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Nicodemus’ First Dilemma: To Come to Jesus or Not?
- Fred Farrokh
- May 13
- 4 min read
Nicodemus was a member of the Jewish assembly of religious leaders known as the Sanhedrin. He served on that leadership body during the days of the Lord Jesus’ public ministry. Nicodemus makes three important appearances in John’s Gospel. While Nicodemus is featured prominently in the popular TV series The Chosen, his actual biblical appearances are merely three cameo features. In each appearance, he faces a dilemma that is instructive to Muslim and Muslim-background believers (MBBs) as they navigate their spiritual journey to Jesus.
The Sanhedrin’s Rejection of Jesus
Though the occupying Romans held ultimate political power in Israel during New Testament times, they ceded adjudication of Jewish religious laws to the Jewish religious leadership. This body of rabbinical scholars who performed this function was known as the Sanhedrin. This body was based in Jerusalem of Judah.
Though Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judah, he was raised in Nazareth of Galilee. He was known as the “carpenter’s son” (Matt. 13:55) because Joseph was a carpenter. He did not come up through any rabbinical training program or seminary.
Jesus began His public ministry in Galilee at 30 years of age. His original disciples were all Galileans. They included fisherman and a tax collector. None were rabbinical students.
As Jesus began teaching with divine authority and performing stunning miracles, the word spread and the crowds grew. News would have passed by word of mouth (no social media then!) to Judea and to the Sanhedrin. Since Jesus also frequently rebuked the religious leaders—scribes, lawyers, and Pharisees—for their hypocrisy, an atmosphere of tension prevailed.
These same religious leaders began to view Jesus with jealousy. He was a threat because He did not come up through their system. Therefore, they had no control over Him or influence upon Him. Three years later, the highest-ranking religious leaders, the Sanhedrin, would orchestrate Jesus’ trials and crucifixion. But that is a story for another blog.
Nicodemus Springs into Action
Not all the members of the Sanhedrin rejected Jesus as Messiah. Nicodemus faced a dilemma: would he ignore the news about Jesus or would he go visit Jesus to meet Him and find out more about Him?
Truly this was an excruciating dilemma. Would Nicodemus allow others to dictate the impression he would form about Jesus? Or would he do some fact finding himself and go meet the Nazarene in person?
Nicodemus wisely navigated this first dilemma: He decided to go meet Jesus! Meeting Jesus in person would carry risks. If others in the Sanhedrin saw him meet Jesus in person, they might ostracize or persecute him. He might lose his reputation or even his seat on this high council. Therefore, Nicodemus decided to visit Jesus under the cover of darkness:
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 have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” (John 3:1-2)
Christians everywhere are thankful for this meeting, for on this occasion Jesus told Nicodemus: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Yes, if Nicodemus had not taken up the courage to visit Jesus that night, we might not possess the most famous verse in the Bible!
Jesus’ night teaching to Nicodemus not only yielded John 3:16, but Jesus also explained how to be “born again.” He likened the Holy Spirit to the wind: “The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit” (John 3:8). He compared His upcoming crucifixion to Moses lifting up the serpent in the wilderness. What a message!
John’s Unique Recording of the Nicodemus Appearances
We can deduce that Jesus did not report this conversation to all His disciples the next time He met with them since the Synoptic Gospels—Matthew, Mark, and Luke—do not record the meeting. (In modern terms, Jesus didn’t post his meeting with Nicodemus on Facebook or include it in his monthly missionary update.) Nicodemus must have later shared this story with the Apostle John, as he is the only Gospel writer to mention Nicodemus (John 3, 7, and 19). The Holy Spirit led John to report information not found in the other Gospels.
The Dilemma for Muslim Inquirers
Muslims, and especially Muslim religious leaders, can strongly identify with the dilemma faced by Nicodemus. They, too, are parts of religious systems which largely reject Jesus as being Lord and Savior. Receiving Jesus as Lord triggers apostasy status in Islam and typically a lot of persecution as well.
Muslims around the world are hearing that Jesus is touching the lives of Muslims through miracles, dreams, and visions. Several years ago, I was taking an Uber ride in Minneapolis. My driver was a Somali named Muhammad. I asked him if he was Muslim or Christian. He replied of that he was a Muslim. I followed up by asking him if any Somalis were Christian. He looked a bit excited, held up his cell phone, and explained in broken English that he had learned through the internet that over 200 Somalis globally had given their lives to Jesus. News travels!
Throughout the world today, Muslims face a dilemma. Should they ignore Jesus or come to Him? The ways to know more about Him are to inquire about Him, pray to Him to reveal himself, read about Him in the Bible, and seek out His followers. Many Muslims are doing so and have been saved by the grace of Jesus.
Others are still gripped by fear. They know that taking action might result in persecution. Like Nicodemus, they know that the religious system of Islam is opposed to the Lordship of Christ. I pray that they, like Nicodemus, will pass the test of the first dilemma: to come to Jesus, not ignore Him.
