Sunday's Message - Beside(s) Jesus: The Pharisee Nicodemus

As we approach Easter, Christians all over the world focus their attention on the cross and tomb. And because of this, the usual challenge to follow Jesus just doesn’t seem appropriate. I mean, let’s face it, we’re not Jesus, and we usually stop short of going all the way to the cross and tomb; therefore, using him as an example just doesn’t seem particularly helpful, not as we deal with issues much less dramatic than the crucifixion and the resurrection. But fortunately, Jesus wasn’t the only character in this story. In fact, there were some who just might provide examples that we should follow while there were others whose actions and attitudes we might want to avoid. And this will be our focus on each of the Sundays leading up to and including Easter. 

You see, using the Gospel of John, we’ll look at the following six men and women so that we might better understand who they were, what role they played in this story, and how we might use their examples in our own lives:

• March 16 – Philip
• March 23 – Peter
• March 30 – Caiaphas and Annas
• April 6 – Pilate
• April 13 – Nicodemus
• April 20 – Mary Magdalene 

On Sunday, April 13, we looked at the Pharisee Nicodemus and discussed how we might follow his example of change. Below is the podcast and text of the sermon. You can stream the service by going to the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).  You can hear a podcast of the service at the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel or the Sligo Presbyterian Spotify Page.

Well, here we are, Palm Sunday, the day we celebrate Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey. And next week, we’ll go through what I call a ministerial marathon, passing through the Last Supper on Maundy Thursday and the crucifixion on Good Friday, right to the resurrection on Easter. And after that, we can all take a collective deep breath and then slowly let it out, knowing that there won’t be any special services or congregational dinners or Easter egg hunts any time soon. PTL.

And because of that, next week, we’ll be tying up this series on some of those individuals about whom John wrote as he described the last week in Jesus’s life. Now to this point, we’ve looked at Philip and Peter, Caiaphas and Annas and Pontus Pilate. And this morning, we’ll focus on Nicodemus, a person only mentioned by the Evangelist John, a Pharisee who did something truly remarkable. You see, during the course of the gospel, he actually changed. 

And I say that’s truly remarkable, because, in my opinion, that’s not something we do particularly often or particularly well. You see, when push comes to shove, I believe most people are pretty resistant to change, even when change just makes sense. I mean, I think we all recognize that the world isn’t the way it used to be. For example, we face situations that couldn’t have been imagined twenty-five years ago, and those new situations bring new problems and new challenges that can’t be solved if we’re stuck in a world that no longer exists. You see, we’re going to have to change, right? 

But right there is where it gets hard, because change is difficult. I know it makes me really uncomfortable, and I’m talking about when I have to deal with threats I don’t understand and assumptions I don’t share and values I frankly don’t like. And don’t get me started on modern “music.” No, change is difficult to accept, and that probably explains why, in an awful lot of situations, we simply don’t. We don’t accept it. And instead, we try to pretend that everything can still be the way we think it should be and that we can just ignore all those nasty threats and assumptions and values. You see, we try to pretend that we can move forward while looking back, back to an idyllic past that we believe was more simple and more pure and more true, but probably wasn’t. And as we look back, the world moves on, leaving us behind with our memories and our traditions and all those warm and fuzzy feelings. And I’ll tell you, I think it affects us both as individuals and communities. I mean, last week, I ran across a meme that sent a chill up my spine. It was from a great Southern Baptist evangelist named Thom Rainer. He wrote, “Some churches would rather die than get out of the comfort of the past.” Now that’s what he wrote, and you know, I think he’s right, but not just about churches. I think the same can be said of a lot of us; I know it can be said of me. 

And you know, that’s why I think talking about a guy like Nicodemus is important, because he was willing and able to do something with which we sort of struggle. He was able to change. And I’ll tell you, that’s how we’re going to approach him this morning. You see, we’ll use the example of Nicodemus as we consider what we face in our own lives. And to do that, we’ll be answering two questions. First, how did Nicodemus change in the Gospel of John? And then, second, how can we apply his example? 

And you know, when you consider how he’s presented by the Evangelist, change is really what Nicodemus is all about in the gospel of John. I mean, just consider the three times he’s mentioned; Nicodemus is not the same person at the end, right there after the crucifixion, as we was in the beginning. 

For example, Nicodemus first appeared at the beginning of chapter three, in a passage that every Sunday School teacher has probably taught at least once. Just listen to what the Evangelist John wrote:

There was a man named Nicodemus who was a Pharisee and a Jewish leader. One night he went to Jesus and said, “Rabbi, we know that God has sent you to teach us. You could not work these miracles, unless God were with you.”

Jesus replied, “I tell you for certain that you must be born from above before you can see God’s kingdom!”

Nicodemus asked, “How can a grown man ever be born a second time?”

Jesus answered:

I tell you for certain that before you can get into God’s kingdom, you must be born not only by water, but by the Spirit. Humans give life to their children. Yet only God’s Spirit can change you into a child of God. Don’t be surprised when I say that you must be born from above. Only God’s Spirit gives new life. The Spirit is like the wind that blows wherever it wants to. You can hear the wind, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going.

“How can this be?” Nicodemus asked. [John 3:1-9, CEV]

Of course, after that Jesus goes on to explain the reason he came. Now that was the first appearance of Nicodemus.

But not his last, because about four chapters later, this happened:

When the temple police returned to the chief priests and Pharisees, they were asked, “Why didn’t you bring Jesus here?”

They answered, “No one has ever spoken like this man!”

The Pharisees said to them, “Have you also been fooled? Not one of the chief priests or the Pharisees has faith in him. And these people who don’t know the Law are under God’s curse anyway.”

Nicodemus was there at the time. He was a member of the council, and was the same one who had earlier come to see Jesus. He said, “Our Law doesn’t let us condemn people before we hear what they have to say. We cannot judge them before we know what they have done.”

Then they said, “Nicodemus, you must be from Galilee! Read the Scriptures, and you will find that no prophet is to come from Galilee.” [John 7:45-52, CEV]

Now, do you see what I’m talking about when I say he changed? I mean, this guy who was literally in the dark when he first came to Jesus, now he wants to give Jesus a hearing. In other words, now he wants to do some investigating before closing his mind to the possibility that Jesus was more than those other Pharisees assumed. You see, as I read it, in this second passage, we see an openness that doesn’t seem to be present when he asked a question that sounds a little sarcastic to me, “How can a grown man ever be born a second time?” [John 3:4b, CEV] Although certainly not a believer yet, Nicodemus has changed.

Something that, I think, becomes even more apparent near the end of Jesus’s story. You see, right after the crucifixion, this was what John wrote:

Joseph from Arimathea was one of Jesus’ disciples. He had kept it secret though, because he was afraid of the Jewish leaders. But now he asked Pilate to let him have Jesus’ body. Pilate gave him permission, and Joseph took it down from the cross.

Nicodemus also came with about 30 kilograms of spices made from myrrh and aloes. This was the same Nicodemus who had visited Jesus one night. The two men wrapped the body in a linen cloth, together with the spices, which was how the Jewish people buried their dead. In the place where Jesus had been nailed to a cross, there was a garden with a tomb that had never been used. The tomb was nearby, and since it was the time to prepare for the Sabbath, they were in a hurry to put Jesus’ body there. [John 19:38-42, CEV]

Now that’s what happened. Nicodemus had changed, moving from a skeptic who sought out Jesus to a person who was open to think about possibilities that he may not have entertained in the past to a man who assisted a disciple prepare and bury Jesus. You see, this was how Nicodemus changed in the Gospel of John.

And even though that’s certainly “nice to know” information, the rubber hits the road with the answer to our second question: How can we apply his example? In other words, how can we claim and use the example of this man who was able to change his perspective and his opinions, even his loyalty, how can we walk in his footprints as we face all the stuff that’s going on around us all the time? How can we do that? Now that’s a great question. And as to the answer, I think we can find something in what Nicodemus did in each of his appearances in the Gospel, something that I believe we can also do.

For example, first, we can decide to seek, to seek out new information that we may not have had before so that we might better understand. And I’ll tell you, I think that’s exactly what Nicodemus did. I mean, even though he entered the story in the dark both physically and spiritually, he didn’t stay there. Instead, he came to Jesus. And he asked questions, including “How can this be?” [John 3:9a, CEV], a question that set Jesus up to offer probably the most quoted verse in the entire New Testament: 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. [John 3:16, KJV] That’s what he said. And after the questions, he listened for the answers. You see, Nicodemus decided to seek the truth. And I’ll tell you, so can we. So can we as we try to navigate as Christians living in a constantly changing world. So can we when we decide to come to the places where we might hear the truth and where we can come with all our questions and where we can decide to wait patiently for the answers. Now that’s what we can decide to do. And I’ll tell you, when we do, I think we just might find ourselves in the same place Simon Peter found himself when this happened:

Because of what Jesus said, many of his disciples turned their backs on him and stopped following him. Jesus then asked his twelve disciples if they also were going to leave him. Simon Peter answered, “Lord, there is no one else that we can go to! Your words give eternal life. We have faith in you, and we are sure that you are God’s Holy One.” [John 6:66-69, CEV]

You see, like Nicodemus, we can decide to seek; that’s the first thing we can do.

And after seeking, second, we can decide to think, you know, to take a step back from what we may have assumed and to think about the situation and about the options, and to do it with an openness that just might lead to some real answers. And I’ll tell you, I believe that’s exactly what Nicodemus did when he was with those other Pharisees on council. You see, based on what John wrote, Nicodemus decided to pause and to look pass some of those assumptions held by everybody else in the room and to gather more information before making up his mind, in other words, before deciding what to believe and to do. And again, I believe we can do the same thing ourselves. Of course, I recognize that it’s not easy. I mean, it’s not easy to pause when everyone around us is all gung ho. And it’s not easy to look pass some assumptions with which we feel really, and I mean, really comfortable. And it’s sure not easy to gather more information when that little voice is telling us that all those threats I don’t understand and all those assumptions I don’t share and all those values I don’t like, well, they’re all just plain wrong...period, close the book, Elvis has left the building. You see, even though it may not be easy, we can still decide to think. And when we do, I believe we’ll be doing the very thing the Evangelist hoped everyone would do when they read his gospel. This was what he wrote: 

Jesus worked many other miracles for his disciples, and not all of them are written in this book. But these are written so that you will put your faith in Jesus as the Messiah and the Son of God. If you have faith in him, you will have true life. [John 20:30-31, CEV]

You see, like Nicodemus, we can decide to think, and that’s the second thing we can do.

And finally, we can decide to act. I mean, after seeking and thinking, we can actually decide to do something. As a matter of fact, when you get right down to it, it’s in the actions we take, it’s right there where the seeking and thinking have meaning. And in the last Nicodemus story, I believe that was certainly the case. You see, after seeking and thinking, he took action. He came prepared and he worked with someone else and they did what was necessary, what was a appropriate, what was right. And you know, we can do the same. I mean, right here and right now, we can prepare ourselves to move forward within the world we have even if it may not be the one that we want. And we can gather together, first to seek the truth and then to think about what we’ve found and then to use what God has given us to do what’s necessary and appropriate and right. We can act, something that Jesus challenged his disciples to do right before they shared their last meal.

After Jesus had washed his disciples’ feet and had put his outer garment back on, he sat down again. Then he said:

Do you understand what I have done? You call me your teacher and Lord, and you should, because that is who I am. And if your Lord and teacher has washed your feet, you should do the same for each other. I have set the example, and you should do for each other exactly what I have done for you. I tell you for certain that servants are not greater than their master, and messengers are not greater than the one who sent them. You know these things, and God will bless you, if you do them. [John 13:12-17, CEV]

You see, like Nicodemus, we can decide to act, and that’s the third thing we can do.

Of course, I don’t believe doing this kind of thing will automatically make change comfortable and easy to do. I mean, it’s just plain hard to step away from all those places and ideas that have offered us so much peace and security in the past. Of course, maybe, if we lived on a deserted island, maybe we could cling to those things and be just fine. But in reality, we live on this island earth, and there are times when we’re going to need to change or be left behind. But as we saw with Nicodemus, change is more than possible when we decide to seek, to come and to ask and to listen, and when we decide to think, to pause and to look pass the assumptions and to gather information, and of course, when we decide to act, to be prepared and to join with others and to do what’s necessary and appropriate and right. You see, this we can do. And when we do, we’ll be walking in the footprints of Nicodemus, a Pharisee who was willing and able to change.