Tackling Tradition 25: Reevaluating Nicodemus & Christ

If you’re like me, you’ve probably heard or been otherwise taught that Nicodemus’ dialogue with Yeshua in John 3 looks something like this:   Nicodemus comes to Jesus representing all of the Sanhedrin or just part of it, & he begins a conversation with Him by first confessing that the people whom he represents believe Yeshua to be a teacher sent from God having heard &/or witnessed the signs that He (Yeshua) had done.  Thus begins an ironic conversation in which Yeshua is the teacher & Nicodemus is the student who (up to this moment) was a slave to Ecclesiastical Tradition & needed to be taught that we are not justified by way of works righteousness.  Rather, we are justified via the grace of God that leads to regeneration & faith.  

In truth, that’s not at all what was happening. Nicodemus is not the student.  Rather, he is the priestly teacher who is there examining a rising Hebrew Prophet who would turn our to be one of the highest octane, if not the highest octane, Hebrew Prophet God would ever raise up for all eternity.  


John’s audience is most likely the set of churches which were dear to him in Asia Minor.  Some of them would likely be familiar with the teaching methodology of the Greek philosophers, eg  the Socratic Method:  Ask A Question, Provide an Answer, Evaluate the Answer’s Validity 


Think of the text as a script designed to get the attention of people familiar with the Socratic Method. Nicodemus & Yeshua are both student & teacher in dialogue.  In all likelihood, Nicodemus already knew what Yeshua was saying was true.    His presence in the narrative serves as an act of approval (and disapproval) of those whom Nicodemus represents. 

 

Prologue


Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 

  • This summarizes the pericope.  The remaining text works like this: 

Question


Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”


Answer & Explanation


 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”  

  • The answer alludes to Ezekiel 36:22-38
  • By alluding to Ezekiel, Yeshua is seen to ground the answer to Nicodemus’ question in Scripture itself.   

Evaluation


Question  Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” 


Answer 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

  • Yeshua grounds the answer to Nicodemus’ question in Scripture (Numbers 21:8 - 9)

Yeshua, now with Nicodemus approval, delivers a soliloquy explaining the purpose of His person & work. 


16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” (John 3:1–22, ESV)

  • After this event, John records John the Baptist giving setting his rabbinical seal upon Yeshua & recognizing Him as “Christ.@ Since he is the transitional prophet for that age, his seal is tripartite: prophetic, priestly/ecclesiastical, & king (as Israel’s judge).   

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