A BEGINNING

This man is introduced to us as an enquirer after the truth who, afraid of the censure of his fellow-Pharisees, comes to Jesus "by night." However, his interest in the word of God is so great that he cannot stay away from the One who proclaims it, he must learn what God has to say to him. In this he stands in contrast with those who believed in Christ's name "when they saw the miracles which He did," for he perceives that the mission of our Lord is not miracle-working. He appreciates those miracles, saying, "No man can do these miracles that Thou doest, except God be with him;" but reveals what is uppermost in his mind by prefacing his testimony with the words, "Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God!" To him the miracles are credentials to secure attention for the word of God, hence his heart's enquiry is:What has the bearer of these to say?

No doubt his fear of man brought its snare, and well would it have been had he confided in the Lord as to this, for the savor of His name "makes the coward spirit brave." However he has come to One whose patience is infinite, who knows that he is elect of God, and will declare himself sooner or later. Nicodemus' very fear reveals his discernment, for he realizes that Christ's mission will bring Him into conflict with the teachers of Israel.

Now the question arises:Will the Lord resent the hesitation of His visitor, will He make a difficulty of it, will He even show reserve and limit His words to bare courtesy? Or will He pour out His heart in words of light and love such as never fell on mortal ears before? He will do the latter. He knows that the Father who drew this enquirer to Him is opening his eyes and ears.

On the other hand, how unsatisfactory was the endorsement given Christ by those who believed in His name "when they saw the miracles which He did." To Him this afforded no pleasure, for He saw here no trace of the Father's hand:it was but the whimsical approval of unregenerate "men," and He "did not commit Himself unto them, for He knew all men, and needed not that any should testify of man, for He knew what was in man." Dangerous as was David Hume's rejection of any miracle because outside his ken, it was no more dangerous than faith in a miracle as an end in itself; hence we need not be surprised that the One who takes pleasure in a timid enquirer after the truth, finds no pleasure in a multitude which endorses Him because of miracles. And if that interest in genuine miracles when unaccompanied by interest in the Word of God proved fatal to the Jerusalem multitudes, what shall be said for Christendom's present desire after "thrills" and "healings" rather than the Word of God? How easy this disposition is making things for that day when the devil will send the antichrist to the rejecters of the truth "with signs and lying wonders" (2 Thess. 2:9).

Nicodemus has no idea that God's plan is to set aside man in the flesh and to give him life in Christ. But the Lord tells him (1) that "the flesh" cannot be improved, that after teaching and discipline it remains flesh-"That which is born of the flesh is flesh"-hence God must work to secure a generation which can know Him. This is by new birth-"That which is born of the Spirit is spirit"-therefore Nicodemus must not think it strange to be told, "Ye must be born again." Moreover (2), "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." As the brazen "serpent" represented what had bitten the people, and is therefore a figure of sin judged, so was the crucified One "made [to be] sin for us," although He knew no sin, thereby ending in His death our status in the flesh when He died on our behalf. And (3) the love of God was the source of this activity in man and for man:"For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." Had there been no "love" of God for us sinners, there would have been no "new birth" and no "lifted up" sacrifice; we must have perished and remained ignorant of God by not receiving that "eternal life" which is characterized by the knowledge of the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent (John 17:3).

NICODEMUS SHOWS COURAGE

After his conversation this teacher in Israel returns to his circle of things, but he will never be the same man again; he knows too much. And he is bound to be very uncomfortable, for his associates are the bitterest foes of Christ, so much so that they send officers to arrest Him. But His words arrest the officers, who return to their employers empty-handed; whereupon they exclaim, "Why have ye not brought Him?" Let us picture the scene. It is "the last day, that great day of the feast," when vast numbers are congregated in Jerusalem, and when the prestige of the leaders must be maintained. The chief priests and Pharisees are assembled expectantly, the officers arrive, and upon being questioned for their lack of success exclaim, "Never man spake like this man!"-they had been listening to the Word of God. Indignantly the Pharisees retort, "Are ye also deceived? Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on Him? But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed." It is a tense moment. But is there no one in that company who will open his mouth and speak one word for that "Teacher come from God" who has been branded a deceiver? Yes! there is one in that company who cannot be silent a moment longer. He has been very slow to speak, and is still so characteristically careful of his words that he says what he must in the form of a question. But speak he will. He asks:"Doth our law judge any man before it hear him, and know what he doeth?" Who is the speaker? It is Nicodemus. Ah, he speaks with the insight of a prophet. For this man knows his own heart, he has had the springs of his being laid bare to himself in the presence of God. He recollects how he had almost failed to give a hearing to Christ, he knows how at last he had come almost like a skulker to the One who had answered all his questions. Yes! Nicodemus knows himself and therefore he knows others. He can read the Pharisees like a book. And when he speaks his word searches the conscience. He is virtually saying:"My fellow-Pharisees, have you ever given a hearing to the One you condemn? Did you ever enquire what sort of message must lie behind these mighty miracles? And have you ever wondered what this unique Stranger has come among us to do? Like yourselves I once stayed away from Him, but when at last I went to see Him (for I did), He revealed to me His mission in this world." What a story the loyal and aroused speaker could have told had there been but ears to hear. And how the Lord must have rejoiced in the progress of His disciple. How it must have gladdened His heart to observe His poor, hesitant servant allowing his light to shine, and by so doing accomplishing the most effective sort of work. The Pharisees do not appear to be silenced, but this is in appearance only. They are really covering their confusion when they say, "Art thou also of Galilee? Search and look:for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet." And not only are they blustering, they are talking nonsense and betraying ignorance of their own history. But who are they to say to anyone, "Search and look?" Had they been searching and looking they would not be rejecting the One who spake as never man spake. Their bluster cannot last, however, for like an arrow the word has gone to the mark, and "every man went to his own house." Nicodemus has broken up their meeting.

NICODEMUS IDENTIFIED WITH A REJECTED CHRIST

The Saviour of sinners who had prophesied to His midnight visitor the manner of His death, saying, "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up," is now "lifted up," He is crucified and dead. Nicodemus may now look upon His form impaled upon the tree. How this must recall the conversation of that memorable night! How the two "musts" will now illumine him:Ye "must be born again!" and, "The Son of Man must be lifted up." And how he must ponder that love which was expressed in it all; -"For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son"-love impartial and great for "the world," love that was measured by an unspeakable gift, love that was active because it had such a purpose of blessing for man.

But the Sabbath is now approaching, and must not be desecrated. Therefore to hasten their death and remove their bodies, soldiers are breaking the legs of the two thieves who had been crucified on either side of Jesus. But when they examine the central cross they find its occupant dead, whereupon they break not his legs. But one pierces His side and the evidence of death is forthcoming in the flow of "blood and water." In all this, however, Scripture is being fulfilled, for it is written, "A bone of Him shall not be broken," and again, "They shall look on Him whom they pierced." It appears, however, as if the usual procedure of the authorities in such matters is going to be carried out, and the body of Jesus will be cast into the place where executed criminals- "the wicked"-are buried. But this had been foreseen of God, hence He inspired Isaiah to write:"And [men] appointed his grave with the wicked" (ch. 53:9). Yes; such was man's appointment. But God had no intention of allowing such an arrangement to be carried out, therefore He made Isaiah add to the text these words:"But He was with the rich in his death" (J. N. D.'s Trans.). This was God's appointment, and, unlike man's, it was carried out. Furthermore, seeing that atonement is made, He will nevermore permit His slayers to lay their polluted hands upon His form; He has ordained that the honor of removing that body from the cross and depositing it in the grave will fall to those alone whom He can approve for such a service, and such servants must be lovers of His Son. There are two such men whom He selects for this purpose. "Joseph of Arimathea" goes in boldly to Pilate and obtains leave to take away the body of Jesus; and there came also "Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight." These take their Lord's body, and winding it in linen with the spices, lay it in an adjoining garden in "a new sepulcher, wherein was never man yet laid." Never again can Nicodemus be reckoned a secret disciple. He has come into the light of day and declared his unswerving attachment to the One whom the world thinks has gone down to defeat. Let not only chief priests and Pharisees, let not only Jews and Romans, let the whole world say what it will, he has taken a stand from which there can be no turning back. R. J. Reid