Have you ever met a person who is a seeker of truth? Over the years, I have been fortunate enough to meet such people. In meeting them, I sense their deep desire to find something real . . . something different from what this world has to offer. Amid a culture, where answers seem to be everywhere, most of us are just looking for a truth that changes our hearts. We yearn for something deeper. The Book of John gives us a glimpse into such a person. His name was Nicodemus, a Pharisee who wanted to know more.
“Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; this man came to Yeshua at night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”
John 3:1-2
Upon reading this text, several questions come to mind when it comes to Nicodemus: Who is he? Why did he come at night? Why does Nicodemus recognize Yeshua as being someone great? Here are a few background notes to consider:
- Nicodemus was a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin ruling council in Jerusalem. In short, the Sanhedrin was the final court of appeals for matters regarding Jewish law and religion. Since it operated as a lower court under Roman authority, they typically had to seek Roman approval when condemning someone to death.
- As a member of the Sanhedrin, Nicodemus would have known or would have needed to know about Yeshua’s miracles written about in John chapter two. Yeshua would be a topic!
- As a scholar, Nicodemus would have picked up the significance of Yeshua using purification pots set aside for Judaic cleansing, to demonstrate a different type of cleansing. Also, Yeshua challenged the custom of serving poor wine at the end of a ceremony, by providing the fullness of new wine at the end. Both of these examples address pictures of holiness provided at YHWH’s prophesied wedding feast.
- Since Nicodemus was seeking out Yeshua, we might also assume that his heart was heavy in seeing the corruption of the temple. The Jewish leadership had fallen into the sin of selling grace. The temple had become a den of merchandise. Yeshua drove these people out to clean His Father’s House as well as His bride’s. Hence, Nicodemus would need to look into this man.
- The third and final straw causing Nicodemus to visit Yeshua, were the words of Yeshua in regards to the temple. In chapter two, the Jewish leadership had taken great pride in the works of their hands to build a temple so great that it took 46 years. Yet, Yeshua ignored their accomplishment and directed them towards His bodily temple. This would not have been taken lightly by the ruling leadership.
It’s interesting to me that Yeshua sees through all the background noise. Nicodemus seems to be looking for answers that will satisfy his flesh or cognitive inquiry, for he is an important man who wants answers. But even with this curiosity, He comes at night to keep his position undamaged and from losing respect within his peer circle.
“Yeshua responded and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless someone is born again
he cannot see the kingdom of Yah.” John 3:3
Naturally, this would spark some interest. From our point of view, how can someone be born again? How is it possible? As Nicodemus replied to Yeshua, “How can a man enter his mother’s womb a second time?” Yeshua responds,
“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter in the Kingdom of Yah. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” John 3:5-8
The weight of this statement is indeed profound. It projects who Yeshua is and directs others to seek the spirit of the Kingdom. (Remember the words of John the Baptist, the voice crying in the wilderness, “Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” The Baptist’s words were a direct revelation of Yeshua being given to Israel in that time and space.) Now, that Nicodemus was facing the Very One prophesied by Isaiah (Is. 40:3) Yeshua, makes the challenge that the flesh will die. He speaks directly to Nicodemus, even questioning him about why he doesn’t understand.
‘You are the teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen, and you people do not accept our testimony. If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? John 3:11-12
Isn’t this statement fascinating? Yeshua makes direct reference to “our testimony” that of the Father and the Son. And while doing this, he reminds Nicodemus about how the “testimony” has been rejected by the leadership. Talk about getting to the point!
Nicodemus, like so many other Sanhedrin leaders, spoke about things they knew about. They were unable to speak of heavenly things. Why was this? I believe it was due to their efforts to form laws on their own, rather than seeking the Will of the Father. From this point forward, Yeshua speaks about the “Son of Man” being “lifted up” to give eternal life and why He was there.
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him. The one who believes in Him is not judged; the one who does not believe has been judged already because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” John 3:16-18
Did the above conversation make a difference in the life of Nicodemus? Did a Jewish leader accept Yeshua as the Messiah—the Lamb that would be slain for the sins of man?
Here is the rest of the story:
After learning about certain Pharisees sending guards out to arrest Yeshua, Nicodemus asks the Sanhedrin to at least listen to Yeshua. (John 7:32-47) He goes so far as to remind them that they will go against the Torah. He stands up for Yeshua, hoping Yeshua’s words will be allowed to change the hearts of the men he works with. He stated, “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does.” (John 7:51) Did the request work? No. The council still obsessed with the power of flesh, dismisses Nicodemus.
Later in John 19, we find Nicodemus assisting Joseph of Arimathea in the burial of Yeshua. It is Nicodemus who provides close to 100 pounds of spices to help prepare the body. We are even told that Nicodemus helped to wrap the body of the Messiah. Do you think this Jewish life was changed? I believe it was. For like the words of Yeshua, we fail to truly understand the wind of the Spirit. We can’t always see who the Father speaks to and to whom the Spirit fills unless of course we become renewed in the Spirit—able to see the fruits of the Spirit. In my mind, the fruit of patience and long suffering was demonstrated in the life of Nicodemus. He stayed with Yeshua as an undercover voice amid vipers. At the end of Yeshua’s ministry, he comes out of the darkness and performs an act of intimate worship for the One True King.
Many of us are still needing to learn the lesson of Nicodemus. We are at times tempted to speak of things we know about. We can speak of truth as we know it. We can support reasons for civil disobedience. We can point out reasons for why we keep certain days or festivals. But are we seeking the Spirit for a life change, before we open our mouths? I’m unsure.
What was the reward for Nicodemus in learning to lean on the Spirit and to be born again? We are told in the Book of Matthew, at Yeshua’s death and after His resurrection, “The tombs broke open, and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised. After Yeshua’s resurrection, when they had come out of their tombs, they entered the holy city and appeared to many people.” (Matthew 27:52-52) As a leader, do you think Nicodemus knew about this event? Do you think his spirit was moved? Absolutely. Praise His Holy Name! Death has no sting when we belong to The Kingdom of YHWH.
May we all be born again,
Rollyn