In a previous blog, I delved into John 3 with the sole purpose of showing Christ’s exclusivity in salvation. I argued that we are only born again if we are born from above. And that we are only born from above if we look up to Christ, the best man. As I mentioned at the end, much ground remains to be covered regarding John 3. It is with good reason that the book of John is a favorite of many a Christian. One can think himself sufficiently acquainted with its content, only to realize he has yet to scratch the surface.
John’s singular focus in the book was to convince his readers that Jesus was the Son of God. The effect would be that all who read would believe in Jesus and have life in his name (John 20:30-31). This means that every word John wrote carried incredible weight, which is why it is impossible to cover it exhaustively. That is certainly true of every other book of Scripture, but some books carry more weight than others.
Building on our last subject, then, and continuing our stay in the rich plains of John 3:1-15, let us consider Nicodemus as presented to us by John, and consider, too, what we might learn about ourselves through him.
New Wine Bursts Old Wineskins
Nicodemus had gone to meet Jesus. Driven by the earlier stated aim, John notes that Nicodemus is one of the Pharisees. That is no random introduction, but ties to the incidents in John 2. There, through the turning of water into wine and the cleansing of the temple, John had sought to persuade his audience that Jesus had come to overturn the old ways and offer himself as the new and only way.
By introducing Nicodemus as a Pharisee, John is telling us, “Here is one who represents the old wineskins.” Since the old wineskins cannot have new wine put in them or they will burst, the old must be replaced with the new (Mark 2:22). Tying to the ending of John 2, Nicodemus is surely seen to represent us, and that Jesus can’t entrust himself to those who seek to have new wine in old wineskins. The only way to make the shift would be a complete turnaround, which, as John 2 clearly shows, can only be done by Jesus.
Have you ever thought of putting new wine into old wineskins? If you ever try, be sure they will burst. You cannot come to Jesus unless he draws you. Also, don’t think salvation comes to allow you to stay in your sinful state. You haven’t been set free from sin so that you can live in it. Rigorously practising religion is no indication that all is well. As Jesus showed Nicodemus, it was those who thought they were healthy that needed a massive dose of medicine. We are to put off the old for the new, and Nicodemus represented our old self.
The Darkness We Hide In
In setting the stage, John also notes, rather curiously, that Nicodemus came to Jesus under the cover of night (John 3:2). Several reasons have been posited for the seeming odd choice of time. The first is that Nicodemus came to Jesus at night as a sign of deference. He called him ‘Rabbi’ (John 3:2), and likely hoped to avoid distracting the teacher during the day. The second reason posited is the fear of being publicly seen with Jesus and the backlash from his peers that would bring.
Personally, I think both are true. Nicodemus was both fearful and deferential. But he was wrong in possessing both attitudes. It is easy to see why his being fearful was wrong. As Paul wrote to the Galatians, seeking man’s approval separates us from God (Galatians 1:10).
However, you might be wondering why his deference to Jesus was wrong. It is because Nicodemus did not appreciate that coming to Christ isn’t something time-bound. It would never be distracting to Jesus if you called out to him at any time. Consider how ever so lavishly he rewarded those who stubbornly sought his aid. Bartimaeus received back his sight because he was unrelenting in calling for Jesus (Mark 10:46-52). The Syrophoenician woman’s daughter was freed from demon possession (Mark 7:24-30), her social status as a foreigner notwithstanding.
Jesus encourages us to persist in faith (Luke 18:1-8). He has granted us a never-ending audience with God (Hebrews 4:16). Thus, saint, may you never feel that your presence would be a distraction to Jesus, for his arms are always wide open for you.
Jesus is The Shining Light
John, caring to mention ‘night’, showed that Nicodemus, just like us, needed the light of Christ to shine over his darkened state. Nicodemus had to be completely undone and redone. Thankfully, that is not a work we do ourselves, but God through Christ. As much as Nicodemus tried to make sense of all that Jesus said, he couldn’t, unless the Christ opened his mind (John 3:7-8).
Something rather peculiar is how John ended the dialogue, or rather, how he didn’t. We are left without a resolution as to how Nicodemus reacted to all that Jesus said. The conversation ends with Jesus saying that all who love and live by the truth will be brought from darkness to light. That, in a sense, juxtaposes Nicodemus’s nighttime visit.
John 3:20-21 summarizes Nicodemus’s story throughout the gospel. He came at night to meet Jesus, which showed he still hated the light of Jesus. Then, the next time we encounter him, there is a change. It may not have been the drastic change of ‘being born again,’ but he was clearly moving to the light. In John 7:50, Nicodemus boldly stands up for Jesus against his peers (John 7:50). He had yet to be born from above, but his exposure to the light had begun to dispel the darkness he was in. It was unthinkable that he, a Pharisee, would now defend Jesus. The Spirit was no doubt at work in him.
Only Jesus Can Change Us
It all came to a head in John 19, where Nicodemus publicly identifies himself as a disciple of Jesus. He chose to be publicly involved in Jesus’ burial, exposing himself to ridicule from his peers. At the ‘worst’ possible time—the disciples had gone into hiding; Peter had denied his Lord three times (John 18:15-18, 25-27)—Nicodemus chose to own Jesus publicly. Finally, he had taken up his cross and now followed Christ. He had been brought from darkness to light and was willing to suffer shame for the sake of the name (Acts 5:41).
According to some extrabiblical sources, Nicodemus suffered greatly for Jesus’ sake. And all of it could only be attributed to the sovereign hand of God. It is why John always referenced Nicodemus’s meeting with Jesus whenever he mentioned him.
Had Nicodemus never met Jesus, nothing would have ever changed. He’d never publicly believe. Although little is told of Nicodemus afterward, the author allows us to see enough of him to be persuaded that he represents us in the way we relate to Christ. We once regarded the words of Jesus as foolishness (1 Corinthians 1:18). Yet, those ‘foolish’ words have now been used of God to bring about new life. How grateful we should be that we, who once were incredibly undeserving, are now God’s children.
Oh, that we would allow the scriptures to teach, correct, and rebuke us, for only then will we come from darkness and into the light!