Nicodemus
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But as
Jesus explained that His mission on
earth was to establish a spiritual
instead of a temporal kingdom, His
hearer was troubled. Seeing this,
Jesus added, “If I have told you
earthly things, and ye believe not,
show shall ye believe, “If I
have told you heavenly things?”
If Nicodemus could not receive
Christ’s teaching, illustrating
the work of grace upon the heart, how
could he comprehend the nature of His
glorious heavenly kingdom? Not
discerning the nature of
Christ’s work on earth, he could
not understand His work in heaven.
The
Jew whom Jesus had driven from the
temple claimed to be children of
Abraham, but they fled from the
Savior’s presence because they
could not endure the glory of God
that was manifested in Him. Thus they
gave evidence that they were not
fitted by the grace of God to
participate in the sacred services of
the temple. They were zealous to
maintain an appearance of holiness,
but they neglected holiness of heart.
While they were sticklers for the
letter of the law, they were
constantly violating its spirit.
Their great need was that of very
change that Christ had been
explaining to Nicodemus, a new moral
birth, a cleansing from sin, and a
renewing of knowledge and holiness.
There
was no excuse for the blindness of
Israel in regard to the work of
regeneration. Under the inspiration
of the Holy Spirit, Isaiah had
written, “We are all as an
unclean thing, and all our
righteousness are as filthy
rags.” David had prayed,
“Create in me a clean heart, O
God; and renew a right spirit within
me.” And through Ezekiel the
promise had been given, “A new
heart also will I give you, and a new
spirit will I put within you: and I
will take away the stony heart out of
your flesh, and I will give you an
heart of flesh. And I will put My
Spirit within you, and cause you to
walk in My statutes.” Isaiah
64:6; Psalm 51:10; Ezekiel 36: 26,27.
Nicodemus
had read these scriptures with a
clouded mind; but he now begun to
comprehend their meaning. He saw that
the most rigid obedience to the mere
letter of the law as applied to the
outward life could entitle no man to
enter the kingdom of heaven. In the
estimation of men, his life had been
just and honorable; but in the
presence of Christ, he felt that his
heart was unclean, and his life
unholy.
Nicodemus
was being drawn to Christ. As the
Savior explained to him concerning
the new birth, he longed to have this
change wrought in himself. By what
means could it be accomplished? Jesus
answered the unspoken question:
“As Moses lifted up the serpent
in the wilderness, even so must the
Son of man be lifted up: that
whosoever believeth in Him should not
perish, but have eternal life.”
Here
was ground with which Nicodemus was
familiar. The symbol of the uplifted
serpent made plain to him the
Savior’s mission. When the
people of Israel were dying from the
sting of the fiery serpents, God
directed Moses to make a serpent of
brass, and place it on high in the
midst of the congregation. Then the
word was sounded throughout the
encampment that all who would look
upon the serpent should live. The
people well knew that in itself the
serpent had no power to help them. It
was a symbol of Christ. As the image
made in the likeness of the
destroying serpents was lifted up for
their healing, so One made “in
the likeness of sinful flesh”
was to be their Redeemer. Romans 8:3.
Many of the Israelites regarded the
sacrificial service as having in
itself virtue to set them free from
sin. God desired to teach them that
it had no more value than that
serpent of brass. It was to lead
their minds to the Savior. Whether
for the healing of their wounds or
the pardon of their sins, they could
do nothing for themselves but show
their faith in the Gift of God. They
were to look and live.
Those
who had been bitten by the serpents
might have delayed to look. They
might have questioned how there could
be efficacy in that brazen symbol.
They might have demanded a scientific
explanation. But no explanation was
given. They must accept the word of
God to them through Moses. To refuse
to look was to perish.
Not
through controversy and discussion is
the soul enlightened. We must look
and live. Nicodemus received the
lesson, and carried it with him. He
searched the Scriptures in a new way,
not for the discussion of a theory,
but in order to receive life for the
soul. He began to see the kingdom of
heaven as he submitted himself to the
leading of the Holy Spirit.
There
are thousands today who need to learn
the same truth that was taught to
Nicodemus by the uplifted serpent.
They depend on their obedience to the
law of God to commend them to His
favor. When they are bidden to look
to Jesus, and believe that He saves
them solely through His grace, they
exclaim, “How can these things
be?”
Like
Nicodemus, we must be willing to
enter into life in the same way as
the chief of sinners. Than Christ,
“there is none other name under
heaven given among men, whereby we
must be saved.” Acts 4:12.
Through faith we receive the grace of
God; but faith is not our Savior. It
earns nothing. It is by the hand by
which we lay hold upon Christ, and
appropriate His merits, the remedy
for sin. And we cannot even repent
without the aid of the Spirit of God.
The Scripture says of Christ,
“Him hath God exalted with His
right hand to be a Prince and a
Savior, for to give repentance to
Israel, and forgiveness of
sins.” Acts 5:31 Repentance
comes from Christ as truly as does
pardon.
How,
then, are we to be saved? “As
Moses lifted up the serpent in the
wilderness,” so the Son of man
has been lifted up, and everyone who
has been deceived and bitten by the
serpent may look and live.
“Behold the Lamb of God, which
taketh away the sin of the
world.” John 1:29. The light
shining from the cross reveals the
love of God. His love is drawing us
to Himself. If we do not resist this
drawing, we shall be led to the foot
of the cross in repentance for the
sins that have crucified the Savior.
Then the Spirit of God through faith
produces a new life in the soul. The
thoughts and desires are brought into
obedience to the will of Christ. The
heart, the mind, is created anew in
the image of Him who works in us to
subdue all things to Himself. Then
the law of God is written in the mind
and heart, and we can say with
Christ, “I delight to do Thy
will, O my God.” Psalm 40:8.
In the
interview with Nicodemus, Jesus
unfolded the plan of salvation and
His mission to the world. In none of
His subsequent discourses did He
explain so fully, step by step, the
work necessary to be done in the
hearts of all who would inherit the
kingdom of heaven. At the very
beginning of His ministry He opened
the truth to a member of the
Sanhedrin, to the mind that was most
receptive, and to an appointed
teacher of the people. But the
leaders of Israel did not welcome the
light. Nicodemus hid the truth in his
heart, and for three years there was
little apparent fruit.
But
Jesus was acquainted with the soul
into which He cast the seed. The
words spoken at night to one listener
in the lonely mountain were not lost.
For a time Nicodemus did not publicly
acknowledge Christ, but he watched
His life, and pondered His teachings.
In the Sanhedrin council he
repeatedly thwarted the schemes of
the priest to destroy Him. When at
last Jesus was lifted up on the
cross, Nicodemus remembered the
teachings upon Olivet: “As Moses
lifted up the serpent in the
wilderness, even so the Son of man be
lifted up: that whosoever believeth
in Him should not perish, but have
eternal life.” The light from
the secret interview illuminated the
cross of Calvary, and Nicodemus saw
in Jesus the world’s Redeemer.
After
the Lord’s ascension, when the
disciples were scattered by
persecution, Nicodemus came boldly to
the front. He employed his wealth in
sustaining the infant church that the
Jews had expected to be blotted out
at the death of Christ. In the time
of peril he who had been so cautious
and questioning was firm as a rock,
encouraging the faith of the
disciples, and furnishing means to
carry forward the work of the gospel.
He was scorned and persecuted by
those who had paid him reverence in
other days. He became poor in this
world’s goods; yet he faltered
not in the faith which had its
beginning in that night conference
with Jesus.
Nicodemus related to
John the story of that interview, and
by his pen it was recorded for the
instruction of millions. The truths
there taught as an important today as
they were on that solemn night in the
shadowy mountain, when the Jewish
ruler came to learn the way of life
from the lowly Teacher of Galilee.
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