.
Jesus says, “ And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the
wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish
but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only
begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have
everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to
condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:14-17
These
verses are considered the Gospel message, or the Grace message. I believe they are rightfully so. Jesus
references back to when the Israelites complained against God, so fiery
serpents were sent out and bit them. As a parent how many times have we said, “You
want to complain, I’ll give you something to complain about!” Yet God raised up
for them the very sign of the thing that was taking their lives. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be
that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.” Numbers
21:8
This was a very familiar history to Nicodemus. He
might have even expounded on it in discussion with other Pharisees. Jesus
relates it to what will be done on Nicodemus behalf. Jesus is telling Nicodemus
to keep his eyes on the Son of Man if he wants to have eternal life. Jesus then
gets to the good news, the part that meets Nicodemus need, the part that meets
all our need. Jesus tells him it is all about love, that God loves him, and
that if Nicodemus chooses to believe that God loves him enough to send the
sacrifice for his sin, that emptiness, that void, the distance that has kept
him from having that communion with God will be gone. I believe that at this
moment Nicodemus softened, and all pretense left him. I believe this because of
what Jesus said next. He says that he didn’t come to condemn, but to save.
For a Pharisee the idea of a God who would
actually save by faith was groundbreaking news. They whole heartedly embraced
the idea of salvation by works; those works being the strict adherence to the
law. Nicodemus knew that he was a lawbreaker, at least at heart. What must that
have done to Nicodemus? His world had just been turned on its axis. He was
speechless. I know this because he doesn’t say anything else. But Jesus does…
“He who
believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned
already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of
God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the
world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and
does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light,
that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”
John 3:18-21
And there we have
it! A Christian’s defense when someone says they don’t like Christians because
they’re so condemning. It’s not the Christian who is condemning, as long as
they’re really not condemning and telling people they’re going to Hell. That’s
not what Jesus did. He didn’t tell Nicodemus he was going to Hell. He just told
him that the choice was up to him. He could choose the darkness or the light,
and that men love the darkness rather than the light, because in the light
people see what you’re doing. Wow, what a way to leave it with Nicodemus! The
man who came to see Jesus at night, so that no one would know he wanted to see
Jesus. So what became of Nicodemus? Did
he go off by night never to heard from again?
No, his encounter
with Jesus didn’t end there. We see him twice more in scripture. First we see
him when the Pharisees are debating amongst themselves about why the officers
didn’t arrest Jesus, and Nicodemus defends the officers, and gets reproved by
the other Pharisees for it. (See John 7:45-52) Then there is the defining
moment for him which demonstrates where he actually fell when it came to having
to make a choice between staying in the shadows or living in the light of day.
“ After this, Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple
of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take
away the body of Jesus; and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took the body of
Jesus. And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by
night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred
pounds. Then they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of
linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury. Now in the place where He was crucified there was
a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. So there they laid Jesus, because of the Jews’ Preparation Day, for the tomb was nearby.” John 19:38-42
Nicodemus the Pharisee became the undertaker for
the crucified Jesus. This action was beyond a caring friend. His action was one
of love and honoring, and sacrifice. Nicodemus was a religious observer of the
law, and as such he would not defile himself by tending to the body of an
executed criminal, especially one handled by gentiles. Yet, he not only came
with Joseph to help he provided the embalming mixture, meaning he cleaned and
wrapped our Lord. He did this on the preparation day, the day before Sabboth.
This was quite a departure for a man who preferred not to break the rules. He
broke them big, but he did it out of love, and his heart was broken. He’d seen
a man who brought him a message of a God who didn’t condemn, but loved him,
raised up to be looked upon, and it had healed him. He was changed. It was
evident in the actions he took, in the light of day, before God.
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