D (16:40)
Throughout Jesus ministry, we see a variety of responses to what he was doing. Some gladly welcomed his work and teachings, while others found themselves angry at his claims. But somewhere in between these responses, some simply met Christ with curiosity. They were unsure what they felt about his message. I think there's a beautiful honesty to that posture. The posture of, well, I'm not sure who Jesus is and I'm not ready to make any claims yet, but I'm willing to find out. We often find Jesus exceptionally receptive to these individuals. In fact, Jesus purposefully created opportunities to draw them out of the crowds. Jesus frequently taught using metaphors and parables. Earthly stories used to reflect a heavenly idea. The purpose of doing so was to create questions in the minds and hearts of his listeners with the expectation that those truly curious about knowing more about God will approach him to learn more. Jesus doesn't want people to follow him with a blind and apathetic faith. He wants them to have faith grounded in honest pursuit of truth. He wants us to have a faith that's been tested by thought, questioning and honest reflection. He wants us to grow in knowledge and understanding of the Lord. And he wants us to grow in appreciation for the marvelous realities of God. He wants us to consider the mysteries of the universe, chew on them, and resigned to wonder. And what better way to learn about God than through asking questions? Questions are tools of the human mind. How we use them will determine how useful they are to us. Just like real earthly tools, questions can be used to build up or break down. Oftentimes, the scribes and Pharisees used questions to try and break down Jesus claims to being the Son of God. These types of questions weren't posed with the intention to gain understanding, but to confirm their own preconceived notions about God and push their own agenda. Unfortunately for them, it didn't work. In contrast to these types of questions, there are also good questions. We can ask questions asked with an openness to receiving new information or having our misunderstandings corrected, questions posed with the purpose of deepening our relationship with God. In Luke 2, we even see Jesus as a young boy going to the temple to sit among the teachers and ask questions. You see, when we ask questions about God, we have to avoid what's called confirmation bias. We have to be open to our thoughts, feelings, and opinions about God shifting and changing. We have to ask our questions about God with humility, seek God with receptive ears, and listen with a desire to learn and respond with acceptance to the answers that he gives. And once we have those answers, we need to reflect, meditate, and internalize what we learn. We have to take our head knowledge and allow it to plant seeds in our hearts. Too often we open our Bibles seeking to confirm what we've already believed, instead of allowing it to challenge our preconceived notions about life, relationships, sin, and social issues. Ask yourself real quick, when was the last time you opened the Bible and it truly changed your perspective and heart? Jesus words are meant to challenge us and not just keep us tethered to all the beliefs and biases we already had. In our story today, we found Nicodemus. He was curious, and he was caught in the tension between receiving and rejecting Jesus Nicodemus questions were going to determine whether he rejected Jesus or chose to follow him. Nicodemus is a fascinating case study in how our questions can shape and mold our relationships to Jesus. Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin. They were the Jewish ruling council of the time. Pharisees were a lot like lawyers. They were experts in the law, and they settled disputes and interpretations, applications and ceremonial matters. They investigated things that were happening in society and deliberated on whether it honored the law or not. You see, most of the Pharisees had already made their judgments on Jesus. But while his peers passionately sought to condemn Jesus, Nicodemus chose to press in and ask questions. On this quiet night, Nicodemus wanted to make his judgment about Jesus. The name Nicodemus means victory of the people. And up to this point, he had lived up to that name with the respect he gained from the people of Israel. But as he partakes in these midnight conversations with Jesus, Nicodemus isn't looking to have victory over Jesus, as the Pharisees typically would in their interactions with him. He was looking for something much more profound. He wanted to know who Jesus truly was and what he was doing and why he was willing to risk his reputation and to do these things. In short, Nicodemus wanted to know if Jesus was really who he claimed to be. It's clear that this time with Jesus was very impactful for Nicodemus. While we might not know how satisfied he was with Jesus answers to his questions by the night's end, we're given a glimpse into their impact over time. As Nicodemus appeared two more times in the Gospels. The next time we saw Nicodemus was in John 7. In this passage, a group of Pharisees are upset with the temple guards for not having seized Jesus by bringing him in. But we read in John 7 that Nicodemus actually advocates on Jesus behalf. While Nicodemus may have not publicly declared his faith right away, we see evidence that the seeds Jesus planted in John 3 are beginning to sprout. We don't see Nicodemus again till John 19 after Jesus death on the cross. It's here when we see Nicodemus in a whole new light. The man who secretly came to ask questions to Jesus now publicly honored him by assisting in his burial. Church history actually hints that Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathea and the famous historian Josephus were all friends and spoke about Jesus often. See what happens when we ask God our questions and allow his answers to satisfy our souls to be whole, we must be willing to ask questions. But in addition to that, we must be willing to wrestle with the answers that God gives us. God doesn't despise our questions if they're asked with a genuine desire to know him more. Maybe some of us, like Nicodemus, are hesitant to come to God with our questions. Maybe you're fearful of what others might think of you when you're searching for answers. Maybe you're worried about sounding dumb. But just like Nicodemus, if we're willing to step into the light of God, our minds will be illuminated eventually. Trust that God knows what you need to hear. Believe with your heart that he has the answers that you're looking for. Be open to what he's going to say, and be open to transformation. In our next episode, we'll meet a woman who embodies the label outcast. She's been rejected by her peers because of her scandalous reputation. She's the last person a Jewish rabbi would be seen talking to. But lucky for us, Jesus wasn't just any old rabbi. Thanks again for listening. If you haven't yet shared this podcast with a friend, we would love it if you did. So. We want to build a community of people who are enraptured by great storytelling but also are honestly seeking God. And for more inspiring content, daily devotionals, prayers and sermons, download the Pray.com app today. This is an I Heart podcast.
