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The God that Nicodemus knew

Text: John 3:1-21

THE GOD THAT NICODEMUS KNEW

Nicodemus, a great teacher of Israel, certainly could discuss the subject of God with almost anyone. He could speak about the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He could speak about the God who gave to Israel her Covenantal Laws through Moses, His servant. He could discuss at great length a historical God. Nicodemus’ knowledge of God was probably vast. Nevertheless, as he listened to Jesus, he knew that there were certain things that he did not know about God.

He certainly could not speak about God and His Kingdom the way Jesus did. He could not speak on the subject of being born again either. He wasn’t able to discourse on the subject of the work of the Holy Spirit bringing about regeneration! What exactly did Nicodemus know about God anyway? It was probably wiser to be silent and listen hard to what Jesus had to say about God.

THE GOD THAT JESUS INTRODUCED

John had written earlier that Jesus was the Word Incarnate. He had come with a special purpose. He had come to reveal God as no one else could. Let us recall what he wrote earlier.

“No one has seen God at any time.
The only begotten Son,
Who is in the bosom of His Father,
He has declared Him.”
John 1:18

Nicodemus must have pricked up his ears and paid close attention as Jesus continued to speak about God. The words that fell on his ears must have sounded as if they were full of grace and truth. Who could speak of God in such intimate tones?

“For God so loved the world that He gave
His only begotten Son,
That whoever believes in Him should not perish,
But have everlasting life.”
John 3:16

What was Jesus explaining here? Surely, He couldn’t mean that God would actually raise Jesus up and be hung on a pole, as the bronze serpent in the days of Moses, could He? How could God even think such thoughts? How could God sacrifice His own Son this way? Those were hard thoughts to comprehend let alone accept.

But wait. There was another way of looking at things. The heart and mind must surely ask why God would allow His Son to suffer thus! It was because He was a God of Love. It was because He was a God who did not want people to perish. He was a God who wanted people to have everlasting life. He knew what people were really like, whether they lived in the days of Moses, or even today!

The whole human race was sinful. The problem of sin had caused the human heart to rebel against God perennially. Could God still love such sinners? Jesus’ answer was a resounding “YES!”

He had come from God. He had come to teach people about God and His love. More than that, He had come to give eternal life to those who believed in Him. However, He would have to pay the highest price to bring about the redemption of men. He would have to be lifted up on a pole (“cross”) like the bronze serpent of Moses. Only if people looked at Him in faith would they be healed from their sins and be saved!

Could Nicodemus understand all that Jesus had spoken? What deep teachings Jesus had. What a profound exposition of what God was like. How unlike the usual ways Rabbis spoke of God. They could never fully agree with each other what God actually said in the Scriptures. Their knowledge of God was academic and theoretical. No rabbi Nicodemus knew could speak of God the way this Rabbi did!

THE SON OF GOD

The idea of the “Son of God” was not entirely new to learned teachers like Nicodemus. In the book of Daniel, there was even a specific use of this phrase.

The three friends of Nebuchadnezzar had been framed. Their enemies had tricked the king into making a decree where people were forbidden to pray to anybody but Nebuchadnezzar. Of course Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to bow to anyone but God! They were thrown into a fiery furnace prepared for those who refused to comply with the king’s law.

King Nebuchadnezzar was surprised when he observed that the three men were unscathed even though they had been thrown into the fiery furnace. He was even more surprised when he saw a fourth Person standing with them. He cried out,

“Look… I see four men loose,
walking in the midst of the fire;
and they are not hurt,
and the form of the fourth is like
The Son of God.”
Daniel 3:25

Jesus spoke of Himself as “The Son of Man” (John 3:13, 14). He spoke of Himself also as the only begotten of the Father. These were staggering statements to make! The implications were terrifying to the Jewish mind! That was almost blasphemous! If Nicodemus was to follow Jesus’ line of thought, he would have to conclude that Jesus was none other than the Messiah of the prophets! He was the Divine Son of God.

Was Nicodemus talking to none other than the Son of God Himself? Was the Messiah indeed more than just a man? Popular theological thought did not postulate the idea of the Messiah in the way Jesus presented Himself.

So many ideas Jesus brought up were “new” to Nicodemus. Yet, the logic and the authority of Jesus were compelling. Could he really believe with all his heart all that Jesus said? Could he really say that he believed Him? What if he couldn’t believe Jesus?