Daily Devotions
My Song In The Night (Gospel of John)
我夜间的歌曲 (约翰福音)
Nicodemus, A Ruler and A Pharisee
Text: John 7: 50-53
NICODEMUS, A RULER AND A PHARISEE
Nicodemus was mentioned in the Gospel of John as one of the Jewish rulers who had spoken to Jesus. He was with the chief priests and Pharisees who made this uncalled-for remark.
“Nicodemus (he who came to Jesus by night, being one of them) said to them, ‘Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?’ They answered and said to him, ‘Are you also from Galilee? Search and look, for no prophet has arisen out of Galilee.’ And everyone went to his own house.”
John 7:50-52
1. Nicodemus was identified as one of the members of the Sanhedrin Council
a. He sought to temper things.
b. His was the voice of reason.
c. There were protocols to be followed.
d. Legal procedures had not been carried out.
i. Does our law judge a man before it hears him?
ii. Nicodemus was sharp enough to note that the rulers were already judging Jesus before He was heard.
iii. This famous teacher of Israel had been deeply impacted by Jesus and was now standing up for Him as best he could.
2. The retort of the Pharisees and the chief priests
a. They could not ignore that Nicodemus was “one of them”.
b. They did not want to lose him to Jesus.
c. Nor did they want Nicodemus to stand against them.
d. Nicodemus had earned a good name for himself as an outstanding teacher of Israel.
e. They retorted by sneering.
i. “Are you also from Galilee?” (This was meant as an insult!)
ii. Galilee was not well-respected as a region/ district.
f. The challenge to search the Scriptures
i. They were confident that no prophet had arisen from Galilee.
ii. The meeting of the chief priests and Pharisees did not end on a happy note for them.
经文:约翰福音 7:50-52
尼哥底母,一位官长和法利赛人
根据约翰福音的记载,尼哥底母是其中一位与耶稣谈过话的犹太官长。当祭司长和法利赛人对耶稣说这些无礼的话时,尼哥底母正在场。
“内中有尼哥底母,就是从前去见耶稣的,对他们说:‘不先听本人的口供,不知道他所做的事,难道我们的律法还定他的罪吗?’ 他们回答说:‘你也是出于加利利吗?你且去查考,就可知道加利利没有出过先知。’”
《约翰福音 7:50-52》