Nicodemus appears again in today’s passage. As a Pharisee, he has influence, power, prestige, and much to lose. He’s cautious though. He speaks up for Jesus, but only to a certain degree.
There is a lot of misinformation going on in chapter 7. John doesn’t seem to directly address this confusion. First off, we all know it’s held that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. But this doesn’t come up either from anyone in the passage nor from John the narrator.
In times of chaos and power-mongering, such misinformation can happen. What is one to do?
John says the crowd was divided over Jesus. It seems that many - including the guards in this instance - are moved by the way Jesus speaks, what he says. They couldn’t bring themselves to arrest him because of the power and truth in his words. And it seems that much of the crowd recognized this as well.
But those with power and influence are often too consumed by their own priorities to hear the truth—except, perhaps, for Nicodemus. This should be a lesson for all. This is why Jesus calls for humility and the posture of a servant. The perspective helps set truth into vision.
John 7:40-53
When some in the crowd heard these words, they said, “This man is truly the prophet.” Others said, “He’s the Christ.” But others said, “The Christ can’t come from Galilee, can he? Didn’t the scripture say that the Christ comes from David’s family and from Bethlehem, David’s village?” So the crowd was divided over Jesus. Some wanted to arrest him, but no one grabbed him.
The guards returned to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked, “Why didn’t you bring him?”
The guards answered, “No one has ever spoken the way he does.”
The Pharisees replied, “Have you too been deceived? Have any of the leaders believed in him? Has any Pharisee? No, only this crowd, which doesn’t know the Law. And they are under God’s curse!”
Nicodemus, who was one of them and had come to Jesus earlier, said, “Our Law doesn’t judge someone without first hearing him and learning what he is doing, does it?”
They answered him, “You are not from Galilee too, are you? Look it up and you will see that the prophet doesn’t come from Galilee.”
They each went to their own homes,
Psalm 2:1-2
Why do the nations rant? Why do the peoples rave uselessly? The earth’s rulers take their stand; the leaders scheme together against the Lord and against his anointed one.
Prayer
God,
There’s a lot of confusion going on. A lack of information, mistaken misinformation, and a even whole of blatant disinformation…it’s a lot. In a world filled with this noise and competing priorities, help me to hear your voice clearly in the midst of it all. I confess that it’s easy to get caught up in the chaos around me—letting fear, pride, or the opinions of others drown out your truth.
Give me a heart like Nicodemus, willing to ask questions and seek you, even when it feels risky. But don’t let me stop there. Move me from cautious curiosity to bold faith, from hesitation to wholehearted trust.
When I am tempted to cling to power, position, or my own understanding, remind me of the way of Jesus—the humble servant who spoke truth in love. Teach me to approach others with that same humility and grace, always open to seeing your truth in unexpected places.
By your Spirit & in Christ,
Amen.
My heart always ached for Nicodemus. I think he truly believed but couldn’t take the risk. I also think he regretted not following Jesus when he had the chance and ended up paying a price after all. I’m sure he was saved in the end. Sad tho…