Note: On Tuesdays and some Sundays, you can find me at Your Daily Tripod, owned by my friend TonyD. A longer version of the post below appears there.
Nicodemus was curious but careful about this Jesus. It’s understandable; he was a Pharisee and a Sanhedrist. He had standing in his community. The Catholic Encyclopedia puts it this way: “He appears … as a learned and intelligent believer, but timid and not easily initiated into the mysteries of the new faith.” Small wonder, then that the meeting described in John 3 after the wedding at Cana and the cleansing of the temple comes at night and, it appears, away from the other Jewish leaders.
Jesus doesn’t deride Nicodemus for this caution, but engages him in a deep conversation, acknowledging his status as a teacher of Israel, answering his questions, and seeking to expand the man’s concept of God, His power, and His mercy. We see Nicodemus again in John 7, carefully defending Jesus among the Sanhedrin. Then, finally, after Jesus’ crucifixion, we see him joining Joseph of Arimathea in preparing Jesus’s
body for burial. Each time, Nicodemus becomes a bit bolder, a bit more public in his blossoming belief.
Often, we come to Jesus at night with our own earthly concerns. Oh, the sun may be out and the weather may be nice, but it is night in our souls. Our despair or bitterness may be so deep that we can’t share it with family and friends… or we have carried it and shared it with them for so long that they can no longer listen. We turn to Jesus not necessarily because we love and believe and trust Him, but because, there is no one else. He’s our last hope.
What a surprise it is to find that, just as He didn’t deride Nicodemus for coming to him in the dark, He greets us where we are. He welcomes us and listens to us rather than being dismissive and telling us to come back when we’re ready to pay Him the homage He is due. He trusts that will come later.
