Perrydox.com is devoted to the pursuit of truth, whether plain or paradoxical, whether simple or sublime, or simply absurd yet absolute.
John 3 – Born of Water and Spirit #1
Nicodemus comes to Jesus by night (Jn. 3:2; 19:39). That is a fact which John records but without recording the reason for Nicodemus choosing the night. Why this ruler comes at night has intrigued commentators and common people alike. Is Nicodemus afraid (Jn. 19:38-39)? Is Nicodemus observing the Passover during the day (Jn.2:23)? Does Nicodemus want an uninterrupted, long discussion with Jesus? Could there have been some other reason totally unrelated?
A combination of some of the above is very likely. Being fearful and dutiful are highly possible, the first because of the Jews, the second because he is a Jew, are not mutually excluded. Nicodemus very likely shares the same fear as Joseph of Arimathea, both being in the Council or Sanhedrin, and therefore in a precarious situation (Jn.7:50-52).
There is even a thematic connection between John 2:23, “at the Passover Festival, many trusted in His name when they saw the signs He was doing” and John 3:2 where Nicodemus admits, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher, for no one could perform these signs You do unless God were with him.” And if you were a ruler of the Jews, wouldn’t you want a long, uninterrupted discussion with this new teacher from God?
“Why does Nicodemus come at night?”is a different question than, “Why does John record that Nicodemus came at night?” I am learning that there is a difference between the uninspired motivations of the characters within the Biblical narrative, versus the inspired motivation of the writer of the Biblical narrative. For example, we know the motivation of Peter in denying his Lord – fear. We also know the motivation of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in recording this incident was something other than fear. Theirs might be more closely akin to grace, forgiveness and fulfilled prophecy.
Nicodemus does indeed come at night, which is his choice. But John, who is the only writer who mentions Nicodemus, chooses to record his visit, and specifically included that he came by night. Why?
Is John encouraging faith over fear? Possibly. Is John simply recording unimportant and unconnected facts? Unlikely. Since John does not explain Nicodemus’ nocturnal motivations, I wonder what John’s were, because he mentions twice that Nicodemus came at night. Apparently it is important. Maybe that fact is more important to John’s story, than to Nicodemus’.
I certainly think there is symbolism intended by John in mentioning that Nicodemus came by night. In 3.2 a member of the Jewish ruling elite comes under cover of darkness to see Jesus; in 4.6 a woman at the bottom of the societal heap meets Christ at high noon, and it is the Samaritan woman, not the Sanhedrin ruler, who comes off looking better after an initial encounter with Jesus. There are several implications in all this that I think John wants us to see. Throughout the Gospel of John, Nicodemus gradually [comes into the light] in regard to his attitude about Jesus.
Beyond this symbolism, it may be that Nicodemus came to Jesus by night for no more clandestine reason than that he had to work during the day. Pharisees had to work for a living. Hillel was a carpenter, Shammai was an engineer, Saul of Tarsus made tents. (Kenneth Chumbley)
Within the gospel of John, there is a continual contrast between light and darkness, night and day (1:5; 3:2,19; 6:17; 8:12; 9:4; 11:10; 12:35,46; 13:10; 19:39; 20:1; 21:3). Many of these are theologically intrinsic to John’s story telling.
Yet even in the seemingly innocuous events taking place at night, such as Nicodemus’ visit; Jesus walking on water; Judas’s betrayal; the empty tomb that Mary finds; the fishing story – night and darkness carries the theme that the darkness is the opposite of Jesus, His presence or purpose. Jesus even contrasts light and darkness in His discourse to Nicodemus.
Therefore Nicodemus comes to Jesus at night, with night and darkness thematically representing ignorance or sin. Nicodemus comes at night because He had not yet been filled with the Light. His progression towards the Light is still darkness. The darkness of the night represents Nicodemus himself.
It seems fitting, then, in staying with John’s thematic use of light and dark, day and night, to say the following – when it comes to baptism, too many people are in the dark. I am in the dark at how people can miss the simple truth concerning baptism. It is as if they perform mental and spiritual somersaults to avoid seeing the clear meaning of Scripture. The only explanation I can give is that king of the domain of darkness (Col.1:13) veils and darkens their understanding.
Such gives me a pause in reference to my own self. What am I not seeing?
What is confusing to me is that the passages on baptism are so clear and do not ask us to do anything really difficult, at least in the performance of the act itself. The difficulty is in the dying to sin, not the being buried in water. Therefore I can only come to one conclusion. Satan must be behind the confusion. That there is so much confusion caused by Satan leads me to another conclusion – the amount of confusion by Satan is equal to the amount of importance on baptism by God. The more Satan confuses on a topic, the more important it must be, otherwise, why would he bother so much? Satan confused people in the first century over the resurrection. Today he again confuses people over baptism, which is itself a resurrection.
All those who deny that baptism is what Jesus means when speaking of being born of water and the Spirit, remind me of Nicodemus’ question when he asks, “How can these things be.” In return I will ask the same question asked by Jesus, “Are you a teacher of Israel and don’t know these things?” (John 3:9-10). Water and the Holy Spirit are often God’s way of beginning something new.
Comments