John 3:1
“There was a man of the Pharisee sect, Nicodemus, a prominent leader among the Jews. Late one night he visited Jesus and said…”
“There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus.”
Nicodemus, a man of conscience, was drawn to God’s word and therefore drawn to Jesus. The conflict between his Pharisee milieu and his own heart must have been agony, as he contemplated the cost to his family and himself if he reached out to Jesus. Seeking him late after dark was his solution. We believers share in Nicodemus’ dilemma every time we cave to social pressure. Yet Jesus still received Nicodemus and met him where he was, in the midst of his struggle. Regardless of the impurity of our motive, he is there for us too.
Lord, I am like Nicodemus at times, especially when my body plagues me or my mind is unclear. Forgive me for compromising my witness to all you have done for me. Make me able to speak of you, live you, to the world, regardless of my internal tensions.