There is a saying about clandestine activities, not necessarily Jamaican, Anything done in the dark must come to the light. That we are reflecting on Nicodemus’ moment, already underscores the veracity of the premise. Yet, it also presumes that that which is conducted in darkness must be evil, which might not always hold true about our relationship with God. Consider Today’s Holy Nougat, was it necessarily an evil visit?
“There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.”” John 3:1-2
Midnight Visitation
During a season of high incidences of criminal activity, a jurisdiction was placed under curfew. Rumour has it, a man was late getting past the checkpoint, but decided he’d take his chances. With some trepidation, he stopped at the police’ directive. Although he had a driver’s licence and other documentation, he had no justification for being out late. It is said that the police told him, ‘you’re not essential services, and only dogs or thieves roam at this hour – declare yourself’.
The man started barking.
Siblings, the perception of night being used for the clandestine is real.
It is so real that when we read that Nicodemus visited Y’shua Jesus after dark, we immediately assume that Nicodemus was ashamed or nervous about being seen with Jesus. After reading yesterday’s background information – Pharisees near-hatred of Jesus – it would certainly seem to be the case. I even suggested that Nicodemus was on a fact-finding mission. That could also confirm that he didn’t wish to be seen with Jesus and used the cover of darkness for the visit.
But what if Nicodemus was basically meeting with Y’shua after work? As a priest, duties didn’t necessarily fall exactly between the typical 9 to 5 workday. We also know that Y’shua didn’t stick to a regular routine and may have ministered until evening. It was not uncommon for Him to decompress or spend the night in prayer (see Luke 6:12-13, for example). Probably Nicodemus was simply trying to find a ‘good time’ to engage with Y’shua without either of them being distracted. This holds some merit for me, as it invites us to think about how distracted we are when talking with Y’shua. [Ouch! I sometimes am very distracted]
Self-Check
Do we attempt to manage or reduce distractions when we approach God’s presence? How so?
Application
When we approach Y’shua today, we know that He’s never too busy to make time for us. Nor is there anything that is too insignificant or too shameful for us to bring before the throne of grace. Inasmuch as Nicodemus asked Him in a round about manner to confirm that He was the Christ, we also can approach Y’shua as a sibling or friend.
There’s also no curfew or time limit for approaching God. In fact, when the Accuser comes to tell us we’re not essential services, we can boldly declare that we’re neither dogs nor thieves. For, we are Children of the Most High God, Elohim, and we have the relevant supporting documentation – our confession of Faith in Y’shua (see John 1:12-13).
As YHWH’s children, we also ought to know that approaching YHWH at night was not entirely uncommon. Psalms 55 and 119 both suggest that David spoke to God at night. God spoke to Joseph about marrying Mary in a dream (1:20-21). This suggests that there’s an established precedent for our communing with God at night.
[It also suggest that in approaching Y’shua, Nicodemus (‘victory to the people’) was actually engaged in active prayer. Remember, he began the conversation by acknowledging Y’shua as coming from God. He might have realized that he was engaging in a profoundly divine moment, which led to his conviction].
Point to Ponder
Whether it was a clandestine meeting or scheduling issues, we know Nicodemus didn’t go vising Y’shua accidentally. We also know that the ‘midnight visit’ facilitated somewhat uninterrupted time with Jesus. Might we, knowing Y’shua’s identity, also be intentional about our secret midnight visited with Him?
—
May all we seek be found in Christ
