John 3:1-9, John 7:37-52, John 19:38 -42
Nicodemus is a religious authority. He enters this story in the middle of the night. He is curious about Jesus, and recognizes something in Jesus that draws him in. And yet, Nicodemus doesn’t get it after the first encounter. Something changes, and Nicodemus becomes brave enough to go against his peers, in the light of day, and challenge their attempts to railroad Jesus. He is willing and able to stand up for Jesus from his own values, and to take the blame for it. The third time, Nicodemus is willing to risk being unclean to take the body and prepare the body of Christ ahead of the Passover. On the day of Preparation, Nicodemus handles the body of a dead man, and that act somehow means more to him than being ritually clean for the Passover.
Along our journeys, how have we changed from not being willing to be seen with Jesus, to defending Jesus against our people, to being willing to set aside something we held dear to show our love for Christ? Have we made those moves? What helped us do it? What do we think helped Nicodemus make those moves? Are we stuck on the way? What would get us unstuck?
