We read about him in John 3:1-21:
“Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with Him.’ Jesus answered him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ Nicodemus said to Him, ‘How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?’ Jesus answered, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 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 its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.’
“Nicodemus said to Him, ‘How can these things be?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Are you 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 bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
‘For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God’” (ESV).
Isn’t it interesting that Nicodemus sneaks out after dark to meet with Jesus? Maybe he was strategic to avoid public questioning and ridicule. This was quite a conversation to be having after sunset. Jesus questions Nicodemus and says, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?”
Toward the end of their conversation, Jesus addresses the darkness and explains, “The Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
In the dark of night, Jesus shed light on Nicodemus and what could have been a dark soul.
With what appears to be a flip of a switch, later, in John 7:40-52, Nicodemus is found standing up publicly, no longer in secret, on behalf of Jesus.
Later yet, in John 19:38-39, we read about the burial of Jesus. Joseph of Arimathea, who was a secret disciple of Jesus (out of fear of the Jews) and Nicodemus, who went to visit Jesus by night, took the body of Jesus and nearly seventy-five pounds of myrrh and aloes to bury Him. Suddenly, these men were more worried about the precious, lifeless body of Jesus than hiding in the dark.
Do you have a secret? Have you been living in secret and tiptoeing around in the dark, so others do not know you are a true disciple of Christ? Are you afraid of what others might say? What can you do to step out of the darkness and into His glorious light?
1 Peter 2:9 says, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”
How can you make Monumental Moments and live to multiply His movement today?
