Chapter # 3 Paragraph # 1 Study # 1
July 23, 2023
Broadlands, Louisiana
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Thesis: Author-John's record of the admission of Nicodemus is a kind of very early "game over" record: from here on out, there is no excuse for Israel's rejection of Jesus.
Introduction: In the conclusion of our studies of Chapter Two, we saw that Author-John had two reasons for his record of "many believing into His name", but also of Jesus "not believing Himself to them". We saw that the translators somewhat misled us by not being consistent in their translation of the word "believe". From Author-John's deliberate contrasting of the response
of the people and Jesus' response
to the people, we learned that the grace of God reaches very far ... receiving people whose trust is real but significantly misguided; and that "believe" has the meaning of committing oneself to another in view of the downline outcomes.
Now, this morning we are going to launch ourselves out into a new chapter and a new concept. From a cursory reading of Author-John's record and its references to Nicodemus, we see that Author-John is using Nicodemus as a "case study" of how the message of Jesus often worms its way into the heart-belief of even those whose goals and theology are significantly corrupt. This morning we are going to look into the record so that we can understand Author-John's choice to highlight Nicodemus.
- I. The Destruction Of The Arguments Of The Opposition.
- A. Author-John moves immediately from his presentation of the basis for "believing into His name" to an imposing "witness" to His truth.
- 1. He describes him as "a man" (anthropos).
- a. This is on the heels of his prior focus upon "men" who have had "light'" shine upon them (1:4, 9).
- b. This is immediately upon the heels of telling his readers that Jesus refused to place Himself at the disposal of those who had put themselves at His disposal because "He knew what was in man" (2:25).
- c. The words of this "man" indicate that he had had the "Light" shine upon him.
- 1) His words were undebatably true.
- 2) Anyone who is able to understand "undebatable Truth" has to have had divine input just as Peter in Matthew 17:16 and as Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 2:14.
- 2. He describes him as being "of the Pharisees".
- a. If we read this Gospel carefully, we can note the fact that Author-John has only referred to "the Pharisees" in one prior text (1:24) where they have sent emissaries to Witness-John to find out whether he claims to be "The Christ", "Elijah", or "The Prophet".
- 1) When he answered "No" to each of these identities, they then asked who he claimed to be and got the answer, "I am Isaiah's 'voice in the wilderness'" (Isaiah 40:1-3).
- 2) Instead of pursuing that answer, they seemed to be satisfied to go back to Jerusalem and their Pharisee-overlords and report that Witness-John wasn't much of a threat.
- a) They should have pursued that answer because it is identified by Author-John as the Truth-key to a man's ability to "believe" (1:7).
- b) It is Author-John's argument that if we bypass Witness-John's identity and message, we will also bypass Jesus and find ourselves unable to "believe Into His name" [If we cannot come to Jesus by way of Isaiah 40, we cannot come to Jesus].
- b. Thus, we can conclude that Author-John wants us to enter this "Nicodemus territory" with caution: as a Pharisee he may well not be at all on track.
- 3. He gives us his name: Nicodemus.
- a. Since Author-John is the only New Testament writer to mention this man by name, we must assume that there is something pretty significant about this "man named Nicodemus".
- 1) Author-John mentions him in three direct contexts and one indirect one: 3:1-9; 7:50; 19:39; and 12:42-43.
- 2) This pretty much makes Nicodemus a case study by Author-John revealing the working of the Gospel in the hearts of those consumed by the lust for status.
- b. One of the issues for our thought is the meaning of his name.
- 1) Names have already been addressed as a significant issue (1:6 and 1:42) and the etymological roots of "Nicodemus" actually fit the man.
- 2) "Nicodemus" has two "roots": Niko, which is rooted in the verb, "to conquer" and the noun "victory"; and the other, "demos", which is used in Acts to indicate an unruly mob of people making up a large crowd.
- 3) Taken together, "niko" plus "demos" means "a people conqueror", and John himself links this etymology to Nicodemus' status among the people: he says of him that he was "an 'arkon' of the Jews", i. e. "a dominating ruler".
- a) Paul's description of such men in Galatians 2:4 is that they "bring us into bondage".
- b) This is very much like the Nicolaitans of Revelation 2:6, 15.
- 4) And, just so we don't miss it, Author-John says that Jesus said of Nicodemus that he was "the teacher of Israel" (3:10), i.e. a dominating controller of the doctrines which kept Israel enslaved to their sins. [This decisively fits Jesus' words in Matthew 23:13.]
- B. Author-John records Nicodemus' "imposing witness".
- 1. "We" (no specific identification, but having the assumption of "The Pharisees") know that You have come from God a teacher..."
- 2. This is the most damning admission that Nicodemus could have uttered.
- a. He was "the teacher" and declared he knew that Jesus was "a teacher having come from God".
- b. This means that if "the" teacher of Israel "knows" Jesus is from God, a teacher, then there can be no claim that Pharisaic doctrine has a real basis for rejecting Jesus.
- b. Game Over: nothing after this can legitimize the treatment of Jesus by the Pharisees.
