Tuesday | Week 6
Whether they knew it or not, “Who do you say that I am?”, was the question that everyone was trying to answer about Jesus in this passage of scripture (Matthew 15:16, ESV). What we observe is a spectrum of answers. “He is a good man.” “No, He is leading the people astray.” “But we know where this man comes from, and when the Christ appears, no one will know where He comes from” (John 7:12, 27, ESV). Favor, opposition, and ambiguity were the overlapping conclusions among this conversation of the masses.
Amidst this flurry of activity, it is easy to wonder. Everyone seems to be swarming around the question of who Jesus is, but is anyone actually getting nearer to the lordship of Jesus? If we stop and look closely, the answer is yes. Consider Nicodemus.
If the book of John were a novel, Nicodemus would have been one of those characters in the captivating subplot. His colorful and sporadic appearances into the story are really quite fascinating. The most striking detail of his profile is the title he bears—Pharisee. Generally speaking, a Pharisee was equal to a self-proclaimed enemy of Jesus. But this never seems to play out in Nicodemus.
There are three instances where Nicodemus appears in the book of John. Each time, he seems to be answering the question, “Who do you say that I (Jesus) am?” a little bit differently. His first interaction with Jesus is in Chapter 3. He comes to Jesus by himself at night to ask some spiritual questions. By doing so, Nicodemus had answered: Jesus is worthy of private inquiry.
The second time, he appears in John 7. His peers were plotting a hasty and underhanded trial of Jesus, in order to deal with Him once and for all. Yet Nicodemus appeals to them with a question. “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing, and learning what he does?” (John 7:51, ESV). Nicodemus had answered: Jesus is worthy of public civility.
Finally, we will see him in Chapter 19. He is the one who voluntarily helps prepare the body of Christ for burial after His crucifixion. He has stopped asking questions, and unmistakably proclaims something by his actions. Nicodemus had reached his final answer: Jesus is worthy of honor.
Who do you say that He is?