Challenging My Own Faith

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“Randall apparently became a secret follower of Christ.”

That thought first exploded in my mind as I studied the Gospel According to John in my Ryrie Study Bible. I was engrossed in John’s account leading up to the crucifixion of Christ and its immediate aftermath.

I was intrigued especially by the character of Nicodemus as I came across a fine-print footnote to John 19:39. It read: “Nicodemus apparently became a secret follower of Christ.”

It took me by surprise. Having heard sermons and Sunday School lessons on Nicodemus for years, I had assumed him to be an open and transparent player in the drama of the gospel. I was then startled to discover that he is cited in the four Gospels only in John, and there only three times.

Seeking Jesus Secretly

His first appearance occurs in John 3:3-20 when Nicodemus (identified here as a Pharisee and a “ruler of the Jews”) sought out Jesus in the secrecy of night to inquire about His teachings. A condensed version of their conversation includes the following quotes.

“Rabbi,” Nicodemus begins, “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.”

“Truly, truly, I say to you,” Jesus answers “unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Mystified, Nicodemus asks, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb, can he?”

Again, Jesus explains: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 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.”

Still not grasping the spiritual truth, Nicodemus wonders again, “How can these things be?”

Jesus responds with greater spiritual depth that evidently still escapes Nicodemus, and we’re not sure just when he leaves Jesus’ presence.

Questioning His Peers

In John 7:40-53, the Pharisees and Sadducees – entrenched religious and civil authorities – are clearly growing more concerned about Jesus’s growing impact on the people. Some are eager to arrest Him. They recognize that He is a threat to their power. Many are ready to manufacture false charges against Him.

As they devise a plot to arrest Jesus, one man among them speaks with a voice of reason. It is Nicodemus: “Our Law does not judge a man unless it first hears from him and knows what he is doing, does it?” That question prompts his peers to question Nicodemus about precisely where he stands on the “issue” of protecting their hold over the people.

Honoring the Crucified Christ

Nicodemus shows up for his third and final time in the gospel story in John 19:38-40. It is after the crucifixion. Jesus has been laid in the tomb. We read:

After these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. So he came and took away His body. Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds weight. So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews.

Back to the Footnote

Was Nicodemus a true follower of Jesus? From my understanding, most biblical scholars agree that the available evidence is strong that he was, indeed, a follower. At the same time, official records of his time do not yield 100% certainty.

Now, here’s where that ambiguous footnote first pricked my heart and made me examine my own relationship with Jesus. Through the years, it occasionally comes to mind again. It always reminds me to take inventory of my heart. It makes me wonder: In future times, what if the records of the Christian faith in the 2000s mention my name once or twice?

Will truth require a footnote that says, “Randall apparently became a secret follower of Christ.” I pray not so.

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