Nicodemus

Prayer

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Please pray with me.

Heavenly Father, you have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you: Look with compassion upon the heartfelt desires of your servants, and purify our disordered affections, that we may behold your eternal glory in the face of Christ Jesus; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

(Collect for the Third Sunday in Lent, ACNA BCP, p. 606)

Introduction (Part I)

In our Lenten journey through the Gospel of John, we are meeting several people who hungered for what Christ offered, but none, in my mind, is so fascinating as that of Nicodemus. He appears only three times in Scripture, and only in the gospel of John. We see him:

here at the beginning (3);

he reappears to protect Jesus from arrest by the Sanhedrin (7);

finally, we see him joining Joseph of Arimathea to request and bury Jesus’ body after his crucifixion (19).

24 verses in total.

Of all the named “characters” in John’s gospel, Nicodemus is one of the only people:

repeatedly mentioned

not a disciple, and

not trying to kill[!] Jesus (e.g., Pilate, Annas, Caiphas, etc.)

It makes me wonder: How does this man, a leader and teacher of the Pharisees come to the point where he defends and honors Christ after his death?

These facts alone scream out to our imaginations to explore him more deeply. And though the evidence is sparse, that is what I intend to do this morning.

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To begin, I’d like to show you one such imaginative exploration of Nicodemus’ interaction with Jesus. It is from a free-to-watch TV series called, The Chosen, directed by Dallas Jenkins. Anyone from my small group knows how much I love this show (warts and all), and I’ll gladly sing its praises (and share my concerns) if you ask me after the service.

But for now, I invite you to watch this clip and use some “sanctified imagination” to explore one possible portrayal of Nicodemus’ late-night conversation with Jesus. I also encourage you to open your Bibles to John 3, and follow along to see where they’ve taken some liberties.

Settled? Let’s go ahead and watch the clip:

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Introduction (Part II)

Who was Nicodemus? Who was this man that so fascinated the creators of The Chosen, that they expanded a mere 24 verses of scripture into a multi-part story arc that spanned the first season of the show? Why is his story so relatable to us in this day and age?

As we explore the hunger and thirst that only Christ can fill, I hope to explore the

hunger Nicodemus felt and

the challenges Nicodemus faced

as he encountered the glory of the Son of God in the person of Jesus Christ. From this, we will see how we, like Nicodemus, can satisfy our true hunger.

Let us begin.

Who was Nicodemus?

What can we learn about Nicodemus from Scripture?

The first thing we learn about him is that he was a Pharisee. The Pharisees, in John’s gospel, act as Jesus’ foil - his adversaries, as it were - to his work on Earth. According to Josephus, an early Jewish scholar shortly after Jesus’ time, they were the largest sect in Judaism with over 6,000 members [Antiquities 17.2.4 / 17.42]. Their focus was on reforming the Jewish people from within by laying out complicated rules for ritual purity, tithing, and Sabbath observance. These rules, according to the Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary, “regularized life and separated that which was normal and life-giving from that which was abnormal or ambiguous, and so was a threat to normal life” [AYBD, “Pharisees”].

Second, we know that he was a teacher of the Jews (cf., John 3:10). In fact, Jesus addressed him as the teacher of Israel, indicating that he was not one among many, but one above many; a high status, indeed.

Thirdly, we know that he was a wealthy man. When we see Nicodemus the third time in John’s gospel (John 19:39), he bought about 75 pounds of spices, a kingly expense (cf. HIBD, “Nicodemus”), with which to bury Jesus.

Finally, he was a ruler of the Jews (cf. John 3:1). Being a member of the Sanhedrin (the Jewish ruling council) he must have been a man of great importance within that culture, enough so that when he rebuked the council in John 7:49-51, it appears his voice was heeded.

As I mentioned early, the Pharisees and the High Priests were often the villains in John’s gospel (and throughout the New Testament). Why, then, is this man so fascinating to John (and to us)? To answer this question, I think we need to dive down into our text from this morning and explore this encounter.

Hunger

The Question (?)

Most of the time we see Jesus interacting with the Pharisees, it often comes in the form of a question - some legal or theological challenge or trick question posed to Jesus. These encounters never go well for the Pharisees, as we quickly find Jesus’ clever retorts always leave the questioners with “mud on their face.”

But that was not the case here with Nicodemus. Carefully read John 3:2:

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John 3:2 ESV

[Nicodemus] 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.”

Where is the question? Is there even one?

Rather than trying to trick Jesus or justify his own position on some minutiae of the law, Nicodemus was asking the simple question: “Who?” As in, “WHO ARE YOU?”

This wasn’t a fact-finding question - it was a hunger to know just WHO Jesus was. Nicodemus had seen the miracles, heard the message - and he simply could not what he saw.

Core to John’s Gospel

John, as he was wont to do, strategically placed Nicodemus’s probe precisely at the beginning of his gospel narrative. In chapter 1, John reveals that Jesus is the “Word that was God” (Jn 1:1-3), “the creator of all things” (Jn 1:3), “the life that was the light of men” (Jn 1:4), “the light that shines in the darkness” (Jn 1:5), the “Word that became flesh and dwelt among us” (Jn 1:14), and “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (Jn 1:29).

The next chapter introduces Jesus’ first miracle at the wedding of Cana (Jn 2:1-12), cleansing the temple of the moneychangers (Jn 2:12-22), and spoke of many signs (Jn 2:23).

In these first few chapters, John is setting up the core imagery that he will used throughout his gospel. Chapter 3, I contend, serves this same purpose, and Nicodemus is at the crux of his message - enough so that the defining verse of John’s Gospel - John 3:16:

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John 3:16 ESV

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his [one and] only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

is included in this dialogue between a renowned teacher of Israel and the Son of God.

Entrusting himself

It is also interesting, to look back a couple of verses before our passage and see something I’ve skimmed over the many years I’ve read this gospel.

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John 2:24 ESV

But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people

This verse speaks about the Jews gathered for the feast of the Passover, Jesus knew the hearts of these men and did not “entrust himself to them.”

And, yet, a mere two verses later, Jesus does this very thing with Nicodemus. Jesus entrusts the message of his kingdom and the message of his purpose on Earth to a Pharisee of all people.

In my belief, Jesus saw that hunger in Nicodemus, saw his heart, and trusted his message to this Pharisee.

Challenges

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A Disciple?

In the video clip we watched earlier, Jesus invites Nicodemus to “follow me.” If you’ve been following along in your Bible, you know as well as I that this entire portion of the scene is not in the Bible. And yet, I cannot help but agree with The Chosen’s creative team that such an interaction likely occurred.

After this one experience with Jesus, it is clear that Nicodemus was deeply impacted by his encounter with Christ. Let’s look at the facts:

When the Sanhedrin first considers imprisoning Jesus because he is becoming too popular (Jn 7:50-52), stands up to defend him before the other rulers.

And after Jesus’ death on the cross, he spends what some have estimated at over $150,000 dollars in spices (at today’s rates) for Jesus’ burial. (Jn 19:38-40).

He even helps Joseph of Arimathea wrap and bury him!

Surely these are not the acts of an enemy.

And yet, John’s gospel never mentions that Nicodemus became a disciple of Christ. Joseph of Arimathea is called a “secret disciple” (Jn 19:38), but Nicodemus earns no such title. Later Christian tradition asserts that Nicodemus was baptized, became a disciple, lost his position in the Sanhedrin, and was exiled from Jerusalem. I can find no evidence of whether this was the truth, except for some questionable 4th century texts. Whether he was a disciple or not, we will never know the truth on this side of heaven.

Challenges

But what truly fascinates me about this man is the challenges he faced. Let’s say, for argument’s sake, that Nicodemus did, in fact desire to be Jesus’ disciple. I, personally, think there is enough evidence to support this as a strong possibility.

And yet, we do not hear stories of any great work Nicodemus did during Jesus’ time on Earth. We do not see Nicodemus walking alongside the disciples, following Jesus down his long road to the cross. We do not hear his name alongside Peter, James, or John in Scripture or even the annals of history.

It is clear to me that Nicodemus hungered for the true bread and true wine offered by Christ. And yet, he held back from taking the steps to follow Christ openly.

So, why didn’t Nicodemus ever take the leap?

Our video clip offers a few possibilities:

His position in the Sanhedrin

Family

Getting advanced in years

But I would like to add some more:

Perhaps he was inhibited by his expectations of who the Messiah should be

Perhaps it was his status, or his job, or simply the shame it would bring on his name and family.

Regardless of what specifically held him back, I think Nicodemus’ challenge was that he was too comfortable right where he was. He was too comfortable with the honor and respect that he had earned in the Jewish community. Perhaps it was his wealth, his position, his age, his theology - it could have been any of these things that held Nicodemus back.

As Matthew records in his gospel:

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Matthew 19:24 ESV

... it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”

The comfort that comes from our riches, the (forgive me for saying it) sloth and laziness of our comfortable, normal, everyday lives, is often one of our greatest barriers to following Christ even if we believe in Him.

Application

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I think that we in the Western Church, especially, are altogether guilty of such sloth. Those of us in the denominational churches, who have such rich histories, traditions (and possessions), can often just get … too … comfortable. We believe we’ve figured it all out. We believe that our God fits nicely into the box we have painted Him into.

We try to honor the Sabbath by coming to church on Sunday or watch online. We may (or may not) place an offering in the plate, we may give to missionaries, we may offer food to the local food bank on occasion. We try to dot our I’s and cross our T’s and restrict our lives so that we don’t lose those parts … that … make … us … comfortable.

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Instead of the feast God lays before us, we settle for dregs (or like the pea on this plate).

In this way, we are no better than the Pharisees. The Pharisees had worked themselves into a theology where they believed God would come if, and only if, Israel followed all the rules. They sought to bring order into the chaotic lives they had under Roman rule. Their goal was ... to be .... comfortable … not pursue the work of proclaiming God’s reign in the world.

So, when His Kingdom showed up on their doorsteps - with all of its messiness and ambiguity and reliance on following the wind of the Spirit - they hunkered down into their rules and traditions, closing their eyes and ears to the work of God that was going on all around them.

For those of you new to the faith, this a challenge that looms before you. In pursuing after God, in hungering after Him, it will be all too easy to lock yourself down into some tradition or theological thought that will blind you, deafen you, and make you fearful of speaking the truth of God’s love into the world.

But here are truth of God’s kingdom you can cling onto:

God saved us from the bondage of sin and death by lifting Jesus onto the cross (like the bronze snake in the wilderness) so that all we must do is look upon Him … and believe.

He has also invites us to see and work with Him to bring forth His Kingdom, to follow Him:

to do the works that He did;

to serve the people He served;

to love the lonely and the outcast, the neighbor and the foreigner;

to care for the sick and needy; and

to honor the gift of God’s creation that He has entrusted us with.

These are the undeniable facts of God’s Kingdom on this Earth and our role within it. If we remain steady in this core belief, we can resist the temptation to hold on to our own ... comfortable … lives and be freed to participate in God’s work in the world.

Conclusion

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Perhaps we are all like Nicodemus in one way or another - maybe it is too easy to fall into the traps of comfort - to believe, but fail to follow our triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as He brings forth His Kingdom out in the world.

Shortly, I will be turning 50 ([blushing] I know, I know, I don’t look at day over 60[!]). But as I look back at my life, I’ve been asking myself how I want to be remembered. Do I want my part in God’s story to be 24 verses buried in one person’s retelling of God’s work in the world (or perhaps not told at all)? Do I want to be seen as someone who questioned and believed, but sought to follow all the rules, to live … comfortably? Or do I want to be counted with Jesus’ disciples, dying to myself and my own selfish ambitions, proclaiming His good news to the world and living like I am His adopted Son and a worthy heir of His Kingdom?

These thoughts lead me to this one question: “What is holding me back?”

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And so, this is the question I pose to you this morning: “What is holding you back from following Jesus completely?” As we continue in this season of Lent, I invite you to ask yourself this question. Pray and ask God to reveal to you one thing that keeps you from following Him completely, seek out wise counsel from your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, and then do something about it with God’s help.

This is the challenge I have taken for this season and I invite you to the same. Let us turn our hunger for Christ toward the source of all good things and not the trappings we make for ourselves in the world.

Closing Prayer

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.