When some of you hear the book of John, chapter 3, your mind immediately jumps to John 3:16—what many consider a classic evangelism verse. And so you start to tune out, complete the story, or be reminded of another Sunday school class. I get it. But this chapter of John is so rich and transformational. We could spend countless hours reading John 3 and still need clarification. There is so much here—Nicodemus and the scandal of his nighttime visit with Jesus, who was the one chosen to save God’s people truly. “For God so loved the Cosmos”—every area of life is under the loving gaze of God: sin, darkness, light, and tension.
And we’ll hit on those things, but to understand all these things fully, we need to spend time understanding whom Jesus is talking to. Because often, we look at John 3, specifically 3:16, and use it to communicate what God has done for others who do not know Jesus. But as we understand who Nicodemus was, I think we will start to see that Jesus is talking to someone similar to you and me and that through this interaction, there is transformation.
So the first question is: who is Nicodemus? The Bible let us in on a few things about him: we know he was a Pharisee (the religious leaders involved in politics), and we know he was part of the Sanhedrin, the group that sentenced Jesus to death. And we know that he was powerful and wealthy. So in summation-he was a significant influencer.
Verse 3 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. No one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
Question number two: why is Nicodemus coming at night? He doesn’t want it known that a Pharisee was coming to see Jesus because of how scandalous that would be. Up to now, Jesus has been doing ministry, and the Pharisees were currently plotting to kill Jesus. For Nicodemus to be able to step outside his tribe and get a clearer picture of what is going on, he must go by night. No matter how much power he held with the Pharisees, his reputation couldn’t keep meeting Jesus in such a curious way. So Nicodemus remains holding onto his public perception, but something is shifting in him. He drops the party line and starts to ask the real questions.
Nicodemus saying that Jesus must be from God is not what his friends were saying. They have been accusing him of being with Satan. That’s what happens when there is a threat to power and systems. The Pharisees had much to lose if Jesus was who he said he was. Looking around our culture, economic and political systems, it shouldn’t surprise us that it is more comfortable being in control and power than not. Nicodemus’ curiosity is courageous, and he has a lot to lose.
One scholar put it this way: “Nicodemus and the Pharisees preferred a kind of religious devotion that pursues apprehending certain truths about God and the Scriptures and keeping certain religious traditions and spiritual practices. This is a kind of religious enterprise they can control and manage. It’s a check-the-box kind of faith. It can easily remain focused on the externals such as going to church, reading my Bible, and attending bible studies—while never leading one into the deeper recesses of the soul longing for a deeper kind of divine connection.”
As the conversation continues in John, we see Nicodemus and Jesus continue to meet. Jesus says, “You are Israel’s teacher; do you not understand these things?” Nicodemus continues to lean in, asking questions. Nicodemus asks, “How can this be?
Like many of us, Nicodemus was highly trained, intelligent, and knew the old testament by heart- and here we find him practically thinking through the words Jesus is saying but missing the meaning. His whole life has prepared him for Jesus to come, and now he’s sitting with God, and he’s missed the entire point. By remaining curious, his brain opens, and Nicodemus becomes aware that something is not as it is supposed to be (mismatching experience). As he continues a relationship with Jesus, someone outside his camp, Nicodemus sees Jesus as authentic and genuine. He finally hears Jesus’ story.
As he does this, Jesus shows compassion. He continues to engage. Jesus starts to reference things Nicodemus is an expert in to continue connecting with him. As he speaks Nicodemus’ language, it opens him up to understanding what is happening.
As John wraps up this conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus, it leaves us with a few challenging things to ponder. We feel like Nicodemus if we are pretty knowledgeable, know how the world works, and are confident in our position. And yet, here in this very elderly, powerful, faithful man, we see proof that this feeling isn’t limited to the small point. He had everything he wanted, and yet there was a piece that needed to be added. His curiosity led him on a path where he didn’t have all the answers, which was okay.
So how can we learn from Nicodemus to fully step into curiosity and out of our camp? Can we use this season to be curious about what Jesus says in the Bible? Can we trust that Jesus is with us, not against us? I encourage you to remain open to hearing differences and things that upset you. When you feel challenged, stay curious and open-minded. Allow your boundaries to be pushed so you can discover, like Nicodemus, that you’ll find something more extraordinary. Transformation begins with you.
