“Conversation involves both talking and listening (so much better than monologues)… God responds in so many different ways; still small voice, audible voice, scripture, devotions, others, events… etc…
Last week we touched on Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus…
John 3:1-{1-4}-21
We see in Nicodemus a struggle between cowardliness… and sincerity…
• Nicodemus was a leader, and Jesus was very public in His ministry at this point, he could of at any time in a public place came to Him and had this conversation…
• This is what these guys did, they had spiritual conversations, but fear held him back… and Jesus could have responded differently… John 18:19-21… but He didn’t because He saw his sincerity… V2…
• He wasn’t ready to say He was God, but he knew Jesus was “from” Him… and truly desired to know more… he knew he was missing something… so when he came to Christ truly searching… and Jesus challenged him…
• V3… When you sincerely come to Christ in love, He’s going to make statement’s that will challenge you, and that will push you to think and go deeper…
• But to the insincere the hard questions & statements become reasons to write Jesus off… (Pharisees, Skeptics)
• “This blunt and curt reply was plainly meant to shake the whole edifice of the man‘s religion, in order to lay a deeper and more enduring foundation. Nicodemus probably thought he had gone a long way, and expected, perhaps, to be complimented on his candor. Instead of this, he is virtually told that he has raised a question which he is not in a capacity to solve, and that before approaching it, his spiritual vision required to be rectified by an entire revolution on his inner man. Had the man been less sincere, this would certainly have repelled him… such methods speed better than more honeyed words and gradual approaches.”
V4 Jesus invites Nicodemus into the mystery of salvation…
• Jesus walks him through his need of repentance… spiritual rebirth… Jesus’ work on the cross… one of the motives for the cross, God’s great love for us… and the choice we all have to either receive Him or reject Him…
• In the middle of all of this, Nicodemus only has one last question in verse 9 “How can these things be?”
• These are the last recorded words of Nicodemus to Christ… He’s done with questions and is simply ready to listen…
John 3:19-21
Nicodemus is coming to Jesus in the night, from darkness… Nicodemus, though he is a teacher of the Law, is living in darkness as he comes to Jesus…
• Now I love Nicodemus’ response to Christ here… we don’t hear it, we’re just left hanging… that was intentional, it leaves us with two questions… how did Nicodemus respond? How should we respond?…
Nicodemus slips back into the darkness… but then we find Nicodemus again about three years later…
John 7:37-53
• Jesus is teaching the Temple… and the religious leaders are trying to arrest Him to crucify Him before His time…
John 7:45-52
• These officers were the same people that sat under the teaching of the Pharisees… they would have heard there teaching a lot…
• Verses 47-49 it must have hurt to hear… Nicodemus bravely comes to the defense of Jesus… Yet doesn’t press the issue…
And Nicodemus again disappears until after Jesus’ death on the cross…
John 19:38-40
• We see Nicodemus’ boldness here, Christ is dead, the Disciples of Christ are all in hiding… and Nicodemus comes to honor Jesus in a very public way… This moment speaks of his great love for Jesus…
• Tradition says Nicodemus died a martyr’s death… beaten to death…
Romans 11:33-36
This all-knowing God chooses to have conversation with us, He chooses to be patient with us, He chooses to walk with us until we get it…
• Nicodemus was the direct audience to John 3… and he had a journey, but he finally got it…
So, what’s the point:
• (Last week) Trust God in the mystery…
• Talk to God… Nicodemus wasn’t the only Pharisee that knew Jesus was from God… but he was one of the few to sincerely talk to Him that we see in scripture… He’s not afraid of your questions but humbly go…
• God is patient… The divine response to Nicodemus’ questions was truth and patience…
• If God is patient, we need to follow that example… If we’re not careful we can be way too quick to give up on each other…”