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| Nicodemus Meets Jesus |
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| Nicodemus |
I’ve heard a
number of different reasons. Jesus provides the answer in John 3. 10
"You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus, "and do you not understand these things?
John 3:10 TNIV This gives it away. The
statement indicates Nicodemus was acknowledged as the “greatest religious
teacher” in all of Israel. This was not just some jumped up back street Bible
teacher. Furthermore, he was a member of the Sanhedrin. He was thus a man of
great importance in Jewish society.
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| The Sanhedrin |
Now, for the sake of the illustration, assume you have heard
about a garage mechanic who was preaching and teaching hundreds of people in
Jo’burg and its surrounds.
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| Garage Mechanic |
What if this man had a large following in Mamelodi?
What if this man was rumoured to be healing the sick, raising the dead and
opening the eyes of the blind, all in the Name of Jehovah? If you were Dr
Burger, or his equivalent, in another denomination, what would you do? This
much is sure. You would want to meet this man somewhere.
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| Desmond Tutu Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town |
If, after all this, the garage mechanic “checked out”
fine, what would you do next? You would probably want to meet him somewhere. It
would have to be at a time and in a place when, if possible, you could have
complete privacy. You would then persuade a friend to go to the mechanic and
make an appointment for you to meet him. What better than in some quiet place
at night? Could it be arranged?
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| Arrange a Meeting |
None of my scenario is stated in the Bible. It’s an
imaginary one put together to fit in with what took place. You may have better
scenario. That’s fine. However, please don’t dismiss mine as ridiculous.
Remember we are talking about a meeting between the Son of God and the top
religious teacher in the country.
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| Top Religious Leader Dr Isak Burger AFM/AGS |
I’ve suggested that Nicodemus got to the “place” first.
No doubt he would have been going back over in his mind everything that had
taken place. He would be wondering if he had missed something. Then he would
have heard footsteps coming toward the meeting place. As soon as He was certain
it was Jesus and that Jesus was alone, he would have stepped forward and
commenced the dialog we read in John 3.
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| Meeting at Night |
He
will meet you, Nicodemus or anyone else, anywhere. Even when we are scared what
the personal consequences to ourselves might mean, He will meet us. Only God Himself
would do that!
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| Nicodemus - Follower of Jesus |
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Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give |
Time with Jesus – Tuesday, 30 July 2013
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Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give |
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©
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These
devotionals are the intellectual property of Jim Strickland and copyright
protected. You are welcome to copy and distribute them to anyone provided it
is for non-commercial Christian purposes
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©
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NICODEMUS’ SOLILOQUY (1 & 2)
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DAILY
LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES
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NICODEMUS’
SOLILOQUY (3 & 4)
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"I'm known as the man Nicodemus;
A teacher of thousands of Jews.
The people know me,
As a strict Pharisee.
With rigid, inflexible view;
A member of the Sanhedrin;
That governs the Lord's promised land.
With astute consecration,
We've led the whole nation,
By God, the Almighty's command.
For years I've been highly regarded
As expert in all of our law.
I can quote all the book,
Of our Pentateuch;
'Cause I memorised it years before;
With all of our religious traditions,
Written to keep us all pure.
The smallest detail,
I've kept without fail.
The favours of God to ensure.
For many years I have been feeling,
Religion just tear me apart.
It's been almost as though,
I just have to let go,
Of an emptiness deep in my heart.
Then, somebody mentioned a teacher,
Who seemed to be getting a name.
He was meetings men's needs,
By miraculous deeds,
Such as healing the blind and the
lame.
They told me His name was called Jesus;
A Nazarene carpenter's son;
And the things that He taught,
And the healings He wrought,
In the Name of Jehovah were done.
Now this made me very determined
And eager to take a brief look,
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To see if He would,
Do the things that He should.
Or prove He was only a crook!
It could
be that He's the Messiah,
Of whom
all our prophets foretold.
I wanted
to know,
So decided
to go,
This Galilean
to behold.
Initially,
there was no problem,
In
studying Him from the crowd.
I watched
Him this way,
For many a
day.
As close
as my office allowed!
The things
I observed were amazing;
Beyond all
my power to record.
And each
little act,
Denoted
the fact,
Of the
favour He has with the Lord.
I knew
that I had to get closer.
I couldn't
continue at bay;
And the
nearer I got,
It was
clearer to spot;
This
Person had something to say!
But coming
in close brought the danger,
That I was
more easily seen.
It just
might be thought,
That I
gave Him support,
And the
consequences that could mean.
After all,
what about my position;
And my
place on the Council to boot?
I just
couldn't afford,
To give
any accord,
That my
colleagues might later refute.
So I sent off a few
trusted servants,
With a charge to
examine His past.
Perhaps they would
find,
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50 Then
Nicodemus, a Pharisee, spoke. He was the one who had gone (by night) to Jesus
earlier. He asked,
John 7:50 NIrV
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That He is the kind,
With a history to leave men aghast!
But when they came back and reported;
They told me that very few men,
Had a past half as clean;
As this one's had been.
There was nothing for which to condemn.
There was only a sort of a rumour
That one or two people had said.
It was sort of believed,
That He'd been conceived,
By a virgin before she was wed!
There was also that time in the Temple,
When He had been only a lad.
When the priests of the day,
Were impressed by the way,
He applied all the knowledge He had.
As an infant He'd visited Egypt.
'Though He was in Bethlehem born.
Apart from all this,
There was nothing amiss,
That was worthy of any man's scorn.
But this was far better than nothing,
And confirmed what I already knew.
For I'd already guessed,
That He'd pass the test,
Without any scandal in view.
So I have been procrastinating,
For quite the best part of a week.
Hoping we'd meet,
In some quiet back street;
That would give an occasion to speak.
But that was unlikely to happen.
This fact I just had to embrace.
To talk with this Man,
I must needs make a plan,
To meet in some suitable place.
So yesterday, I sent a message,
With a person I knew as discreet;
To ask with persuasion,
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To set an occasion,
Where we could both secretly meet.
He answered with great understanding.
The venue suggested concurred;
And to keep out of sight,
He would meet me at night,
If that was the time I preferred.
So now I am here to
meet Jesus;
And ask Him to show me the truth.
Do all of our rites,
Make us good in the sight,
Of the God I have served since my youth?
Perhaps it is true that God's Kingdom,
Does inwardly come to abide?
Have I been included,
Or simply deluded,
By ritual, tradition and pride?
There's so many thing I must ask Him,
The moment He walks through that door;
And I'll stay here all night.
If He'll show me what's right,
The Kingdom of God to explore.
So here I am; patiently waiting
To speak to this man I admire!
Perhaps I will find,
That I've really been blind,
And He is God's chosen Messiah!
What is that? Do I really hear footsteps?
Is the moment I've longed for now here?
Thank God it is Him!
Now where to begin?
Oh Lord, help my mind to stay clear!
"Rabbi, we know
You're a teacher;
And that from Jehovah
You've come!
For the signs that we
see,
Are not man's agency,
And only through God
can be done!"
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58 Not too far away, Peter
followed Jesus. He went right up to the courtyard of the high priest.
He entered and sat down with the guards to see what would happen.
Matthew 26:58 NIrV
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42 Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in
him, but for fear of the Pharisees they
did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue;
43 for they loved the glory that comes
from man more than the glory that comes from God.
John 12:42-43 ESV
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25 Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the
LORD means safety.
Proverbs 29:25 NLT
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37 Everyone
whom the Father gives me will come to me. I will
never turn away anyone who comes to me.
John 6:37 GW
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3 He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a
flickering candle. He will bring justice to all who have been wronged.
Isaiah 42:3 NLT
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20
"You don't have enough faith," Jesus told them. "I tell you
the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to
this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it would move. Nothing would be
impossible. "
Matthew 17:20 NLT
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7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love
and self-control. 8 Therefore do not be
ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but
share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God,
2 Timothy 1:7-8 ESV
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28 And
now, dear children, remain in fellowship with
Christ so that when He returns, you will be full of courage and not
shrink back from Him in shame.
1 John 2:28 NLT
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32
"Everyone who acknowledges Me publicly here
on earth, I’ll also acknowledge before My Father in heaven.
Matthew 10:32 NLT
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Jim Strickland – Written 1984
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