Sermon – Nicodemus – Where Are You in Your Spiritual Walk?

Last week, my dad, who is the pastor at the church I attend, preached a sermon from John 3.  Most people would think that sermon was focused on John 3:16, since it is one of the most highly quoted verses in the Bible, but actually, the sermon was focused on the verses preceding it, verses 1-15.  He mostly wanted us to better understand the person who had prompted this conversation with Jesus at night – Nicodemus.  Nicodemus was one of the spiritual leaders of the Jews, a Pharisee, and a chief priest.  He was highly respected and would have been considered a righteous man by the Jewish people in his time.  Yet, when he saw Jesus teach, preach, and perform miracles, he realized that there was something missing in his life, something he did not understand about who God is, and something pertaining to eternal life.  So he went to meet Jesus and talk to him about his concerns.  It was during that conversation that he was told, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”  It was then that Nicodemus’ life was changed.  This was what was shared last Sunday. 

I began to then think about how Nicodemus lived his life from that point forward, and I noticed that Nicodemus made small but significant steps of progression every time he was spoken about in the book of John.  In John 3, he seemed unsure of who Jesus was and unwilling to sacrifice his reputation in front of others, so he came to see Jesus under the cover of night.  In John 7, he became more bold in that, he spoke out to the other chief priests and Pharisees about their double standard in judging Christ, but he did so carefully, trying not to offend his fellow leaders.  But finally, in John 19, he acted with courage, unafraid of how he would appear before others, openly burying the body of our Lord.  I don’t know how much time elapsed between each event happening, but there was a steady progression of Nicodemus’ faith.  This is the question I want us to meditate on today – What step of Nicodemus’ spiritual walk are you at currently?  Are you the cautious investigator, still trying to determine who Jesus is and whether he is worth your life?  Are you the covert follower, ashamed or afraid of what the world might think if they found out you were a Christian?  Or are you the bold disciple, willing to put your life and reputation on the line for Christ?

Nicodemus the Cautious Investigator

John 3:1-3 – Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

We are first introduced to Nicodemus in John 3, where we are told that he is a teacher, a Pharisee, and a ruler of the Jews.  This description indicates that Nicodemus was highly esteemed and was likely fairly well-off, being a leader among the people of Israel.  Nicodemus had power, wealth, and fame – everything that this world believes are keys to success and fulfillment.  Yet in his heart, after he saw the miracles that Jesus did and heard how Jesus shared the Gospel, he knew that something was missing in his life and that Jesus Christ had the answer.  This compelled him to investigate and to dig into who this man named Jesus was.  Knowing that his fellow Pharisees did not like Jesus though, he needed to protect his reputation and avoid being associated with him, so rather than asking his questions in the open in the Temple in front of others to see, he sought an opportunity where he could speak to Jesus alone.  This is why he came to Jesus by night (vs. 2).  He wasn’t sure yet who Jesus was and wanted to be careful before making any moves that could cost him his position in life.  He was curious but not yet ready to sacrifice his all for this unusual “teacher come from God.”  Interestingly though, Jesus was not offended by the way Nicodemus approached him.  Jesus did not call him out on his fear.  Jesus did not berate him or make him feel inferior.  Instead, even before Nicodemus had the opportunity to ask his questions, Jesus addressed them by talking to Nicodemus about his need to be born again.  After this life-changing conversation, where Nicodemus was told that he needed to place his faith and trust in Christ as his Lord and Savior, Nicodemus’ heart must have been touched.  I am inclined to believe that he became a changed man and decided to follow Christ that very night.  It was after that conversation that Nicodemus became saved and became a Christian.  And it all began with some cautious investigation. 

Many people began their walk with Christ with some cautious investigation.  Lee Strobel, for example, was an investigative journalist, who was an outright atheist.  But when his wife became a Christian and began to live in a manner that reflected the love of God, he became curious.  He went out speaking to experts in theology and Christianity looking to dispute them, but eventually, learned the truth that Jesus was indeed who He said He was – the Christ.  He then became a believer and wrote a series of books called The Case for Christ, The Case for Faith, and The Case for a Creator, which are some of the foremost books on Christian apologetics.  And it all began with some cautious investigation.    

I have no clue where you are in your spiritual walk right now, or what might have brought you to read this devotional today, but I am guessing you might be curious.  You like Nicodemus in John 3 might be a cautious investigator.  You have realized that there is something different about Christianity and something that sets Jesus Christ apart from all other gods and religions, but you are unclear as to what that might be.  You aren’t yet willing to jump headfirst, especially because you don’t understand everything; so why risk your comfort and your current life for this unknown?  I am not here to condemn you.  I am not here to tell you to just abandon everything and blindly go where you aren’t comfortable.  What I encourage you to do though is to be like Nicodemus.  Take a small risk and ask what is different about Jesus Christ.  Like Nicodemus, I encourage you to investigate carefully, asking God (whether you believe He exists or not) to show Himself and make things clear to you.  According to the Bible, God does not want anyone to perish (2 Peter 3:9), so I am certain that if you are truly seeking Him with an open heart and mind, He will meet you where you are and give you the understanding necessary to come to know Him.  So if this is the step you are at spiritually, go.  I challenge you to meet Christ.  I challenge you to bring your questions to Him.  I challenge you to do so even under the cover of night without anyone knowing if you are embarrassed.  Be cautious.  Be safe.  But don’t be afraid to investigate.  A loving God is waiting for you, and I am certain that you will not be disappointed by what you find.  As you seek and get to know Him and His Word better, you will be surprised to find that whatever doubts you may have will slowly drift away. 

Nicodemus the Covert Follower

John 7:40-52 – 40 When they heard these words, some of the people said, “This really is the Prophet.” 41 Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Is the Christ to come from Galilee? 42 Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?” 43 So there was a division among the people over him. 44 Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him. 45 The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why did you not bring him?” 46 The officers answered, “No one ever spoke like this man!” 47 The Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived? 48 Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? 49 But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.” 50 Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, 51 “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?” 52 They replied, “Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.”

In John 7, we hear about Nicodemus again, but instead of being alone with Jesus, he is now in front of the Pharisees, listening to them accuse Jesus of being a false teacher.  At this point, Nicodemus had likely become a follower of Christ.  He had heard Jesus tell him that He must believe to have everlasting life, and Nicodemus heeded those words and believed.  But now, he was being tested.  Jesus was not around to defend Himself.  Jesus wasn’t present to see whether Nicodemus would stand up for Him.  Nicodemus was here alone with no fellow disciples of Christ and had to decide whether he would take a stand and let his fellow Pharisees know that he believed that Jesus was the Christ.  What was he to do?  Should he put his position at risk – a position that might give him more opportunities to share the Gospel in the future?  Should he potentially risk his wealth and esteem?  Would he be ostracized and kicked out of the council?  Would he and his family be persecuted for his choice to stand for Christ?  I’m sure that all of these thoughts flashed through Nicodemus’ head as he was trying to decide whether he would speak up. 

As we can see in vs. 50-51, Nicodemus decided to play the middle ground in this situation.  He corrected the Pharisees for their incorrect action of judging without a trial, but never confirmed or denied whether he had placed his faith in Christ.  When the Pharisees asked him, whether he was from Galilee too, they were basically asking him whether he also believed.  And we are not informed how he responded to it, leaving us to believe that in this situation, he played the role of the covert follower.  He believed in Christ and knew that this was a moment that he could make a stand; but because of his fear, he chose to silently sit on the sidelines, hiding in the background.  We can’t blame Nicodemus, because if we were put in the same situation, we might have done even worse.  Just remember how Peter reacted when he was noticed for following Jesus.  Rather than standing up for Jesus, who he just hours before said he would die for, denied his relationship with Him.  So if anything, Nicodemus did a little better; at least, he didn’t deny Christ.  Plus, he was more bold than he was in John 3.  No longer was he completely hiding, he was at least hinting at his change of heart. 

Again, I am not condemning those of you who might be living in a place where Christianity is outlawed, and you worship in secret with your fellow believers.  In fact, I am inspired by your courage and faith to still meet up in the midst of that persecution.  You are like the first believers, who needed to use secret codes and images like the fish to ensure that the Roman government under the rule of Nero didn’t come to destroy your family.  In those extreme situations, I do understand the need for secrecy. 

But unfortunately, many Christians today who live in environments where they are free to worship God like Nicodemus in John 7 are covert followers.  Afraid to rock the boat or offend someone, we neither deny our faith nor stand up for it.  Like spies waiting for some code word to be spoken, we stay in hiding until we receive some signal like a Bible verse being quoted or a reference to church before we share that we are Christians.  We allow the world to dictate the morals of the society we live in, lest we be considered intolerant.  We silently watch as prayer is taken out of our schools and God is taken out of our courts, lest we be considered radicals.  We allow the people around us to take the name of our God in vain, lest we be considered too sensitive.  We are so afraid of what people will say or do, that we rather hide then take a stand for our Savior and Lord.  We are content to be like the politicians of our day, neither standing for something nor fighting against it, but see-sawing back and forth.  We want to play the middle ground.  But the Bible clearly says that we cannot serve God and Mammon (Matthew 6:24) and that friendship with the world is enmity with God (James 4:4).  We cannot continue to perform splits between God and the world, for as time goes on, they continue to drift further and further apart. 

If you currently identify yourself as a covert follower of Christ, I want you to realize that you cannot stay that way for long.  Eventually, there will come a time when you will be forced to choose.  So stop hiding in the shadows, while the world and the Devil take advantage of your silence.  Stop waffling back and forth, holding onto the things of this world while claiming to love Christ.  Stop being like the soil where the seed fell among thorns, being choked by the cares of this world and becoming unfruitful (Matthew 13:22).  It is like the quote goes, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”  So stop doing nothing.  Move on to the next step. 

Nicodemus the Bold Disciple

John 19:38-42 – 38 After these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body. 39 Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight. 40 So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. 41 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. 42 So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.

The next and last time we hear about Nicodemus is in John 19 after the Crucifixion, when he went with Joseph of Arimathea to bury the body of Jesus.  During the trial and crucifixion of our Lord, many of the disciples fled, including the Twelve who followed Christ for the last three years.  The only people left during the Crucifixion were a few women and John the brother of James.  If the other disciples were present, they likely went into hiding right after.  Interestingly though when all the other outspoken followers had fled, these two men – Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus – who had only been secretly following Christ throughout His ministry finally gained the courage to stand up for Christ.  By asking for the body of Jesus, preparing it for burial, and burying it, they made themselves enemies of the Pharisees and the other chief priests and elders who had plotted to kill Jesus.  They were no longer skirting by the side lines; they were no longer in hiding.  They were openly taking Christ’s body off the cross, wrapping it in linen clothes, and placing it in the tomb.  By associating themselves with Jesus Christ, they painted a target on their backs and would likely lose their esteemed positions.  Nicodemus who was once a cautious investigator then a covert follower had now become a bold disciple for Jesus Christ his Lord.  He finally took that stand. 

What will it take for us to take a stand for Christ?  When will we have the boldness and courage to let the world know that we are Christians – that we are disciples of Jesus Christ?  Do you need a guarantee of security that you will not lose your job?  Do you need a promise that your family will not be mocked for your beliefs and moral standards?  Do you need an assurance that you won’t lose your friends?  I’m sorry to tell you this, but those guarantees are not there.  As Christians, the one thing we are guaranteed is persecution (2 Timothy 3:12).  The world will always oppose those who want to fight against sin and to follow God.  But what we are guaranteed is that God cares for His children.  He will watch over them, take care of them, and help them during these times of trouble.  As he took care of David in the wilderness surrounded by his enemies, he will watch over you.  As he cared for Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego during the reign of Babylon and Persia, He will take care of you.  As he cared for Paul and the other apostles during the early church, He will take care of you.  We must only be willing to take a stand. 

I don’t know what happened to Nicodemus after he boldly buried the body of Jesus Christ.  He might have experienced hardship and difficulty from the other members of the Sanhedrin.  He might have lost all his wealth and connections.  He might have even experienced persecution at the hands of Saul.  The Bible does not tell us what happened.  But if he experienced any of these troubles, they could only pale in comparison to the honor that he later received.  The honor of being mentioned by name in the Bible as one of the bold disciples who buried Jesus Christ.  The honor of a man who though fearful once before was no longer afraid to be associated with his Lord.  The honor of a person, whose name is associated with one of the greatest verses in the Bible – John 3:16.  All because he took a stand. 

Conclusion

Our world today has only gotten more and more wicked.  We have, unfortunately, come to the time when good is being called evil and evil good.  When we stand for the life of a child, we are called haters of women and choice.  When we abstain from sexual temptations in this world, we are called fun-hating prudes.  When we speak of our belief in a Creator, we are called unintelligent deniers of science.  We are told that we must stand down from our beliefs, to hide our faith, to feel guilty for the “privilege” we have had to live as Christians in the last two hundred years.  We are told to be tolerant to things that are against God, to accept the wicked deeds of the world, and to gladly join in them.  We have come to a time where we must now take a stand. 

When we became Christians, we were sanctified, which means that we were set apart as holy unto our God.  Being separated unto God means that our lives must be different.  We should not look like the world.  We should not be conformed to it.  We should not hide in it.  Rather we are called to be transformed by the renewing of our mind so that we can discern and do the will of God.  Jesus Christ called us to be a city on a hill, to be the salt of the earth, and to be the light of the world in Matthew 5.  So stop putting the walls up around your city.  Stop trying to hide the flavor of Christ in your life.  Stop hiding your light under a bushel.  Instead, progress from the cautious investigator to the covert follower to the bold disciple.  Make that leap.  Be bold for Christ today.  Tell the world you’re a Christian and live up to the responsibilities that come with that name.    

Quick Note – 1 Chronicles 15:13 – Seek God Properly

1 Chronicles 15:13 – “Because you did not carry it the first time, the Lord our God broke out against us, because we did not seek him according to the rule.”

After David became king of Israel, he wanted to bring the Ark of God to Jerusalem, establishing it as the place of worship and symbolizing that Israel would seek God again.  At the time, it was located at Kiriath-Jearim, so he gathered the people of Israel together to transport the Ark with praise and celebration.  Unfortunately, this joyous occasion quickly became a time of sorrow, when Uzzah, one of the people transporting the Ark, stretched out his hand to steady the Ark, when the cart in which the Ark was sitting stumbled.  Although Uzzah was trying to do a good thing by making sure that the Ark wouldn’t fall over, it was forbidden to touch the Ark of God, for it was holy.  Uzzah was immediately struck down by God for breaking this command and died.  This brought fear into David’s heart, who then chose to leave the Ark in the town they had just reached, instead of bringing it all the way to Jerusalem. 

A few months later, after hearing about how the house of Obed-Edom, where the Ark was located now, was being blessed by God, David decided to try to transport the Ark of God again.  But this time rather than using a cart with oxen, he called the priests and the Levites to come and carry the Ark of God.  This may seem like a weird request and practically unreasonable, but according to the Law, this was the way it was supposed to be transported in the first place.  The Levitical priests were the only people who were allowed to touch the holy things of God, meaning they were the ones that were supposed to carry the Ark.  David now remembering that law, decided to follow the rule and seek God in the proper manner, because he knew that the first time they tried, they did not seek God according to the rule and were punished for it.  David knew the importance of seeking God in the proper manner.

In this day and age, we are told that there are many ways to get to heaven.  We are told that all religions are the same and equal and that all paths lead to God.  But this teaching is completely wrong.  According to the Bible, there is only one way to know God and that is to receive His Son Jesus Christ into your heart and life.  Acts 4:11-12 states, “This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.  And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”  There are no other ways to know God.  There are no other ways to be saved from hell.  There are no other ways to receive the Holy Spirit into your life.  There is no way by which you can do enough good works to earn your salvation.  The only way was provided for us through the death of Jesus Christ His Son.  The Bible tells us that we must turn to Christ, repenting of our sin and trusting in Him as our Lord and Savior to be saved.  Jesus Christ is the only way, for He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no one can come to the Father except through Him (John 14:6).  So do not be deceived by this world.  If you are seeking peace with God, then the only way to find it is to humble yourself at the cross.  Seek God today according to the rule.    

*The way to receive Christ into your life is to simply place your trust in Him.  You must admit that you are a sinner and in need of a Savior, for the penalty of your sins is death.  You must believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He died to pay the penalty for your sins on that cross.  And finally, you must confess Him as your Lord and Savior, placing your faith and trust that He will save you.  There is no magic formula or special prayer, all you must do is call upon the name of the Lord, and you will be saved (Romans 10:13).