Nicodemus

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 are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter 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 marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ (John 3:1–7 ESV).

 

Finishing our look at the Book of Hebrews I wondered where we might go in the coming days. There are so many wonderful passages from the Scripture that we could examine. However, I thought it might also be of interest to look at some of the people associated with Jesus. Today, we will briefly examine Nicodemus. They first meet when Nicodemus comes to Jesus “by night” (v. 1). They would have many such encounters; however, this beginning was one that changed everything for Nicodemus.

 

Many people have wondered and speculated about why Nicodemus went to Jesus at night. Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a member of the ruling religious council, which was often opposed to Jesus. Was Nicodemus afraid of being seen by other council members? Did he go at night because Jesus would be less busy and have time for an in-depth conversation? Did John include that detail because it fit with his emphasis on light and darkness in his account of Jesus’ life and work?

 

Whatever the reason, the fact that Nicodemus went to Jesus with questions and that Jesus engaged him in conversation has always intrigued me. Nicodemus had questions about spiritual matters, and Jesus was interested in discussing those with him, even at night. This encounter prompts me to ask, “Are we ready and willing to come to Jesus with our questions about faith?” We all have questions, and Jesus is always ready to hear them.

 

If we should learn anything from this encounter it must be that Jesus cares about us and wants us to have “life to the full” (cf. John 10:10). We can ask him questions anytime in prayer, and Jesus’ followers can help with finding answers in the Bible and providing a community that supports us in faith. Perhaps there are things yet to be revealed to you that Jesus wants you to know in order to attend to some specific ministry He will call you to perform. After all, it was Nicodemus who partnered with Joseph of Arimathea in the hours after Jesus’ death and burial. I wonder what He has for you to do?

  

A Final Blessing

 

Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Hebrews 13:20–21 ESV).

 

Our reading today brings us to the close of the Book of Hebrews. It is a benedictory prayer that the "God of peace," who raised Jesus (the great Shepherd) through the eternal covenant, will equip believers with "everything good" to do His will, working within them what is pleasing to Him through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever. These verses conclude the book, acting as a blessing and summary of the practical application of the theological arguments made throughout the epistle. They shift the focus from the work of Christ on the cross to the work of God in the believer to act according to His purpose.

 

Within these two verse the writer uses some key themes to invoke the blessing of God upon his readers. He focuses on God as the source of reconciliation and tranquility. These two things alone would be more than ample blessing. Receiving reconciliation to the God of all creation is such an immense thought I often find myself lost in the magnitude of the thought. After all I have done, I am reconciled to God through the work of Christ. The write doesn’t stop with this thought however, He also desires that his readers receive tranquility from God. Haven’t you found yourself engulfed in circumstances to the point where it feels as if a great storm has descended on you with the fullness of its fury? I have. That’s when I need tranquility. God gives it in abundance because of the grace shown to us through Jesus.

 

The writer also Identifies Jesus as the "great Shepherd of the sheep" resurrected by God through the "blood of the eternal covenant". This points us to our provision. He asks that God provide believers with all necessary resources, tools, or strength to fulfill His will. He also emphasizes that God works within individuals to change their actions and desires to be pleasing in His sight. That is the centerpiece of all spiritual equipping and obedience which has been accomplished through Jesus.

 

One of the most potent tools that we have as we work God’s vineyard—as we work to see his Kingdom come and his will be done on earth as it is in heaven—is the invocation of blessing. Christians are to be a people who bless one another in the name of God and in faith in the promises of God. We are to be fathers and mothers who bless our sons and daughters. We are to be churches full of saints invoking the blessing of God on one another as we gather in the name and for the glory of Christ. This is a powerful thing, though only the eyes of faith can see how.  See, to the world, it’s just talk. But we can understand that there is a God who has said he is listening to us.  We have a Father who his given his Son to redeem us and adopt us, and we have heard his promises. We know, as the Lord Jesus taught us, that he doesn’t give stones to his sons when they ask for bread. We know that he is a God who delights to bless his people when they come to him and ask. So, ask and receive! Jesus is truly greater!

 

Fear or Faith?

 

Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body. Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:1–6 ESV).

 

The writer comes to our reading today and calls believers to live out a countercultural faith rooted in brotherly love, hospitality, sexual purity, and contentment. It urges practical action—loving fellow Christians, assisting the marginalized, and honoring marriage—all anchored in the promise of God’s presence, enabling us to trust Him rather than fearing man. It is a clear and concise description of the life of faith. The admonition closes with the promise of Jesus’ protection and provision throughout our lives. There are some practical encouragements that the writer outlines broadly.

 

First, he says we should continue in brotherly love (v. 1). There should be no surprise at the inclusion of this as the first principle. The foundation of Christian living is maintaining familial love within the church. We see it throughout the Book of Acts and John’s Gospel. In fact, John quotes Jesus as He teaches:

 

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34–35 ESV).

 

The writer then tells us to practice hospitality (v. 2). Believers are encouraged to show hospitality to strangers, as it can lead to honoring God in unexpected ways. Hospitality is a lost principle in our culture today. We have become competitive and selfish in our relationships causing so much pain and rejection from others.

 

Third, the writer simply says, remember the suffering (v. 3). We are called to feel the pain of prisoners and the ill-treated as if it were our own, offering tangible compassion. It is a clear call toward sympathy toward others in their suffering. There is no room for the attitude of “he made his bed, let him sleep in it.”

Fourth, the writer says we should honor marriage (v. 4). This passage emphasizes maintaining purity and faithfulness, keeping or vows in purity. And, last, he writes that our lives should be free from the love of money, trusting in God's promise: "I will never leave you nor forsake you".

 

He closes with this wonderful promise that since the Lord is our helper, we can live without fear of what others can do to us. Our decision today is simply whether we will live our lives in fear or faith.

 

Fear or Faith?

 

For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them. For they could not endure the order that was given, “If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.” Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I tremble with fear.” But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. (Hebrews 12:18–24 ESV)/

 

Yesterday we looked at the manner that we approach living “in Christ.” We are called to be models and encouragers for others. If I would have used verses 12-17 for a devotional we could have seen that the writer is encouraging us to be strong (v. 12), run a straight race (v.13), and pursue peace and holiness (v. 14) and by all means not to be like Esau, who looked at his birthright and gave it up for a single meal (vv. 16-17). These verses also convey the difference between living in fear of God and faith in God. The writer mentions the “discipline of the Lord” not as something to be feared as a punishment for wrong-doing, but to be welcomed as instruction to equip us to be all God has designed us to be. Charles Spurgeon wrote:

 

“No stars gleam as brightly as those which glisten in the polar sky. No water tastes so sweet as that which springs amid the desert sand. And no faith is so precious as that which lives and triumphs through adversity. Tested faith brings experience. You would never have believed your own weakness had you not needed to pass through trials. And you would never have known God’s strength had His strength not been needed to carry you through.”

 

So, the exhortations are not ways of getting God to act, but ways you act when you trust that God is already acting for you. This is so important for our everyday life. It means that the Biblical way to be stirred up to do what we ought to do is to think or consider things about God and his action for us - past, present and especially future. This entire book of Hebrews is written to give the readers truth about God to think about so that we will not be like Esau who failed to persevere, and did not obtain the grace of God, but was lured into the death trap of short term pleasure - a single meal.

 

Few things could make it clearer that right-knowing is a key to right-doing. And the relationship between the two is that right-knowing is the basis of right-doing. Jesus is indeed greater in every way than all that has come before or may come after!

 

 

So Great a Cloud of Witnesses

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1–2 ESV).

 

I must confess that the first verse of our reading today has been a great encouragement to me in recent years. Without detailing the health challenges Mary and I have faced over the last seven years, let me say there have been more than one occasion when we had wistful conversations about heaven, I suppose that is a natural occurrence for many people who reach our age, having various medical challenges, and seeing many of our relatives, friends, and others die while we remain. It can be a bit disorienting at times.

 

One conversation in particular drew this into sharp focus some years ago while I was at physical therapy for a session Mary happened to be doing. It is a small office and Mary and I have been there many times over the years, so, the staff know us. As Mary was being tended to, I was drawn into a conversation with one of the therapists with a remark about how important the therapy was in that it would add years to our lives. I simply said, “Well, the alternative is not so bad. We’ve got as many folks on that side as we do on this one. And it is heaven after all.” He was very serious, and said, “But just think of all the things that you would miss seeing and doing if you weren’t here.” I replied by quoting the first verse of our reading and adding, “I won’t miss a thing. I’ll be in that great cloud of witnesses cheering my family and friends along in their race.” Then, he said, “But they would miss seeing you watch them.”

 

Let that sink in for a bit. It made me realize the conundrum of life and death for the believer. It is no wonder that the Apostle Paul said, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21 ESV). As we have seen in a previous devotional, it is appointed “once for all men to die” (Hebrews 9:27). God has scheduled that moment; it will not be early, and it will not be late… it will be on time. Until then, I get to live for Christ. A big part of that is being the model and encourager to others to follow Him. Jesus really is GREATER!

  

The Founder and Perfector of Our Faith

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1–2 ESV).

 

Our reading today is perhaps my personal favorite of the entire letter. There are two descriptions given of Jesus in the verses. Jesus is described as the "founder and perfecter of our faith" (v. 2). This means He is both the initiator (pioneer/author) and completer (finisher) of the Christian faith. By His life, sacrificial death, and resurrection, Jesus blazed the trail for believers, sustaining their faith and bringing it to its final, perfect goal.

 

The word our writer uses and is translated “founder” is the Greek word, ἀρχηγὸν (archēgon), which is only found four times in the Scripture. It is found twice in Acts and twice in Hebrews (cf. Acts 3:15; 5:31; Hebrews 2:10; 12:2). Thayers Lexicon says, it “portrays one who blazes a trail so that others may follow—an originator, leader, captain, or pioneer whose personal triumph becomes the shared victory of a people. In the New Testament it functions as a uniquely Christological title that gathers up themes of creation, redemption, and consummation into the person and work of Jesus Christ. In short, Jesus is the originator, pioneer, or captain who launched the life of faith, demonstrating perfect trust in God.

 

The word our writer uses and is translated “perfecter” is the Greek word τελειωτὴν (teleiōtēn), and is only found once in the New Testament. The Topical Lexicon says: It “is drawn from the wider New Testament family of terms that revolve around the idea of reaching a designed goal, bringing something to its appointed maturity, or completing a course. In Scripture, perfection does not speak of sinless abstraction but of wholeness, maturity, and full development according to God’s purpose. The term emphasizes that what God initiates He also brings to consummation.” Jesus is the finisher who brings faith to its ultimate, intended completion, ensuring it achieves its goal of salvation and perfection, as noted on

 

Therefore, Jesus becomes the perfect example of endurance. The writer says that Jesus endured the cross, disregarding the shame, for the "joy set before him," and is now seated at the right hand of God, serving as the ultimate example for believers. The passage encourages Christians to stay focused on Jesus, especially when facing trials, to avoid becoming weary in their faith. He began this good work in us and will see it to its finish. That is how we may run the race set before us!  

 

  

Dying Once for All

 

Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. (Hebrews 9:23–28 ESV).

 

The letter to the Hebrews is so rich in meaning. Today we come to a passage that is particularly well known and often quoted. The writer says after death follows judgment. He explains it quite matter-of-factly: “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many.” (v. 27).

 

After a person dies, neither he nor anyone else can present an offering for that individual’s sin that could alter his destiny. Death ends a person’s opportunity to change his or her position in life; there are no second chances. Nor does anyone die repeatedly, as taught in reincarnation. A person’s earthly life is closed at death, and everyone’s eternal destiny is determined and fixed during his or her life here on Earth. From this thought springs a sobering reminder: death irreversibly places people in either heaven or hell based on their relationship to Jesus.

 

Death is an “appointment”. Everyone dies. Scripture records only a few exceptions. First are Enoch and Elijah. They were taken directly to heaven (cf. Hebrews 11:5; 2 Kings 2:11). Second, there will be a generation of believers who will not experience death but will be taken directly to heaven at the Rapture of the church (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:51–52; 1 Thessalonians 4:17). And Scripture also mentions people who died twice: Lazarus, who was resurrected and died a second time (cf. John 11:43–44), and the people who were resurrected at the time of Jesus’ crucifixion (cf. Matthew 27:52–53). All others have or will die.

 

Our reading today teaches that Christ was sacrificed one time and died once for the sins of mankind. His was a final act that cannot be repeated or reversed. This was a major consideration for the Jewish believers being addressed in Hebrews, as they compared Christ’s sacrificial death with the teachings of the Levitical system.

 

Christ’s appearance for believers is mentioned three times in Hebrews 9:24–28. His first appearance was on Earth to become a once-for-all sacrifice by bearing mankind’s sin on the cross (v. 26). His second appearance was to minister as our Advocate in heaven (v. 24). His third appearance will be at His Second Coming (v. 28). As believers, we have much for which to be thankful. Jesus Christ purchased our redemption, removed our sin forever, restored us to fellowship with God the Father, advocates for us in heaven, and has promised us an eternal inheritance at His Second Coming. He died once forever defeating death! Hallelujah, what a Savior!