Nicodemus

Who was this man?  He was a Pharisee and teacher in Israel.  He was someone that you would have said in his day would never be converted.  We don’t have a lot of information on this man but we know in the end he was a believer.  We know that he came to Jesus secretly at night and had a conversation with Him.  It talks about this man in John 3.

The Pharisees were often criticized by Jesus because of their religiosity.  Maybe because of Jesus’ teachings and the miracles He performed this man was drawn to Jesus.  Even though this man was a teacher he didn’t know all the answers and he wanted to speak with Jesus personally and get the facts firsthand.  The first thing that Nicodemus did was to acknowledge that Jesus was a teacher and that God was with Him.  Nicodemus also spoke of Jesus’ miracles and that they had to be of God.

One of the things they weren’t used to was that Jesus didn’t just preach but He taught with authority and signs and wonders followed His preaching, something that should happen today.  Religious people can walk and talk the talk but they can never live the life because they have to be converted for that to take place.  You can dress a man in all new clothing, a new hat and shoes and make him look great on the outside but inside they are the same person.  Jesus said this about the scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23:25-29, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence.  You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also.    Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.  So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous.”

It takes far more than being ceremonially clean on the outside to live a godly life; it takes a personal relationship through the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus that takes place at the time of repentance and conversion.  Let me tell you that there are many men today living self-righteous lives that have been saved and converted that could have walked in this man’s shoes as far as being religious is concerned.  Jesus came to save the lost no matter what their condition was at the time.  

Nicodemus must have been shocked when Jesus said that a man must be born-again to see the kingdom of God.  Then Nicodemus asked this question, “How can a man be born when he is old, can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”  Then Jesus went on and explained a little more about the process and Nicodemus said, “how can these things be?”  This man didn’t understand and Jesus was patient with him and told Him clearly what he and everyone else needs to know to enter the kingdom of God.

Jesus said this in John 3:14-18, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.  For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.  He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

The first time Nicodemus came to Jesus was with fear, so he came at night.  The second time we hear about Nicodemus he started to change and he stuck up for Jesus among the Jewish ruling council in John 7:50-52, and the third time we hear of him he is joining Joseph of Arimathaea asking for Jesus’ body to bury in John 19:39.  He was taking a risk but he was willing to stand publicly for Jesus.

Question:  are you being bold, standing unashamed for Jesus or are you hiding in fear that someone will find out?  Jesus loves you and He wants you to stand up and be counted and not be ashamed.  So step out of your comfort zone and let the world know what Jesus did for you, there is no time like the present.  May the good Lord bless you and yours and have a great day!!