DAY 73 OF 365 IN 2021
In the story of Jesus, some characters are so hidden that we come across them in flashes and so do not really take a closer look at their stories. One of such was Nicodemus, a member of the Sanhedrin- the ruling council of the Jews. Back home, we have an informal way of expressing acts done secretly: ‘they are done nicodemusly’. Hence, we come across him first in the third chapter of John and get a glimpse of his fear of being spotted as he approached Jesus. Thus, ‘He came by night, under the cover of darkness’ (John 3:1)
Interestingly, his conversation with Jesus became the origin of the single most popular profession of the love of God in John 3:16:
For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life.
And with these words playing on his mind, he departed.
He appears again in John 7:50-51 in his attempt to win a fair trial for Jesus. While many questioned His motives for making such a request, the relevance of this suggest that at this point, memories of His encounter with Jesus still played on His mind. Perhaps, he was just being an unbiased council member. However, the seeds of faith, expressed in love, had already been planted at His first encounter with Jesus and were gaining root.
Nicodemus’ final appearance is at the foot of the cross in John 19:39-42. Here, he comes with 45kg of spices to prepare the body of Jesus for burial, alongside Joseph of Arimathea. This time round,
He doesn’t come under the cover of darkness, but in broad day light because his conviction had become sure and his coming to faith, now complete.
That is the story of Nicodemus, a man who stepped from darkness into light when He encountered Jesus, the light of the world. So whatever your darkness may be, allow the glorious light of Christ to illuminate it.
#sly
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