Seek Christ As Nicodemus Did

John 3

From: Paultripp.com

Jesus Teaches Nicodemus

1 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”

3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.[a]”

In most of the gospel narratives, the Pharisees are identified as a group of people, but in John 3, we’re introduced to a specific Pharisee by name – Nicodemus.

Nicodemus was a member of the ruling legal council, the Sanhedrin, which was essentially the Supreme Court of the Jewish people. The Sanhedrin was virulently opposed to Jesus and his messianic claims, and they repeatedly tried to trap him with questions and publicly expose him as a fraud.

In the ultimate miscarriage of justice, the Sanhedrin arrested Jesus, put him on mock trial, convicted him of blasphemy, and then turned him over to the Roman authorities to be crucified.

With that being the case, it makes sense that Nicodemus, being a member of that Sanhedrin, would approach Jesus under the cover of nightfall. This meeting was incredibly risky – who knows what would have happened to Nicodemus had his colleagues learned that one of their own was so convinced that Jesus was from God that he sought him out to have questions his answered.

It makes sense that Nicodemus was afraid, but he had little seeds of faith planted in his heart. As they began to sprout, these seeds of faith caused Nicodemus to take that life-changing walk at night to meet the Messiah. The conversation that followed would result in the most memorable words ever spoken.

A LITTLE FAITH

Isn’t it comforting to know that Christ doesn’t require us to possess a big and bold faith? Rather, in forgiving and understanding grace, he accepts us as we are, with miniscule, weak, doubt-filled faith.

He never mocks our wobbly knees and shaky hands. He never turns his back on us when fear mixes with faith in our hearts. The story of Nicodemus proves that Jesus doesn’t ask us to march towards him in the broad daylight. No, he joyfully receives us when we sneak towards him under the cover of darkness!

Our Lord is just that tender, just that patient, just that kind. He knows that the mysteries of redemption confound and confuse us. He recognizes that the truths he reveals about himself are counter-intuitive to us. He understands that the things he calls us to do are intimidating for us.

With compassion and empathy, he graciously invites us to come as we are, and he promises that when we do, he won’t turn us away.

THE FAMOUS CONVERSATION

As you read John 3, it’s striking to note that Jesus does not question Nicodemus’ timing, motive, or manner. He doesn’t rebuke him for coming under the cover of night. He receives him without judgment and is immediately willing to answer his questions.

It’s also important to note that while Nicodemus’ opening question is about the true identity of Jesus, Jesus responds by confronting Nicodemus with the eternally crucial issue of the moment. In grace, Jesus cared more about the spiritual state of this man than he did about defending his personal messianic claims.

In the moments that follow, Christ unpacks for this fearful and wobbly faith-filled member of the Sanhedrin the mysteries of new birth and the essentiality of his impending sacrifice. There’s laser focus to this conversation, because the Redeemer is talking to a man in desperate need of redemption.

You can tell from Nicodemus’ responses that Jesus has taken his mind to places that it has never gone before! Jesus is revealing to the heart of this man what only God can make known to us.

This is an important concept to grasp: it takes divine grace for us to understand the mysteries of, and our need for, divine grace. You and I don’t run to, or rest in, divine grace because we have faith. No, we have faith because we’ve been met by divine grace.

Nicodemus has been drawn to Jesus by divine grace. He’s hearing the words of Jesus because of divine grace. He’ll embrace what he has heard because of divine grace.

The whole narrative of John 3 is not driven by the resolve of Nicodemus, but by the power and glory of rescuing, revealing, forgiving, accepting, and transforming divine grace!