Part 2 of 7 in Jesus Christ, The Man Who Walked Toward Us
The streets of Jerusalem were quiet. Lamps were low. A respected man pulled his cloak close and walked toward the house where Jesus was staying. He didn’t want to be seen. His name was Nicodemus, and he carried a title, a reputation and a question he couldn’t answer.
A Strong Man With a Hidden Hunger
John introduces him carefully: “There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: the same came to Jesus by night” (John 3:1-2).
He was a teacher of Israel. People came to him for answers. Yet something in Jesus had stirred a hunger that all his learning couldn’t feed. So he came in the dark, where nobody could watch him admit he didn’t know.
Many men live like this. At church we nod and say amen. At home we carry questions we never speak aloud. Is God really near? Am I truly forgiven? Why do I feel empty when everything looks fine? We keep the mask on because our name, our position and our pride are at stake.
Jesus Didn’t Shame Him
Look at how Jesus responds. He doesn’t rebuke Nicodemus for coming at night. He doesn’t mock the late hour or the hidden fear. He goes straight to the heart: “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).
Nicodemus stumbles. “How can a man be born when he is old?” (John 3:4). Jesus patiently explains the wind, the Spirit and the new birth. Then He gives the verse the whole world knows: “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).
Honest questions don’t offend Jesus. Pretending does.
From Night to Daylight
The story doesn’t end in chapter 3. In John 7:50-51 Nicodemus quietly speaks up for Jesus among his peers. It’s a small step, but it’s a step. Then at the cross, when the disciples have scattered, John 19:39 says Nicodemus, “which at the first came to Jesus by night,” arrived with about a hundred pounds of myrrh and aloes to honor His body. The man who once hid in the dark now stood in open daylight beside a crucified Christ.
That’s what the new birth does. It turns secret admirers into open followers.
Take It With You This Week
Proverbs 29:25 warns that the fear of man brings a snare. Hebrews 4:16 invites us to come boldly to the throne of grace. Find one trusted brother this week and tell him one honest question you’ve been carrying. Then bring the same question to Jesus. He’s patient with seekers. Remember His words in Matthew 11:28, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I’ve worn masks long enough. I bring You my doubts, my fears and my pride. Make me new. Give me courage to follow You in the daylight. Amen.