THE PEOPLE’S VICTOR BECOMING GOD’S VICTOR
TEXT: JOHN 3 VERSES 1 TO 17
INTRODUCTION:
When one was growing up, a popular trainer young people longed for and will bluff around town with it was the one with the brand name Nike. If you are lucky to have one and a sports shirt and short to match with it, you were seen as a cool guy. It was (and I believe still) a popular brand name. Just seeing the logo on your sportswear, which looks like a mark or sign for ‘correct’ or ‘ok’, people knew you had a Nike product.
I learnt the other day, that the Nike Company adopted the name ‘Nike’ from the name of the Greek goddess for victory, who is called Nike.
This morning I want us to study someone who goes by that name. His full name is Nicodemus. He is a Jew, but adopted a Greek name (which was not uncommon in the first century Roman world).The name Nicodemus comes from two Greek words- ‘íéêç’ (nike) meaning victory and ‘äçìïò ’ (demos), meaning people. I am sure we are familiar with the Greek word ‘demos’ from which we have ‘democracy’. ‘Therefore, the meaning of Nicodemus is ‘the people’s victor’.
As we study this guy (Nike-Demos- the people’s victor, i.e. Nicodemus), I want us to examine how he changed from the:
People’s victor to God’s victor
‘What happened?’ is the question I want us to answer this morning.
Let us pray- Lord, like Nicodemus, we come to you this morning. May our meeting with you shed light into our relationship with you. We ask this prayer in the Name that is above all, your Name Jesus Christ- amen.
THE PEOPLE’S VICTOR
Nicodemus was indeed the people’s victor. In the eyes of his Jewish compatriots he was a victor. Victor in the sense that he had made it in life, achieved, what a typical Jew in first century Palestine would call achievements. From the Jewish societal standpoint at that time, he had reached a prestigious societal status- he had influence/power and money among his Jewish compatriots.
He was the people’s victor, in terms of his academic excellence. In the world of academia, he was a professor in the Jewish laws. Put in our contemporary context, he was a university professor in one of the Jewish universities. His academic achievements therefore got him a place in the prestigious Sanhedrin- the religious body that governed the Jews. He was not like some university professors today, he was rich. We will learn about his wealth later on, as the Gospel writer (John the Evangelist) makes an allusion of this in chapter 19 verse 39.
NICODEMUS’ JOURNEY
But one day, this people’s victor became God’s victor. How did it happen? He journeyed to Jesus one day. However, he chose to travel at night. Why? Some say, he was afraid of his fellow Sanhedrists (the religious leaders). Others say the night time symbolised his state and condition of his spiritual relation with God; night meaning darkness and evil. In other words, he had not got the light of God yet. All was therefore spiritually dark round him.
The Bible is however not explicit about his choice of time of travel. In joining the debate why he chose to travel at night, I will add the following:
Nicodemus chose a night time travel, because he wanted a private and personal time and conversation with Jesus.
He had seen Jesus during the day time- heard him teach, preach and seen his miracles out there in the public. Yet, he thought that a personal and private time with Jesus pays. He wanted some questions in his mind to be answered. He had read through and through, cover to cover the religious laws, yet he had some questions in his mind. He believed that Jesus, the Omnipotent (the one of infinite knowledge) will know the answers. Therefore, he chose to leave everything behind- his great knowledge in religious laws, the thoughts (arguments and counter-arguments) of his colleague university professors and other busy things he had, just to be with Jesus on a one-to-one basis, in the quite of the night devoid of disturbances and distractions.
THE BENEFITS OF NICODEMUS’ NIGHT TIME JOURNEY
Did his night time journey pay him any dividend? Yes, indeed! Nicodemus’ private and personal time with Jesus brought home something he had never heard of, despite his years of study and knowledge acquired. He did not fully understand all the Great Teacher was teaching him- he kept on enquiring and quizzing Jesus about the hard things and humanly impossible things he was teaching him.
I believe he went home, understanding Jesus (perhaps not in-depth) but believing what he taught him and accepting him as his true Lord and Messiah. In other words, he left Jesus as a changed person.
THE PEOPLE’S VICTOR NOW GOD’S VICTOR
Therefore we see him (the second time John mentions about him) standing bold among his peers- university professors (teachers of the law) and Sahendrists (religious leaders) defending the one he had a private and personal conversation with. This you will see in John chapter 7 verses 50 and 31 (read it). Why did he take this stance? John tells us that he had earlier met Jesus. He now personally knows Jesus and so he appeals to the intellectual base of his colleagues (the very law they know, studied and do teach) to reason (in light of their own statues) not to condemn the person he had met personally and has become his Lord and Master. He appealed to his fellow religious leaders that it was worth listening and talking to Jesus, for he had personally met him.
Nicodemus was not only a defender for Jesus in public, we also see him rendering an expensive service to Jesus- giving him the best funeral rite in John chapter 19 verse 39. What service did he render to Jesus? John tells us he brought a mixture of myrrh and aloe, which weighed 75 pounds and they say that is approximately 34 kg. These materials he brought for Jesus’ funeral rites were no cheap stuff in first century Palestine and the quantity he brought gives an indication of his wealth, which he was ready to lavish on the one had met privately and personally.
THE APPLICATION
My fellow worshipers, having a private and personal time with Jesus pays. Our knowledge of him- perhaps through public programmes from the church, home training, etc should not prevent us to come to him and have a personal and private conversation with him. Nor should our societal status or achievements prevent us from having a private and personal time with him.
We must like Nicodemus find time to have a private and personal time with him. Religious knowledge about him may often not necessarily bring us into a personal relationship with him.
Coming to him and privately talking to him, forgetting about what your peers may say, will bring about transformation; as it was the case with Nicodemus.
Such personal relationship with him will make you be strong to give a bold defence for him in the public sphere.
A personal relationship with him will also make you to willingly give him your best and expensive services; in a bid to honour him.
Remember, each time the Gospel writer mentioned Nicodemus he uses the phrase- ‘the one who had gone to Jesus earlier’. When Nicodemus was bolding defending Jesus in public and among his peers, John (the Gospel writer) described him as the guy who had gone to Jesus earlier. When Nicodemus was out there and lavishing what he had for Jesus’ funeral, John again said- he was the guy who had gone to Jesus earlier.
In other words, John is telling us that when one has had a personal and private time with Jesus, you can boldly defend him in public and you can willingly serve him with your resources.
CONCLUSION
This therefore begs the question- have you had a private and personal meeting with Jesus? Come to him like Nicodemus if you have not. You may already have knowledge about Jesus in your head, as Nicodemus was. But also open your heart to Jesus as Nicodemus did, tell him to come and reign and rule your life; then you will experience what he experienced after he met Jesus that night. Over and above all, you will see (i.e. experience) the Kingdom of God and you will enter into it.
A private and personal time with Jesus will change you- from the people’s victor to God’s victor. Nicodemus was transformed after he met Jesus, no wonder he did all he did for Jesus. He opened his heart to Jesus and he became an over comer for God. Just Revelation 3: 20 and 21 and you will see what I mean.
Closing prayer-
