What Was He Thinking?
I don’t really have a long post today. It’s really more of a question than anything else. John 3:1,2 has me wondering what was up with Nicodemus?
1Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling counsel. He came to Jesus at night and said, 2″Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could preform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
My study bible says that he came late at night because, due to his counsel position, he may have been afraid to see him during the day. It also suggests that he may have wanted to have a long talk which would have been difficult during the day due to the crowds that Jesus typically had around him. Maybe.
I recently heard a David Nasser pod cast about this passage. He suggests that maybe the reason Nicodemus came to Jesus in the night is because he couldn’t wait another minute for an answer. He suggests that maybe the mysteries and miracles that he had witnessed were keeping him up at night and he couldn’t sleep until he knew what Jesus was all about.
I like Nasser’s explanation. I may be partial to it because things that I have experienced Jesus doing in my life have kept me up at night too. I have had the question he asks in verse 9 “How can this be?” And I can relate to the idea that a desperate desire to have my question answered would get me out of bed and across town for an answer.
So, here’s my question: Why do you think Nicodemus came to Jesus in the night?
While we’re on the topic of guys who are desperately seeking answers from Jesus, I want to introduce you to my friend Donny Pauling. I love Donny and I love his story. Please take the time to read his bio. You will be amazed by the power of the living God when you hear his story. I have also attached a video of a speech he gave that retells his experience. The video was filmed at a XXXChurch “Porn Sunday” event at Mercy Cross Church. Take the time to watch it. It will move you.
Donny Pauling I am a father, retired pastor’s son and also a former pornographer. All three of these things shape my life in one way or another. I am also a very nice individual who truly cares about other people. On Monday, September 25th, 2006 I asked God to re-take control of my life. I am now in seminary and am holding on as I follow God in this new journey.
Friday Donny will be posting here on John 5:1-15. I hope you come back to read it.
i know for me, there is a clarity, an awareness in the night hours. maybe its because i have little else on my mind and i can actually hear God speaking to me. so, maybe thats why he went at night. perhaps he was in that state of mind.
hmmm. now i would love to know!
=)
I for one am a person who hears from the Lord more clearly in the middle of the night or early morning. The business and noise of the day is gone and I can hear him more clearly. It’s probably also one of the few times I actually shut up.
But, I can also understand needing to know something so badly, that you can’t wait another second. Jesus had moved him, he had raised questions – powerful ones. I can see where Nicodemus wanted to meet this man and do it quickly, because if Jesus was everything that people were saying, he would drop everything to find out for himself.
If only the rest of us would drop everything to meet the man who is the Savior.
Looks great! And a great post as well today!
For me, I’m more of a night owl than morning person, which means I stay awake later. However, it’s has not been my personal experience to really be awakened in the middle of the night much.
When I was younger, however, I would wake up hearing music. I’m not sure if it was actually audible or not, but I could “hear” it.
Sometimes, it will happen these days, and it’s something I’d love to explore, but I’m almost 99% sure it has to do with the fact God has placed a deep desire within me to write music that moves people, and over the last 10 years or so I’ve let that move to a back burner. I don’t hear the music much anymore.
I want to get to that place where I wake up in the middle of the night and want a question answered so badly that I just have to get to the Bible to have it answered. I’d like to think that is where Nicodemus was coming from. I do think that he had to go in secret as well. Talking to Jesus was not something that a Jewish leader did in public.
I am partial to the latter answer. The verbage says “we know you are a teacher who has come from God”. This would imply that Nicodemus was reffering to himself as well as the other Jews in his clique. Had he been afraid to release himself from what others thought, his own fears of loss, his own pride and fear of rejection, Christ would have rebuked him as he did others. For example give away all your possesions and you can follow me, or let the dead bury the dead. Instead Christ gives Nicodemus a lengthy sermon on the spirit. Something that I would say moved him to see Jesus at night.
When I read the Message’s interpretation, the later verses, around 10-12, it sounds as if Jesus is getting frustrated with explaining the same concept over again with Nicodemus and says, “Yet instead of facing the evidence and accepting it, you procrastinate with questions.” So that makes me wonder if that was what brought Nicodemus in the first place. Had he seen the signs and knew what was happening, but kept procrastinating the concepts. Even though he had to be in awe of Jesus, it could also be terrifying to know that the long-awaited Messiah was actually at hand.
Even though Nicodemus may not have fully believed in Jesus’ message he was curious enough to seek Jesus directly for answers. However, Nicodemus was a Pharisee of high status. He could not risk being seen talking to Jesus during the day about matters of faith. Because of his status, to be seen with Christ would give credence to Jesus’ message. The other Pharisees would stone him if that happened.
This in a way does relate to your explanation, cause it is often in the dark of the night out of fear that we seek the counsel of Jesus on matters of faith.
Peace and Love
Personally I have been kept awake at night mulling things over and would love to be able to get up and address the person in my thoughts. I’d like to think it was a combination of things. He heard of things he had a hard time believing, he wanted to meet this man causing so much talk, and he didn’t want the others on the council to see him.