Nicodemus: Doubted, then Believed

Nicodemus: Doubted, then Believed

John 3:1-21; 19:39

Adapted from Lenten Midweek Series “Truly, This is the Son of God” in CPR Vol 16, Part 2

INI

Tonight, our focus turns to the biblical character Nicodemus. Now, St. John describes Nicodemus in a peculiar way. He’s the one who came to talk to Jesus in the middle of the night. It also mentions that He was a member of the Jewish ruling council called the Sanhedrin, which was sort of the supreme court of the Jews.

            That means, Nicodemus was a Pharisee. Pharisees were outstanding citizens. They were extremely moral people. They observed the laws and traditions written in Old Testament. But even though they DID good things, they were puffed up with conceit and pride – much like anyone else who thought they knew better than God. As such, the Pharisees frequently argued with Jesus. Mostly because they were extremely concerned with the letter of the Law, while Jesus wanted to go much deeper. Jesus wanted to know – what does the Law show us? What’s it’s intentions? When Jesus performed healings on the Sabbath, it drove the Pharisees mad – even leading them to plot Jesus’ death. So, it’s miraculous that one of Pharisees, namely, Nicodemus, would even try and talk to Jesus.

            So, when Nicodemus met with Jesus during the night, it was most likely a sign of caution. He didn’t want to greatly alarm his colleagues. But He did want to hear Jesus out. This tells us a bit about Nicodemus. It tells us that he was curious about Jesus and his ministry. Perhaps, he was puzzled about what others said about Jesus, or what Jesus said about himself.

            But we also know a few other things about Nicodemus. He was a man of well respect in society. He was powerful. Also, he was a man of great wealth. At the end of John’s Gospel when he and Joseph of Arimathea were burying Jesus, Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes weighing about 75 pounds – that’s something that only a wealthy man could afford. But it also tells us what Nicodemus’ conclusion was about who Jesus was.

            Nicodemus’s belief in Jesus leads us from tragic doubt to glorious belief that Jesus is the Son of God.

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            There’s tragedy because Nicodemus was a part of the Sanhedrin that put Jesus to trial on Maundy Thursday night. It’s possible that Nicodemus wasn’t informed of that trial.  Or maybe he spoke against having the trial but was ignored. More likely, Nicodemus either excused himself from that trial, or he remained silent through it. Surely he thought that he couldn’t have changed the minds of his colleagues that seemed hell-bent on getting rid of the Son of God. Though it seemed Nicodemus’ faith went through a transformation from that trial on Thursday night to the crucifixion on Friday afternoon.

            His silence at the trial is tragic, but it is explainable. When we’re uncertain in belief, we tend to veer towards silence instead of bold proclamation and defense. That was Nicodemus – he was still undecided about who Jesus was. I mean, to believe that God became flesh in the person of Jesus was an incredible belief. Nicodemus seemed inclined to believe it. He was curious about who Jesus WAS, but he remained uncertain. We see that tension of curiosity and uncertainty when he met with Jesus in the middle of the night and said, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him (John 3:2).” Jesus responded to him “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” Nicodemus pressed Jesus for understanding – “How can a man be born when he is old? Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!”  But then Jesus opened the curious Nicodemus’ eyes – “I tell you the truth no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to Spirit.”

            The Son of God gives power to become children of God by believing in His name – for Nicodemus, for you, and for me. But what does belief require? It’s much more than being drawn to the signs and miracles of Jesus. Jesus knows that a sympathetic spectator isn’t faith. This uncertainty in Nicodemus’ faith highlights the difference between merely being drawn to Jesus, and fully embracing Him as the Son of God.

            So, Nicodemus left his first meeting with Jesus without a certain faith. However, later when the temple guards tried and failed to arrest Jesus in John chapter 7, the Pharisees shouted, “Has any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed in him? No! (Jn 7:48-49)”. Nicodemus didn’t speak out for Jesus. He only said “Does our law condemn anyone without first hearing him to find out what he is doing (7:51)?” At this point, Nicodemus remains a curious spectator – but not certain believer who would confess, “Truly this is the Son of God.”

            Faith is more than a good man’s sincere interest in Jesus. It’s more than a belief that He was a good moral teacher, or accepting certain facts about a historical man named Jesus. Jesus’ reply to Nicodemus makes that clear – “no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”

            Here’s the difference between believing that Jesus was a good man and teacher, vs believing that Jesus is the Son of God. Let’s suppose a daredevil announced a stunt that he was going to do– that he will stretch a tightrope over Niagara Falls and he’s going to push a wheelbarrow across the tightrope. Do you think he could do it? The kind of faith that Nicodemus had at this point would stand and watch and say, ‘You know what – I think that he can do it!’ He’s a passive spectator. But having a real and certain faith would be to get into that wheelbarrow and let him push you across the tightrope. And then, he BETTER make it, lest you end up at the bottom smashed against the rocks. That’s the difference. One type of faith passively says “I think that daredevil is able to do that! He’s done great things before!’ But saving faith is active in its trust and says ‘I’ll ride the wheelbarrow.’ This is to say that true saving faith depends on God with our life. When we say ‘I believe’, our whole trust, our whole confidence, and our whole life depend on God’s work and promises for us.

            Faith will never be firm if it simply sits back and asks, like Nicodemus, “How can this be?” That question comes from the flesh, from our old nature, which is tied to this physical world. But the Spirit operates in a completely different way, beyond the limits of our fleshly questions. The Spirit comes to us through the Word of God – spoken by the prophets and confirmed by the miraculous signs written in Scripture. These signs were performed by Jesus for a purpose – to lead us to the greatest miracle: God’s incarnation in the flesh of Jesus of Nazareth. Belief in this miracle only comes through the Holy Spirit, and He works in us so that by believing, we may have life in His name (John 20:31). The Spirit works through Jesus’ words and works, leading us to believe in the love of God for the world – the love that brought salvation and eternal life to all.

After hearing the Word of God, we can’t walk away and simply say – ‘well, that was interesting, but I don’t know.’ The Spirit calls us away from passive spectating to an active participant in the truth by living the new birth God has called us to. The tragedy is that Nicodemus walked away from His encounter with Jesus to remain a spectator – and it often happens for us too.

            But there’s glory here too. Jesus’ death accomplished something for Nicodemus – something that even the living Jesus couldn’t do. Jesus’ death was the greatest sign, his greatest miracle. By his death, Nicodemus saw what we see: Jesus as God’s suffering servant. We see Jesus taking up our infirmities, carrying our sorrows. We see Him stricken by God, smitten and afflicted, just as the prophet Isaiah foretold.

            When Nicodemus saw the Scriptures fulfilled before His eyes, He became a different person. The passive spectator became an active participator. The cowardice, hesitation, hiding, and silence were gone. The power of the cross sprang into action as he was drawing all people to Himself. The cross turned doubt into certainty – passiveness to action.

            Nicodemus couldn’t turn back, but confessed Jesus as the Christ through the exorbitant amount of myrrh and aloes he bought to bury Jesus. He bought an amount that was ever only used to bury a kings. This confessed what Nicodemus believed. We see what Nicodemus’ faith confessed: “Truly, this man was the Son of God.”

            We are privileged to encounter Jesus as He comes to us in His Word (and Sacrament). He comes to not only assure us of the forgiveness that’s ours and strengthen us in faith, He enables us to love each other. Through His death, Jesus saved us. Through His resurrection and ascension, he saves us, just as He promised. This is our confession and witness as we stand with Nicodemus and say – Jesus is the Son of God.

INI

Pastor Joshua Ralston