Conversation in the night
A man from the council that ruled over both the Jewish religion and the Jewish people wanted to talk to Jesus. He couldn’t be seen talking to Jesus in public, so he paid him a secret visit in the night. He began by explaining that, because of the miracles Jesus worked, he understood Jesus was a teacher sent from God. Don’t we all? All the great religions recognize Jesus as a teacher sent from God. Jesus said that wasn’t enough.
The Christian faith is about conversations with God. God visited the first created people and talked with them. He spoke to Moses, Isaiah talked to God in a vision. The recorded life of Jesus is full of conversations. Nicodemus initiated this conversation, but he wasn’t able to understand and didn’t want to accept what was said to him. We too initiate conversations with God whenever we pray and read the Bible with a willingness to believe. God speaks to us through the written word in the Bible, but presently if we trust and obey, Jesus speaks to us in our heart.
The record of the conversation takes up less than 1 page of the Bible, but is a clear explanation of why Jesus came, what his death would accomplish, and how people could be born spiritually, by God. Jesus talks about life and says that it is a choice between perishing (Because God is the source of all life, and apart from him people are dying) and living eternally (Because God’s spiritual birth of us has given us eternal life, even in this life.)
Jesus talked about two loves; God’s great love of all humanity and man’s love of secrecy. They can’t co-exist. God’s love dispels darkness, but most people prefer the darkness. They have something to hide and fear being stripped of their own delusions.
Jesus introduced the spiritual; Nicodemus was firmly grounded in the physical. Again the two could not co-exist. The possibility that God, who is Spirit, could give spiritual life to humans was too far out for Nicodemus. He wanted a ‘how’ and lacking a how, he was threatened. What he could not explain he could not control, and Nicodemus was a ruler of people.
Jesus said that he would be lifted up, and everyone who looked toward him in faith would be forgiven their sins. Very few people find this important; they prefer to ignore the sin issue. However when they hear the words of forgiveness then they are suddenly able to address the issue.
To believe in Jesus would cost Nicodemus his seat on the ruling council; he would loose respect, power and security. Jesus knew Nicodemus wouldn’t give up the things he loved. Yet it was to this man that he taught the basics of the Christian faith, and it was this man who heard the sentence that has changed lives in every part of the world and every era of history. (John 3.15)
Nicodemus remained on the ruling council. He tried to get a fair trial for Jesus but was derided. After the execution two men, neither of them known as disciples, helped to bury Jesus. One man was Joseph of Arimathea, a secret disciple, the other was Nicodemus. Nicodemus brought 100 pounds of myrrh and aloes to sprinkle into the folds of the linen cloth that they wrapped the body in. Three days later the shroud lay neatly folded in the empty tomb.
How do we know this story? Nicodemus came at night; it is unlikely that Jesus broke confidence with him. So how do we know? Is it because Nicodemus remembered the conversation clearly and recounted it to people when they gathered as disciples? It might be, there is no evidence of this. What I do know is that Jesus speaks today, to everyone who prepares him or her self to listen
Gospel of John chapter 3: verses 1-21
Gospel of John: chapter 7 verse 50
Gospel of John: chapter 19 verse 39
The Christian faith is about conversations with God. God visited the first created people and talked with them. He spoke to Moses, Isaiah talked to God in a vision. The recorded life of Jesus is full of conversations. Nicodemus initiated this conversation, but he wasn’t able to understand and didn’t want to accept what was said to him. We too initiate conversations with God whenever we pray and read the Bible with a willingness to believe. God speaks to us through the written word in the Bible, but presently if we trust and obey, Jesus speaks to us in our heart.
The record of the conversation takes up less than 1 page of the Bible, but is a clear explanation of why Jesus came, what his death would accomplish, and how people could be born spiritually, by God. Jesus talks about life and says that it is a choice between perishing (Because God is the source of all life, and apart from him people are dying) and living eternally (Because God’s spiritual birth of us has given us eternal life, even in this life.)
Jesus talked about two loves; God’s great love of all humanity and man’s love of secrecy. They can’t co-exist. God’s love dispels darkness, but most people prefer the darkness. They have something to hide and fear being stripped of their own delusions.
Jesus introduced the spiritual; Nicodemus was firmly grounded in the physical. Again the two could not co-exist. The possibility that God, who is Spirit, could give spiritual life to humans was too far out for Nicodemus. He wanted a ‘how’ and lacking a how, he was threatened. What he could not explain he could not control, and Nicodemus was a ruler of people.
Jesus said that he would be lifted up, and everyone who looked toward him in faith would be forgiven their sins. Very few people find this important; they prefer to ignore the sin issue. However when they hear the words of forgiveness then they are suddenly able to address the issue.
To believe in Jesus would cost Nicodemus his seat on the ruling council; he would loose respect, power and security. Jesus knew Nicodemus wouldn’t give up the things he loved. Yet it was to this man that he taught the basics of the Christian faith, and it was this man who heard the sentence that has changed lives in every part of the world and every era of history. (John 3.15)
Nicodemus remained on the ruling council. He tried to get a fair trial for Jesus but was derided. After the execution two men, neither of them known as disciples, helped to bury Jesus. One man was Joseph of Arimathea, a secret disciple, the other was Nicodemus. Nicodemus brought 100 pounds of myrrh and aloes to sprinkle into the folds of the linen cloth that they wrapped the body in. Three days later the shroud lay neatly folded in the empty tomb.
How do we know this story? Nicodemus came at night; it is unlikely that Jesus broke confidence with him. So how do we know? Is it because Nicodemus remembered the conversation clearly and recounted it to people when they gathered as disciples? It might be, there is no evidence of this. What I do know is that Jesus speaks today, to everyone who prepares him or her self to listen
Gospel of John chapter 3: verses 1-21
Gospel of John: chapter 7 verse 50
Gospel of John: chapter 19 verse 39
posted by Jessie Coates at 12:22 AM
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