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The Gospel of John, The Interview with Nicodemus, John 3:1-21, in the Period of Consideration or the Object of Belief, Part I - Lesson 14
Summary of where we have been, where we are, and where we are going as John leads us through this period where Jesus is presented to the public for their consideration and acceptance.
These events or appearances of Jesus were selected by John, through inspiration, as representative, in order that his method of appeal to various classes might be plainly seen, and that the reader might be influenced by at least one of them.
Where we have been
The Witness of John the Baptist The Presentation of John's Disciples The Wedding at Cana The Appearance at Jerusalem
Where we are today
The Interview with Nicodemus
Where we are going
The Confession of John the Baptist The Samaritan Woman The Nobleman of Capernaum
Read John 3:1-21
John 3:1,2, There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
This is the first of 11 conversations of our Lord that John records in his gospel.
The man Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, was most likely a member of the Sanhedrin, the highest national governing council of the Jews in Roman times.
John does not mention his title of ruler or great man, to impress but perhaps to show the hindrance that Nicodemus had to overcome.
Some scholars say that there were two Sanhedrins.
The 23 members of the political and civil Sanhedrin came mostly from the Sadducees.
The 70 members of the religious Sanhedrin presided over by the high priest, were chosen largely from the Pharisees.
The Pharisees were strict about all matters pertaining to the keeping of the law: the sabbath, tithing, circumcision, ceremonial cleanliness, eating only certain foods, fasting, observing holy days.
They maintained that the oral law was as necessary and as binding as the written law and they were thus the champions of those traditions of the elders denounced by Christ.
To their credit they believed in the inspiration of the Old Testament, the coming of the Messiah, miracles, and they believed in the resurrection.
But Jesus was tried before the religious Sanhedrin.
After the fall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. the council declined and finally disappeared.
Since Nicodemus was a Pharisee he most likely was one of the 70 members of the religious Sanhedrin.
We can look at him as representative of the group.
From this passage we can see that he came to Jesus in darkness (by night), he lacked spiritual discernment, he was dead in trespasses and sins, and needed to be born again, regardless of whether or not he was a ruler of the Jews.
The condition of Nicodemus was typical of the highest ecclesiastical court in Israel. In John 1:21 and 26 we see priests blind to the things of God, in John 2:3, we see Israel a joyless nation, in John 2:16, we see a desecrated temple and now in this passage we see a spiritually dead Sanhedrin.
One thing unique to Nicodemus and not typical of the members of the Sanhedrin is that Nicodemus may have been the only one to visit Jesus and to find out for himself who he was.
He seems to have been able to think apart from the group and to make his own judgments about Jesus Christ.
He did not adopt the prejudice of the group he was beholden to.
A rare individual in that regard.
Perhaps Nicodemus was one of the "many" who believed in his name as related in verse 2:23 and had been impressed by the signs which he may have seen, and the cleansing of the temple, without realizing the deeper significance of these events, but by his visit we see in him a sincere willingness to learn more. Jesus responded by trusting him and giving him the truth contained in this passage.
John is very consistent in his gospel to attach to the name of Nicodemus the phrase, "he that came to Jesus by night", on the three occasions he mentions his name: here in verse two and in John 7:50,51 and John 19:39.
Why mention something if it is not important?
Did Nicodemus come at night because he was a busy man?
Did he come at night so he could avoid the crowds and have time with Jesus alone and apart from the daytime activity?
Or was it that Nicodemus came at night because he was ashamed to be seen coming to Jesus?
Did he approach Jesus secretly, under cover of darkness?
Perhaps he was not sure about seeing this man.
He had his reputation to consider.
But we cannot find fault with this man because he was interested in seeing Jesus and learning more about him.
The bottom line, in the light of eternity is that Nicodemus did come to Jesus, and was given the truth by the Master himself.
It is not the time of day, nor the season of the year that is important, or the method of coming, but what is important is that he came to Jesus.
In reality we all come to Jesus by night.
The sinner is in darkness and in him is no light at all.
Jesus is the light and in him is no darkness at all.
When we are in him we too are light.
Nicodemus found out how dark he was when he came to the light.
He thought he was in the light until he came to Jesus.
Perhaps John, in reporting that Nicodemus came to Jesus by night, is giving us a comparison of Nicodemus' first timid response in coming to Jesus and then in later verses he compares this timidity to his boldness in reprimanding the Sanhedrin, and his courage in accompanying Joseph of Arimathea in the preparation of Christ's body for the entombment of Christ at a time when all the apostles had fled.
This visit to Jesus resulted in fruit in Nicodemus' life since these accounts appear to reveal that Nicodemus had indeed received Jesus Christ and been given power to become one of the sons of God.
Note here that Nicodemus, a ruler or leading teacher of the Jews, calls Jesus Rabbi, which means Master or teacher.
Coming from a noted ruler who did not misuse so honored a title this was indeed a mark of respect considering that Jesus did not belong to any of the acknowledged schools of sacred learning,
Note also the use of the plural "we" in this verse. "We know."
Was Nicodemus trying to hide behind a group and not commit himself to expressing his own opinion?
How often we use the term "we" to express to others that we are not alone in our opinion but there are many others who stand with us.
We abhor the idea of standing for something alone.
So we use the corporate "we."
Jesus draws him from behind the security of the group.
Jesus did not say to Nicodemus, "Your group must be born again", He said, "Ye must be born again."
Nicodemus says, "We know that thou art a teacher come from God, for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him."
Nicodemus was wrong.
This statement reveals the spiritual wasteland that Jesus was ministering in.
Here, we see a ruler of the Jews having such superficial reasoning and little discernment and a poor understanding of the scriptures.
The scriptures warn us to test the spirits, whether they be of God.
The magicians of Egypt were, up to a point, able to duplicate the miracles of Moses.
Satan has power to perform miracles and sometimes bestows this power on his angels of light.
We are warned of the Antichrist in II Thess. 2:9, Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders.
We are exhorted to "believe not the spirits, but to try the spirits whether they be of God, because many false prophets are gone out into the world. I John 4:1.
No, we are not to test those who come in the name of Christ by their personal character or ability to perform miracles but they must be tested by the Word of God.
No matter how wonderful his personality, or how pleasing, or how marvelous the results of his ministry is, we are admonished to test the man by the Word of God.
Christ ignores Nicodemus' statement.
He knows that Nicodemus is not yet Holy Spirit prepared to be taught.
He does not need Jesus, the teacher.
He needs Jesus the Savior!
The sinner cannot come to Jesus to be taught, he must come to be saved and then comes the teaching.
A saved person is a person who is fit to teach.
As we saw in verse 2:24, Jesus does not commit himself to them because he did not trust them, he knew what was in their hearts.
As it says in Luke 8:10, "Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of God, but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.
Jesus uses a prepared vessel to work the works of God!
Therefore he ignores Nicodemus attempt to endear himself to him by his courteous and perhaps flattering compliments and we hear him say in:
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