October 13 Starting Point

John 3:1-2 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
 
WE considered in our last lesson that to trust Jesus is to step onto a faith journey. Our journey from that point on is to mature into our relationship with him. Given Jesus’ many spiritual battles and frustrations with the Pharisees, it may surprise us to learn the Holy Spirit was working on the heart of a Pharisee named Nicodemus to begin to trust Jesus. Nicodemus – and others – spoke a trusting confession to Jesus, “We know you are a teacher who has come from God.” Hearts other than the disciples’ are awakening to Jesus’ identity.
   Nicodemus also demonstrates an extraordinary boldness in his first trust steps. Where are the others? The “we” in his declaration must have sent Nicodemus to represent them while they remained in the shadows. Likely, they were afraid of others, maybe even the ruling Sanhedrin, discovering their questions. Nicodemus became their point man. He risked his position. Questions filled his mind. Answers, too, were stirring his heart. He came that night to find hope. Perhaps he even came to find God.
   It is difficult for us to imagine how quickly Jesus burst into the Jewish religious system. All was quiet and normal one day in the Temple courts. The next day brought this radical rabbi who overthrew tables and chased moneychangers with a whip. Then he even claimed he could rebuild the temple in three days! One of two things was happening: Jesus was a self-seeking rabbi attempting to establish his own authority. Or he was a man from God sent to establish God’s kingdom on earth.
   Most of the Pharisees assumed the former. Nicodemus and his friends began to see a glimpse of God in his city. Know they have sought the Lord, who is about to teach them life-changing lessons.
   One way to learn from the Bible is to see how various persons came to Jesus and began to follow him. As John the Baptist is a model, I believe Nicodemus can be another faith model to follow. A vast knowledge of Scripture and of God’s laws filled his mind. He came now for his heart to know, “Who is this?” Our trust journey requires our mind to know God and our heart to ask the questions. Then we go to seek the true answers from Jesus.
 
Prayer: I receive you, Lord, into my heart that I may know a true, loving relationship with you. In your name I pray, Amen.