Jn 3:1,2 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus , a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him."

Nicodemus only appears in John's Gospel. Again this may be because the Synoptic Gospel writers' might have wanted to have given him privacy but by the time John wrote he had passed away. We first see him as he comes to Jesus at night to question him. The fact of it being at night suggests that this is a private visit; he is not coming on behalf of the Sanhedrin, the ruling council, and he doesn't want others to know that he has come. He comes and accepts that Jesus is a teacher for he starts out with the respectful address, “Rabbi.” Moreover he acknowledges that he is a teacher who has come from God for that is clear by the miracles that Jesus performs.

Now from the outset we can see that Nicodemus is a seeker of truth. He is a respected senior member of the Jewish community, being on the ruling council, he has heard about Jesus and so, while Jesus is in Jerusalem for the Passover, (Jn 2:23) he decides to go and question him. As a leader of the people he comes with a measure of authority and superiority. Many of us think we are someone.

Nicodemus acknowledges that Jesus moves with the power of God but Jesus says you can't see or enter into the place where God moves in sovereign power (his kingdom) unless God gives you a new life: “In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” (v.3) Nicodemus says he has been seeing the works of God but Jesus says you can only look in from the outside until you've been ‘born again'. This catches Nicodemus on the hop: “How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!” (v.4) He is thinking in literal terms and suddenly he is not as confident in himself and shows he doesn't understand what Jesus is saying.

Jesus focuses it back on the kingdom of God as if to say, don't worry about the material technicalities; it's all about spiritual issues: “Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.” (v.5,6) i.e. you're not going to experience the kingdom of God for yourself until God's Holy Spirit does a work in you so it is like your own spirit is reborn and brought alive to a new life in a new dimension.

Nicodemus obviously looks perplexed for Jesus continues, “You should not be surprised at my saying, `You must be born again.' The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” (v.7,8) It's a mystery, says Jesus, the way the Spirit works. Just like the wind you sense His movement but you won't know when or where He'll move next.

  Nicodemus is still confused: “How can this be?" Nicodemus asked.” (v.9) Jesus isn't going to give him neat, pat answers; he's going to challenge him some more: “You are Israel 's teacher," said Jesus, "and do you not understand these things? I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven--the Son of Man. ” (v.10-13) In this manner Jesus brings himself right back before Nicodemus.

There's something very challenging about this conversation. In our preaching we try to be very clear but that's not the way Jesus did it. Very often he spoke enigmatically so that the listeners had to really think about what he had said. It was only those with seeking hearts who pressed through to understanding. (See what Jesus said about his use of parable in Mt 13:10-17). People who say they don't understand Jesus reveal hearts that are not seeking.

We next see mention of Nicodemus when there is discussion about Jesus among the religious leaders and we find, “Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked, "Does our law condemn anyone without first hearing him to find out what he is doing?” (Jn 7:50,51) He is subtly defending Jesus without being an out and out follower.

Our final reference to him comes after Jesus' death: “Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus…. He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. Taking Jesus' body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs.” (Jn 19:38-40)

Community leader he may be – and the community has just killed Jesus – but his conscience makes him, with Joseph of Arimathea, go to give the body a proper burial. He is a follower of sorts. It is not clear how much of a follower but more and more he is standing out for Jesus. He looks like he's on the way to being a citizen of the kingdom.

Interestingly, in the story of Nicodemus, Jesus never said to him, “Follow me.” That was only for people who were ready for it. Nicodemus has got a lot of thinking to do so Jesus gives him plenty to think about. The story about Nicodemus is seriously challenging because it asks us what sort of seekers WE are. Are we those who look in from the outside and just criticise because we don't understand – and can't be bothered to really seek? Or are we those who half hear the truth and complain that the preacher isn't making it clear enough? Jesus is looking for genuine seekers who will spend time seeking God for the truth. Will we be such people?