The Pharisee’s Encounter With The Saviour: From Religious Ruler To A Righteous Redeemer John 3:1-8

According to Wikpedia, “The word "Pharisee" means a separatist in the Hebrew language.

The Pharisees were a social movement and a school of thought in the Holy Land during the ... 100 CE), believed by many historians to be a Pharisee, estimated the total Pharisee ... According to the Mishnah and Talmud, the men of the Great Assembly instituted the requirement that Jews both in Judea and in the diaspora.

The Pharisees asserted that God could and should be worshipped even away from the Temple and outside Jerusalem. To the Pharisees, worship consisted not in bloody sacrifices—the practice of the Temple priests—but prayer and the study of God's law.

The Talmud notes that the Hebrew numerical value (gematria) of the word "Torah" is 611, and combining Moses's 611 commandments with the first two of the Ten Commandments which were the only ones heard directly from God, adds up to 613.

Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin mentioned in three places in the Gospel of John: He first visits Jesus one night to discuss Jesus' teachings (John 3:1–21).

An unforgettable encounter occurred in this book of John. Amongst the synoptic Gospels, only John recorded this transaction which put a significant clarity between the religious worshipper and a righteous seeker.

Nicodemus was a Ruler amongst the Jews, a Pharisee with respect and sound knowledge of the Law.

To be eligible or qualify to be a Pharisee, one must have enrolled as a Member of the sect long ago; and must be able to read the five books of Moses (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy) offhand by committing them to memory. A difficult task and a major prequalifying requisite.

Aside from these attributes, a Pharisee is a master keeper of the authored ordinances and rites of the religious dictates. A call that requires high levels of self-denial, sacrificial devotion, and complete consecration to the devotion.

Nicodemus had been keeping these and has a whole lot of people he was leading in the synagogue; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to occupy such a central role in the Sanhedrin.

Nicodemus is famous and focus, knowledgeable and lettered in the law, devoted and dedicated, religious and ready for the call of service. By all standards and dictates, he is a faultless religious leader and keeper of the law.

An encounter and something seems to have necessarily compelled him to the Saviour. The outward is clean but something inside seems to be imperfect. He was yearning for a higher, incomprehensible quench, which the law and the religion couldn’t satisfy. He needed salvation and a complete transformation within, that will cause a remarkable change without and relationship with the Divine God.

The letters of the law couldn’t achieve this, the religious rites and daily citation fail to atone for this, his long experience and knowledge garnered so far failed to meet this inner quest.

Nicodemus knew something differentiates Jesus’ messages from their regular customs. He is aware their norms fail to meet divine order hence, the necessity to meet the Prince of Peace to settle the score of sin and human limitations, inadequacy of religion, religious titles, activities and ceremonial duties.

After all, Christ wouldn’t have come to die if the Pharisee messages, religious rites and practices were sufficient to atone for man’s sin (‘ …for without the shedding of blood, there will be no remission for sin’).

Nicodemus’ encounter with the Master of the Law himself was a huge concern the Pharisees and members of the Sanhedrin must never be aware of. Nicodemus gave it the strictest confidence and approached the Saviour by night. The words of Christ were too strong to be comprehended, as they were entirely divinely revealing from the regular service in the synagogue. Nicodemus was confused and astonished on how can a person be born when he is old.

Christ took time to expatiate on the spiritual rebirth and re-creation of man. Christ took it from the point of human depravity, the fall of man and the insufficiency of all ransoms to remedy his guilt. He hinged the centrality on the solution on spiritual rebirth that comes from above, void of religious supports or interventions, human uprightness and self-righteousness can’t help at this point. It comes entirely from total dependence, belief, and trust in the sufficient Calvary’s work. “For by Grace are ye saved through faith, it is not of your work, lest any man should boast.”

How come a religious man like Nicodemus was not saved in spite of his knowledge of the law? A Teacher in the Synagogue, a Rabbi in his own right? A Pharisee of repute and long-standing experience? A Keeper of all outwards guides and principles of the Jewish rules? In spite of his daily meditation, prayers, and customs of dress code and others? Too bad, religion and religious activities can cleanse sin. “What can wash away my sin, nothing but the blood of Jesus”.