The other night (Wednesday) is mid-week meeting night. The minister preached on the end of John 7, the story of how the Sanhedrin's plans to capture Jesus at the feast were frustrated. Most of this post will be drawn from the lecture.
Jesus came to Jerusalem and preached, against all expectations. His life, after all, was being threatened. People were starting to wonder: starting to talk of Him in whispers, in the homes and inns (v31).
The Sanhedrin were not impressed with this usurper taking the attention away from their feast. They tried to put a stop to it by arresting Him (v32). However, when the officers returned the next day, all they could say to them was "never man spoke as this Man" (v45). How they hated that! How dare this man, this pretend Saviour, pervert even their own officers?! Were they not the guardians of the law, educated in the Torah from youth? Was their word not as good as law? This man was guilty! You can almost hear the sneering tone when they say "have any of us believed on Him?". It's like they're saying, "what right have you to believe something we don't believe?" (v47-49). And yet, puffed up in their arrogance and pride, they forgot to check for chinks in their armour of self-righteousness.
One last player is introduced. "Nicodemus, who came to Him by night." (John 3) Nicodemus, who seemed so weak in spirit, stood up and blew their whole facade of righteousness out of the water. How did he do it? A long, eloquent oratory perhaps, espousing Christ, maybe pointing to the Scriptures to prove His claim? No, Nicodemus brought down the might and power of the Pharisees, of which he was part, in one simple sentence. "Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?" (v51) With that one question, Nicodemus destroyed the Pharisees' credibility. The Pharisees were reduced to throwing the mob's arguments, the mob they had been so disdainful of , back at Nicodemus. They said "Search (the scriptures) and look: for no prophet arises out of Galilee" (v52). Of course, they seem to have conveniently forgotten that Jonah was of Galilee!
The Church of Christ today is under attack like it rarely has been before. Evolution, built on a foundation that is an embarrassment to science, is trumpeted as fact. Sunday, as a rest day dedicated to God, is under attack by people using economic arguments that would shame an economist. "Multi-culturalism", "alternative lifestyles" and "toleration" (to everyone but the Christian) are portrayed as the only way to go by the ruling class, the media, and even sections of the mainstream church. To us it seems there is no way the church can rise again to its former glory. Yet, two thousand years ago, in the city of Jerusalem, the church was under attack by all the might of the ruling class, and all the authority of the religious leaders: yet it survived. And not only did it survive, but the next day, thousands followed Jesus out the gates of the city and onto the Mount of Olives to hear what was possibly the greatest sermon ever preached: one from which we are still benefiting today. The Church overcame adversity and prospered! Another encouragement comes in the form of Nicodemus' words: or lack of! Despite the poor attempt at a defense of Jesus, Nicodemus managed to reduce the educated elite to the level where they had to lie and misquote just to save themselves some face. Just one sentence, yet what a result. We must never be afraid to speak out in defense of God - and who knows? maybe God will use our words to His glory.
