Searching In The Dark

Searching in the Dark

John 3:2, NLT

After dark one evening, [Nicodemus] came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.”

Setting the Scene

Instead of asking a question, Nicodemus offered a compliment to Jesus. We don’t know if he wanted to make a good impression or whether he simply wanted to get to the heart of the matter. But as we will see, Jesus responded with an answer to the question that Nicodemus was really asking but hadn’t put into words.

John mentions that Nicodemus came to Jesus by night. The setting tells us Nicodemus wasn’t eager to be seen. He didn’t approach Jesus at high noon because he was a man trying to make up his mind about Jesus. He knew what many of his fellow Pharisees were saying about Jesus, but he wasn’t sure who Jesus was. (The “we all know” hints that he was not the only Pharisee who felt this way). Nicodemus was close to the Kingdom, but he hadn’t stepped over the border yet.

Nicodemus used two phrases to describe how he understood Jesus: “God has sent you” and “God is with you.” This was about as far as an Old Testament Jew could allow himself to go in acknowledging divine approval over someone’s life and work. For devout Jews the question was, “If I believe in you, Jesus, how does that change my view of God?” Nicodemus was willing to recognize that Jesus’ words and works originated with God, but he wasn’t sure what to do with Jesus himself.

Jesus responded to Nicodemus’s compliment by giving him an unexpected message from God.

Getting Personal

If you suddenly found yourself alone with Jesus, what would be the first thing you would say to him?

What people in your life have no idea that you really believe in Jesus? How can you let them know?

Contrary to most of us, Nicodemus was risking his reputation and perhaps his life by being with Jesus. Our standards of privacy protect our freedom to believe, but they also make it very easy to hold beliefs that fail to change us or to change our lifestyles. Nicodemus knew that what he did about Jesus would change everything else. He just didn’t know how—yet.

Talking to God

Day or night, the Lord is always with you. Recall the time, if you can, when you were—like Nicodemus—on the brink of Christ’s Kingdom. Thank God for his saving grace that drew you in and made you his own.