NICODEMUS - A Faithful Follower
In the Gospel of John we find three references to a man named Nicodemus and, on each occasion, mention is made of his coming to Jesus by night (John 3:1, 7:50 and 19:39).
What do we know about this man? At the outset, we learn that Nicodemus was a prominent Pharisee, a leader in that Jewish religious sect that rejected and opposed the Lord Jesus. But Nicodemus had questions and he decided to meet Jesus one on one and talk with Him. So he came by night seeking answers to his questions. Nicodemus was genuinely interested in Jesus and was unwilling to accept the views of his contemporaries. Why did he come at night? It has been suggested that it was a cowardly thing to do, but that need not be the case. After all, Jesus was not always available during the day. People in the streets thronged and pressed to get near Him and Nicodemus needed an unhurried time with the Master.
So the two men met, the Saviour and the seeker. Jesus could see that Nicodemus was sincere and so He shared with him some of the most profound and greatly loved truths of Scripture. He explained unhurriedly to Nicodemus that his religion was not enough; that in order to be fit for the kingdom of God, he needed to be “born again”. The Saviour used an illustration from the Old Testament with which Nicodemus would doubtless have been familiar. It is found in Numbers 21:9 and tells of the occasion when Israel had sinned against the Lord. God sent fiery serpents among the people and many died from serpent bites. When the people acknowledged their sin, God told Moses to make a serpent of brass, to put it on a pole and lift it up. Anyone who had been bitten needed only to look up at the serpent and they were healed. Jesus explained to Nicodemus that He Himself would be “lifted up” and that whoever looked to Him on the Cross in repentance and faith would not perish but have eternal life (John3:14-15). No doubt Nicodemus would be forever grateful for that night meeting with Jesus. From what we learn subsequently, the Master’s words were believed and taken to heart. Nicodemus was a seeker after truth and we are assured that all sincere seekers after truth will be enlightened and rewarded (Matt. 7:7-11).
The second reference to Nicodemus is in John 7:50. There we find him in the company of his Pharisee associates. At this stage, opposition to the Lord Jesus was mounting sharply to the point where the Pharisees sought to apprehend and destroy Him. Nicodemus came bravely to the Saviour’s defence. He protested that the law did not allow any man to be judged before hearing what he had done. This comment brought hostility from the Pharisees, but Nicodemus proved the depth of his commitment to the Lord Jesus. Not only was he convinced about Jesus and His teaching, but he displayed great courage in speaking up for the Master in a hostile environment.
Finally, in John 19:39, we see Nicodemus in a very different situation. The crucifixion had taken place. At a time when all of the disciples of Jesus had forsaken Him and fled, Nicodemus came out into the open bringing a very costly gift and, together with Joseph of Arimathea, the two men took Jesus down from the cross and carried Him to burial in Joseph’s tomb. Cruel hands had nailed Jesus to the cross and now tender, loving hands take Him down.
What can we learn from Nicodemus? We have an excellent example of what discipleship involves – Commitment, Courage and Cost.
This article was written by Pastor Geoffrey Davies. He is a frequent contributor to this column. He lives in Melbourne, Australia, where he pastored a church for over twenty-five years. Since 1983 he has travelled widely, continuing his ministry of encouragement and Bible teaching.
