“Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council.  He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” (John 3:1-2)

Is it possible to study and teach God’s Word, yet still not fully understand or grasp the message? The story of Nicodemus proves that to be true. He was a Pharisee, a teacher of the Law. Pharisees studied the Torah (Books of Moses) and prided themselves on keeping to tradition. They were part of the ruling class of Jews in Israel and even had some political power. 

Nicodemus often gets a bad rap for sneaking out at night to meet Jesus and struggling to believe in Him. However, I believe there are things Nicodemus did that helped him to step into God’s story. I think we can learn five important things from him.

First, after hearing stories about Jesus and His miraculous signs and wonders, Nicodemus questioned what he had been taught, even though there was a lot of pressure to hold to Pharisee tradition and beliefs and possible consequences if he didn’t. He wondered if Jesus could answer those questions.

This led Nicodemus to seek answers. He listened to the stories about Jesus and went to find Jesus at night to talk with Him about it. He didn’t just ignore the conviction that he felt.

Third, He asked Jesus tons of questions. He knew that if he didn’t ask, he wouldn’t understand. Jesus answered his questions because he asked. 

Fourth, Nicodemus meditated on what Jesus said, even though he still didn’t fully understand. I think that there are many spiritual truths that can only be understood with the help of the Holy Spirit.  He didn’t get saved that night while he was talking with Jesus, but he didn’t forget the conversation either.

Lastly, he submitted to what he heard from Jesus. John records that after Jesus was crucified, Nicodemus joined Joseph of Arimathea in giving Jesus a traditional Jewish burial. John said that “taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs” (John 19:40).  That leads me to infer that Nicodemus eventually became a believer.

Salvation isn’t instantaneous for all of us. For many, like Nicodemus, it is a process. A process of stepping into God’s story that involves questioning what we have been previously taught, seeking answers, asking lots of questions, meditating on the truth of the gospels, and finally submitting to Jesus as Lord of our lives.

Where are you in the process of stepping into God’s story? Are you questioning things? Maybe that is the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Seek answers through the Bible, church, your small group, or a trusted Christian friend. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Jesus wants to answer them. Then once you have, allow that knowledge to deepen your faith, so you can take the next step and submit to walking with Jesus.