Nic at nite

I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.               — John 12:46

According to the apostle John, Nicodemus “came to Jesus by night” (John 3:2). Was this Pharisee skulking under cover of darkness, embarrassed or ashamed that he, as one of the ruling class, was curious about Jesus?

Some have suggested that it was just cooler at night. Others have said that evening was a better time to ask Jesus questions because it was quieter and there were fewer distractions.

We really don’t know the reason Nicodemus went to Jesus at night, but John seemed determined to make a point of that specific fact. Every time he mentioned Nicodemus, he identified him by saying something like: “You know who I’m talking about — the guy who came to Jesus by night” (see 7:50; 19:39).

Nicodemus, no doubt, was quite moral and lived according to Mosaic Law. People probably thought he was a pretty good person. Yet none of that mattered. He was in the dark about who Jesus really was, and he wanted to know the truth. So he was drawn from the darkness into the presence of “the light of the world” (John 8:12).

Jesus calls us “out of darkness” too (1 Peter 2:9) and promises that whoever believes in Him will not stay in the dark (John 12:46).        — Cindy Hess Kasper

Our search for truth is hindered by

The darkness of the night,

Until the Bright and Morning Star

Reveals His brilliant light. — Sper

READ: Psalm 146

Faith in Christ is not a leap into the dark; it’s a step into the Light.

The Bible in one year:

• Deuteronomy 33-34

• Proverbs 30:21-33