picture by www.lambsongs.co.nz.
By Mike Chaffin
There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. John 3:1
Have you known anyone torn between position and belief? Someone who likes the position they are in, and wants to stay in their comfortable bubble, but know something better when they see it. However, are too afraid to openly acknowledge it and grasp it as their own?
Nicodemus was one such man. He was a Pharisee on the Sanhedrin, one of the top seventy-one rabbis, a ruler, and a teacher of the law. He recognized Jesus was probably the Messiah. However, he went to see Jesus in the middle of the night so he could hide his belief. He was afraid of his peers.
This reaction to Jesus continues to occur today. In Peter Hitchens’ book, “Rage Against God, How atheism led me to Faith,” he explains a similar path in hiding his newfound faith.
“Word spread around my trade that I was somehow mixed up in church matters. It was embarrassing. I remember one acquaintance turning to me in the press room and remarking that he had heard I was going to church. With a mingled look of pity and horror on his face, he asked, “How can you do that?” I talked to very few people about this and was diffident about mentioning it in anything I wrote. I think is true to say that for many years I was more or less ashamed of confessing to any religious faith at all, except when I felt safe to do so.
Later, when Jesus was on trial, Nicodemus became more vocal. But his vote to acquit fell on deaf ears. However, after the crucifixion he helped take Jesus’ body to the tomb for proper burial. An act of open belief in who Jesus is. It was time to take a stand.
Mr. Hitchens goes on to say something similar about his journey,
It is a strange and welcome side effect of the growing attack on Christianity in British society that I have now completely overcome this (fear of people knowing his Christian belief). Being Christian is one thing, fighting for a cause is another, much easier to acknowledge.”
Today we are in a fight. A fight to shine Christ’s light into an increasingly hostile society that is set on rampant immorality and suppression of the truth. It is no longer an option for a Christian to stand on the sidelines or hide in the locker room. We must be in the game, actively defending Christ and openly sharing our faith. Jesus told us if we deny him before men, He will deny us before God. That doesn’t end well. Make your faith known. Share it with everyone, especially your children.
Prayer: Dear Lord, help me to be bold in my faith. You told us in Revelation that there are no cowards in heaven. Help me to not cower in the face of opposition to the truth, and the clear, peaceful and polite presentation of the Gospel. In Jesus’ name, amen.
This song goes great with today’s reading. Enjoy. https://youtu.be/4IzsF5F1xrI
* There is a website that conducted a search for Bible verses. They compiled a list of the verses in order of the magnitude of hits they got in their search. Some of these verses probably qualify as ‘people’s favorites’, while others might be on the list because they are some of the most important and most teachable words of God.
