He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him." – John 3:2

Today's Scripture Reading (October 27, 2020): John 3

One of the best rivalries in Major League Baseball is between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. But maybe an even more significant challenge is being a Boston Red Sox fan living in New York or a New York Yankees fan living in Boston, especially when your team isn't playing well. It is always easy to be a fan of a winning team, but being willing to be identified as a fan of a losing team is a little harder. I know, one of the American football teams I support is the Detroit Lions. When your team is losing, the temptation is to keep your loyalties hidden and wait patiently for better days.

A rivalry existed between Jesus and the arisees. And at this point, Jesus's star is on the rise. Scholars have wondered about Nicodemus's words, "we know that you are a teacher who has come from God." The question is, who is it that comprises the "we"? It is doubtful that Nicodemus is speaking on behalf of the rest of the Pharisees. Even if this was something that they "knew" about their rival, it was doubtful that they would admit it. It seems more likely that Nicodemus is referring here to public opinion. The ordinary people were beginning to believe that there was something very special about this Rabbi from Nazareth based on the miracles.

So, Nicodemus decides to visit Jesus under cover of night when no one can see him. He is becoming a fan of Jesus, but he is not ready to go public with his decision yet. Night protects his image while he explores the teachings of Jesus. It allows him to learn from Jesus without facing the ridicule that might come from his Pharisee friends.

But it is also important to note that Nicodemus's reason for believing in Jesus is somewhat dubious, and something of which his fellow Pharisees might decide to remind him. He says that "no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him." But miracle workers were nothing new, and those who wanted to deceive often did so by performing miraculous signs. Even Paul admits that "the coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing" (2 Thessalonians 2:9-10a). Just the fact that Jesus performed miracles was not enough to prove that he was "from God." But the miracles were enough to get people like Nicodemus to give Jesus a second look and examine if he may be from God. And for that reason, Nicodemus visited Jesus under cover of the night.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: John 4