Jesus Isn't Decaf (By Naomi Meyers)

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Smooth, silver coins clattered as they hit the tile floor, rolling in every direction. It was a mess. Just like his life. It was a disaster, too. Full of accidental missteps and egregious errors. A thousand things he wasn’t proud of. A handful of things he was. Like being Jesus’ disciple. No matter how the gig had ended, he would never regret the time he’d spent as one of the chosen ones. He couldn’t. Those had been the best years of his life. Years brimming with miracles, ministry, mercy, and magnificent love. For him. Judas. No matter what he did. No matter how offensive the words he spoke. No matter how often his suspect heart was displayed for all to see. The love of Jesus still covered him, welcomed him, fed him. No matter who he was that day. Judas Iscariot. Disciple. Chief financial officer. Thief. Betrayer.  

He hadn’t meant to be those last two things. Not really. It all started so small. Skimming a few coins from the money bag had been the extent of his intentions. He thought it would be enough. He wasn’t planning to rob anyone blind. He wasn’t pocketing jewelry and valuables from the homes they visited. Largely, he kept his hands in his own pockets. He also kept his ear to the ground for opportunities to get more money. He wanted it. Needed it. Craved it. The love of money held his soul in an iron-tight grip. Judas was willing to do anything to have it. That was how he ended up here. Betraying his Savior. Selling his soul. For the love of money.  

Realizing how eager the priests and elders were to arrest Jesus, Judas arranged to meet them himself. Sneaking away from the other disciples, he quietly made his offer. He could get them what they wanted. A time. A place. An opportunity. All for a fee. A finder’s fee, if you will. A tiny sum. Paltry by any estimation. Just thirty pieces of silver. The going cost of a slave. The price of opportunity. That was his offer. Take it or leave it. They took it. (Exodus 21:32) 

So did Judas. Without discussion. Without explanation. Without taking a moment to unfold the plan and peruse the outcome. Judas took the money, made the arrangements, and handed them Jesus. Not once did he stop to consider whether or not those pious religious leaders had truly nefarious intentions. Not once did he consider trumped-up charges, planned narratives, and blatant lies. Not once did he worry that Jesus wouldn’t walk out of this situation unscathed, as He had so many other times before. Not once did Judas truly believe there was any charge that would stick. He knew there weren’t. He knew Jesus. Knew his history, his heart. Knew there was no reason to hold Him. No accusation worth imprisoning Him. No grounds to execute Him. When Judas approached those men to strike a business deal, he never dreamed things would go so far off the rails. Unfortunately, Judas had his money blinders on. The delicious weight of those coins in his hand clouded his thoughts. Silenced his conscience. Obscured the truth. Until it was too late.   

Arriving at the temple in the early morning, Judas found himself eavesdropping on an urgent meeting of the religious leaders. It was so much worse than he originally thought. Pain lanced through his soul as their words drifted across the quiet expanse of the room. They were actively plotting to kill Jesus. Creating a narrative. Building a case. Lining up witnesses. It was appalling! Horrifying. Breathtaking. Worse was the realization that he had aided their plan. He shouldn’t have done that. Shouldn’t have approached them. Shouldn’t have made the offer. Should never have let the love of money take over his soul to the point of betraying someone who had only shown him love and kindness. Frozen in time, listening to their treacherous plans punctuated by evil chuckles, Judas regretted his actions. All of them. Regretted meeting them to propose an offer. Regretted receiving the bag of coins. Regretted leading the mob. Regretted kissing His cheek. Regretted the fact he was here lurking, listening, as the religious leaders plotted and planned their revenge against Jesus. Regretted that he was alive when Jesus would soon be dead. Because of him. 

Unceremoniously crashing the private meeting, Judas, filled with remorse, did his best to reverse the situation. Return the money. Release Jesus. Absolve his guilt. It wasn’t happening. No amount of wheedling or cajoling would change the minds of the priests and elders. What was done was done. The guilt was his own. They felt none. It was Judas’ problem. Not theirs. His feelings weren’t their concern. Not now. Not ever. Judas’ part of the agreement had been fulfilled. They were under no obligation to him. They had purchased his help fairly. Paid the amount up front. What he chose to do with the coins was up to him, but they would never rescind Jesus’ arrest. It was too late.  It was done. It was nearly finished. 

Anger and self-loathing collided in Judas’ soul as the words of rejection rang through the Temple. His hands were tied. There was nothing he could do. Despair and desperation engulfed him. The coins in his hand felt as though they weighed a thousand pounds. They dragged him down. He couldn’t wait to be rid of them. Money meant nothing to him anymore. Hurling the coins to the floor with violent force, he whirled around and ran from the building. At the end of himself, hopeless, helpless, overcome by sadness, regret, and remorse, desperate to be free from the haunting guilt, Judas fled to a copse of trees. And there, he hanged himself. (Matthew 26:14-16, 46-50; 27:1-5)

There is no sadder phrase in all of Scripture. Not for me. Nothing hurts my heart more when I read it. Feeling hopeless and helpless, believing himself to be beyond the reach of grace, past the point of mercy, Judas ended his life. He didn’t think there was anything left for him. He believed himself to be too bad, too evil for the amazing, unending, unfailing, redeeming love of God to reach him. Settled in that dark space with no one to tell him it wasn’t true, in despair, Judas gave up on living. Gave up on God. Gave up his soul. To death. I can’t stop the tears from welling up in my eyes when I think about it. Nor can I stop my mounting frustration as I realize how often we hear about how awful Judas was, how hard his heart, how evil his soul, yet we rarely hear that little, defining phrase from Matthew ever mentioned. Judas was filled with remorse. 

Judas wasn’t skipping down the road making plans for his riches, and just happened to get caught in a loose rope somewhere. No. Judas hanged himself. On purpose. Because he was filled with remorse. His heart was broken by his own actions. He regretted every part he’d played in Jesus’ arrest. He hated the part of himself that pressed him to do it. Judas saw himself for exactly what and who he was and was deeply repulsed. We never talk about it. I don’t know why. We are exactly the same. We are just like Judas. We rarely weigh the end results against the immediate gratification. We often fail to look before we leap. So excited are we to cut a favorable deal that we don’t stop to ask questions, read the fine print, or seek godly advice. We don’t stop to pray about it. To our great regret and remorse, just like Judas, we grab the pleasures of this life with both hands and make a run for it, stopping only in the aftermath to count the cost. 

You see, friend, Judas didn’t actually have the heart of a murderer. He had a heart just like yours. A heart that easily becomes distracted and enamored with earthly things and worldly comforts. A heart that wants some of Jesus, but not enough to change your life. A heart that craves decaf religion and Jesus’ lite. A heart that hopes Jesus will answer your prayers and fill your requests like an online ordering system, yet never make any demands of your life or take up any of your time. A heart that thinks it can get to Heaven by name-dropping Jesus rather than by a soul that is cleansed, a heart that is pure, and a life lived in holiness before God and man. Sound familiar? It should. That’s you. That’s me. That was Judas. He was just like us. He needed a Savior.

So do we. Buried in our self and sin, frequently betraying Jesus by our words and actions, we find ourselves in the exact same space as Judas. Hearts darkened by sin. Disgustingly evil. Yet remorseful. Regretful. Filled with despair. The voice of the evil one continually tells us there is no hope or help for people like us. We are too far gone. Beyond salvation. Without hope. Outside the reach of mercy, the grasp of grace. It says we have exhausted the love of God, that forgiveness is impossible. Don’t you buy that. Don’t even listen to it. It’s just not true. At all. The truth is this. Nothing can separate you from the love God has for you. It is inexhaustible. No matter what you have done or left undone. No matter who you have wronged or betrayed. No matter what unchangeable life choices you have made, the love of God transcends it all and offers forgiveness through the shed blood of Jesus on the cross. The one Judas sent Him to. The one He willingly hung on so He could offer you grace upon grace. Whenever you come to Him. Whoever you are. Wherever you have been. The darkest of sinners, the purist of saints. There are no exceptions. Whosoever will may come. No matter where your sins have taken you, the amazing love of God can bring you back, even if you are just like Judas. (Colossians 2:13-14; Revelation 22:17; John 3:16, 8:44; Romans 8:31-39, 10:13)

They were tired of being here. In this wilderness. At this campsite. By this mountain. They were tired of waiting. It was all they had done since they arrived. At least it was all they remembered. Moses had disappeared up the mountain for weeks. No messages back. No postcards of his progress. Just radio silence while they sat in the wilderness, waiting for his return, suspended between the promise of heaven and the memory of hell. Hell was most certainly behind them. Slavery in Egypt could be considered nothing less. The brutal conditions. The violent taskmasters. The impossible workload. It had been hell on earth. 

Stagnating in this wilderness was a close second. The food wasn’t great. The conditions barely tolerable. Water was often scarce. The terrain was unforgiving. But. Heaven was allegedly ahead of them, the promise of God for a land overflowing with abundance. Milk. Honey. Lush grass. Flourishing trees. Flowing water. Great abundance. They were anxious there. That final, delightful dwelling place. But they hadn’t moved in weeks. Months. Even though Moses had returned, they were still here. Stuck in their own purgatory. Waiting for Moses to give the signal.  Waiting for the pillars of cloud and fire to move. Waiting for the moment the promise would be a reality. Yet, as another silent morning dawned, they had to wonder if they were to blame for the extended stay. 

Admittedly, they had gone off the rails. Even for them. They weren’t averse to some grumbling and complaining. They experienced only a twinge of guilt at having wildly pouted until manna and meat fell from the sky. But creating, celebrating, and worshipping an actual idol was a step too far. Even for them. They knew it when they started the process, when they approached Aaron and twisted his arm, when they exuberantly collected their gold jewelry and threw it into the melting pot. It hadn’t mattered then. Their singular focus was retribution for Moses’ abandonment. He had left and taken too long to return. Their fickle faith had failed. They were bored. Their minds were wandering. The enemy was roaming the camp, liberally sprinkling discontent and angst. They needed something to do. Something to celebrate. Something to worship. Something, someone, to believe in because Moses had disappeared. 

Molding the calf, preparing the feast, and planning the celebration had gone beautifully. Better than expected. Until it hadn’t. Until Moses returned in the middle of their tumultuous festivities. It was a surprise. For all of them. The people and Moses alike. Moses was beyond angry. He was irate. Infuriated. Absolutely incandescent. The stone tablets inscribed with God’s own handwriting, carefully hauled down the mountain, ended up in a crumbled pile at his feet. Had a whip been readily available, he would have liberally doled out an Old Testament-style thrashing, foreshadowing the New Testament-style cleansing Jesus gave the temple. These people needed cleansing! They deserved stoning. Had Moses’ mind been clearer, he may have been inclined to use the broken tablets at his feet to stone them! They deserved it. Instead, striding into camp full of fury and purpose, Moses tore down their idol, ground it to powder, threw it in the water, and forced everyone to drink it. It did not taste good. It was disgusting. Their stomachs revolted. Violently. Perhaps they would have preferred the thrashing. Or not. Because Moses wasn’t done. 

Shouting to the camp, Moses commanded everyone who would side with God to step forward. Stillness fell. Silence reigned. Steadfast gazes stared downward. Except in the Levite division. Boldly stepping forward, ever ready for action, they took their orders from Moses. “Grab your swords. Cleanse the camp.” Don’t be careful. Don’t be judicious. Don’t go soft. Spare no one and nothing. Brothers. Friends. Spouses. Neighbors. Cleanse every part of the camp. And they did. But God wasn’t done.

Knowing their hearts, the part of them that mattered, God knew they could pretend to repent. They could stop openly worshipping the idol, remove their jewelry, put away their fine clothes, and mourn pitifully without it meaning a thing. He knew they weren’t with Him. They hadn’t truly repented. They weren’t really changed. They chose not to be. So God sent a plague to get their attention. Illness fell. They were weak and miserable. It changed nothing. Their hearts remained stubborn and rebellious. They never fully turned to God. They never really changed. They didn’t welcome His presence among them or ask Him to accompany them on their journey. They refused to make a space for Him, unable to realize that without God, they were never leaving the wilderness. Because Moses was going nowhere without Him. 

It was a discussion God and Moses had on more than one occasion. God would tell Moses to lead the people forward. He would promise the leadership and protection of His angel. He plainly stated it was for the people’s own safety that He not accompany them. Their rebellion would soon lead to their destruction if He were present. Moses wasn’t having it. No matter how many times he heard God say, “Go ahead and lead the people to the land I promised.” Moses also heard the caveat, “I will not be travelling with you.” Moses couldn’t think of anything less appealing. Leading a troupe of brats and hooligans through the wilderness without even the whisper of God’s presence among them was a terrifying thought. He couldn’t do it. It was beyond his ability, leaving them in limbo. Moses couldn’t handle them. God couldn’t stomach them. The possibility of entering the promised land was looking dim, because Moses was taking them nowhere unless God was going along. 

Daily the people watched as Moses trekked outside the camp to pray in the Tent of Meeting. They watched the pillar of cloud come down and cover the entrance. They knew he was talking to God. Personally. Face to face. Inside that tent, Moses begged and bartered and bargained with God. There was no way he could or would go forward without the promised presence of God. He was under no illusion that he could lead these people on his own. He had already proven his inability. How often had he been angry with them? How often had he wanted to throw in the staff and leave this bunch of crazies to fend for themselves, wilderness or not? And how many times had God given him the strength and courage and wisdom to lead a people who wouldn’t recognize a proper choice if it sat down beside them? Every time. Every time Moses was overwhelmed and frustrated and angry with the people or the situation, God had carried him. Directed him on how to handle every situation. Without God’s presence, Moses could do nothing. He knew it. And he was absolutely not interested in pushing forward without God now. Unless God went with them, they would end up lost and confused and probably dead. Moses believed that. He believed they needed God to go with them. So he stood his ground, planted his flag, and made his choice, “If You aren’t going, Lord, I’m not going either.” (Exodus 32:1-33:17)

Moses didn’t want to be anywhere God wasn’t. Not in the wilderness. Not on the trail. Not in the promised land. Moses understood the importance of God’s continual presence. Going before them. Following behind them. Hovering over them. He was fully aware that their defining characteristic, the one thing that separated them from everyone else in the world, the thing that brought them safe travels and miraculous victories, was the presence of God among them. His glorious presence that covered their encampment. Peaceful presence that engaged with His people. Powerful presence that shut down enemies, brought water from rocks, and sent food from the sky. Preserving presence that made shoes and clothes last for decades. No holes. No wear and tear. No problems. Moses was absolutely not confused about the mess that would ensue if he tried to lead the people on his own. It would be an epic failure. And he wasn’t having it. As much as he wanted to move forward on their journey, as much pressure as he felt from the people to break camp and get started, he would only do so if God was going along. Because Moses only wanted to be where the presence of God was. So should you. (Deuteronomy 8:4; Nehemiah 9:21; Exodus 16; 17:1-13) 

Echoing from the depths of our hearts, in every situation, should be the words of Moses. Before every decision, they should be the prerequisite. “If God’s not going, if God’s not in it, if God doesn’t sanction it, I’m not interested.” They should be playing on loop in the heart of every person who claims to know and love and follow Jesus Christ. We should be deeply cognizant of the unmitigated importance of having the presence of God surrounding us, accompanying us, and leading us through every moment of every day. Wherever we are. Whatever we are doing. Whoever we are with. No matter what. We need Emmanuel. God with us. Literally. We need His thoughts in our minds. We need His words on our lips. We need His hand guiding our actions. We need His peace, His courage, His strength, His wisdom. We cannot live this life on our own. We will fail. We will crumble at the first sign of trouble. We will capitulate to friends. We will cave to social pressure. We will collapse under the weight of the demands of life. We need God with us. Every step of the way. Everywhere we go. No matter the promised joys or potential benefits,  if God’s not going, you shouldn’t be, either. (Exodus 33:14-15; Deuteronomy 13:4; 31:8; Joshua 1:5; John 14:27; 15:5; Psalm 16:11; Proverbs 21:23; James 1:5; Isaiah 40:31; Lamentations 3:25)

Shocked amazement rapidly turned to exhilaration as they looked into the eyes of their son. Bright eyes. Clear eyes. Intelligent eyes. Eyes overflowing with joy, excitement, and laughter. Tears poured down all of their faces. Their overflowing hearts nearly burst with emotion. Their son, the one everyone knew had been born blind, the one who regularly sat on the street corner begging, the one every doctor said would never see, could now see! Blue sky. Green grass. Bright flowers. Dark earth. His stare was no longer blank. He needed no one to guide him as he walked. Although they hadn’t been there to witness the miracle, the proof stood before them. Their son, born blind, could now see. They were beyond grateful.  

They were also afraid. Not without reason. Before they had time to absorb the initial shock, the couple found themselves unceremoniously summoned before the religious leaders to give an account of their son’s healing. It was an impossible ask. They hadn’t witnessed the event. They didn’t know the details. They had only their son’s explanation. They had no reason to disbelieve him. They knew his diagnosis. They had seen the results of his encounter. They knew what he said was true. It didn’t mean they wanted to repeat the story. Especially not to the men who could eject them from the temple. Permanently. Make them outcasts. They knew the men would find the account impossible to believe. They had found it nearly impossible themselves. Except they had seen the evidence. It spoke for itself. Their son was blind. Now he wasn’t. It was a miracle. 

Fear had the words sticking in their throats. They didn’t want to be outcasts. To be expelled from the temple would be an enormous blight on their character. They would lose friends, social status, religious affiliation. Business associates would turn their backs. Neighbors would ignore them. Relatives may alienate them. Their earthly lives would be shattered if they promoted the truth of Jesus’ miraculous work. It was all they could think about. 

Choosing their words carefully, the parents sought to separate themselves from the miracle. They agreed the man was their son. They admitted he had been born blind. It was obvious he could now see. But they hadn’t been there to witness the event. They didn’t know who had done what. They weren’t certain anyone had done anything. They had no idea who or what or how he had received his sight. And they absolutely couldn’t speak for him. Wouldn’t speak for him. If the religious leaders wanted to know how their son had been healed, they would have to ask him. He was an adult. He could speak for himself, risk his own temple admission, endanger his own social future. That was a choice he would have to make for himself. And he did.     

Standing before the religious leaders for the second time, the man retold the events of his fantastic account. He was sitting in his normal spot, minding his own business, holding out his cup in hopes of coins from the passersby, when Jesus’ disciples decided to stop and ask questions. About him. Why was he blind? Had his parents sinned? Had he sinned? In a voice brimming with confidence, Jesus answered. No one had sinned. Not mom. Not dad. Not him. The affliction wasn’t a punishment. At all. They were not inherently bad people whose son was suffering for their sin. No. It was better than that. The affliction had a purpose. God’s purpose. There was a plan behind his blindness. God’s plan. For that day. That moment. It was through his blindness that Jesus would reveal God to everyone. And He did.

Declaring Himself to be the light of the world, Jesus spit in the dirt, mixed up some mud, slathered it on his eyes, and sent him to wash his face in the pool of Siloam. There were likely closer places to wash his face. Surely some nearby home or establishment had a pitcher of water. Maybe he was tempted to stop at a well or spring along the way to speed up the process. He didn’t. In total trust and absolute obedience, the blind man left the mud to dry on his face and walked to the exact place Jesus told him to wash. Once there, he dipped his face and scrubbed with his hands until every grit of dirt was gone. Standing up, with water dripping from his chin, he looked around. The darkness was gone. The light was shining. He could see! 

Comprehending who, exactly, had touched his eyes, the man returned to the scene of his miracle only to be disappointed. Jesus had moved on. He had wanted to thank Him. Follow Him. Learn from Him. He couldn’t. But he could testify about Him. And he did. He didn’t really have a choice. A crowd engulfed him upon his arrival. They knew him. They remembered him. They recognized his face, if not his eyes. They struggled to believe his version of events. He was healed. Blind for half a lifetime, he could now see. He could walk without a guide. He could find a job. Make a living. Find a bride. Build a family. They could barely believe their eyes, but when they asked, he confirmed it. He was that guy. The blind guy. Jesus had given him sight.  

Standing before the religious leaders, the man’s exuberant story never changed. Not the first time, nor the second. He had been blind. Now he could see. Jesus had done it. He couldn’t explain it better than that. He didn’t have medical knowledge or miraculous explanations. He knew only that one thing. He was blind. Now he wasn’t. Because Jesus touched him. That was his story. He was sticking to it. No matter the outcome. 

His parents were a different story. Standing before the religious leaders, being interrogated about their son’s miraculous healing, like witnesses before a court, they completely missed their moment. Their moment to choose. Stand up and be counted for Jesus, or shrug their shoulders and slink away into the crowd. Weighing the options, they decided the earthly reward of social acceptance and religious approval was more important than following Jesus. By shifting the focus and claiming ignorance, they could keep from being shunned. They could still worship at the temple, offer sacrifices, be purified from their sins. Their social circles wouldn’t change. They would be included in celebrations. Their son would still be healed. From where they were standing, it looked like an enormous win for them. They gained everything and sacrificed nothing. Until the religious leaders they sought to please excommunicated their son. 

Hating the words he spoke about Jesus and the gospel he inadvertently preached, the religious leaders threw the now sighted man out of the temple. He couldn’t come back. Ever. He was an outcast. A pariah. He wasn’t welcome in their community. No one could do business with him. No one was to associate with him. Not his friends. Not his neighbors. Not his parents. They had no one to blame but themselves. 

It was their own fault they had chosen not to stand up for their son and back his miraculous story. No one had forced them to look truth in the face and choose lies because it was easier. Safer. Less difficult. It was their own decision to choose their social group, their religious traditions, their personal comfort over Jesus. It was their personal choice to decide that something, anything, was worth more than Jesus. It was them alone who chose to deny Him. Because that is what they did. It is the worst part of the whole account. When given the opportunity to stand up for Jesus, to be His people and claim Him as their God, in fear for their social amenities, the parents crumpled like a wet paper towel. Unfortunately, it feels very familiar. (John 9:1-34)

In our world, where we are pressured on every side to align ourselves, our beliefs, our standards, our morals with things that do not align with God’s Word, we have the opportunity to stand up and be counted for Jesus or slink away and melt into the crowd. It is so easy to do the latter. Hide our beliefs. Soft sell sin. Short sell God. Pretend His Word is negotiable, His laws are bendable. It isn’t. They aren’t. God didn’t waste words or make rules He didn’t intend to enforce. He hasn’t rewritten the guidelines to fit our culture, our society, our day, our age. God doesn’t change. Neither do His requirements. His people can’t, either. You can’t pick and choose which parts of His Word you want to support and which you prefer to leave behind. God didn’t call you to be His editorial staff. He called you to follow Him. Blind faith. Absolute obedience. Unwavering devotion. No matter the outcome. (I John 2:15; Isaiah 40:8; Psalm 111:8; 119:89; Malachi 3:6; II Corinthians 5:7; Acts 5:29; John 12:26; Matthew 16:24) 

Fear calls you to do the opposite. It tells you to second-guess your decision to follow Jesus. It promises you short-term consolations. Public praise. Social acceptance. Surface friendships. Fleeting relationships. Flawed networks. Fear says you should compromise your beliefs. Just a little at first. Then a lot. It encourages you to distort the truth of God’s deity with definitions of humanity. Eliminations. Substitutions. Limitations. Fear boxes you in and makes you live in bondage to public opinion when God wants to give you freedom. Freedom to stand on the truth of His word in the face of threats, taunts, and persecution. Freedom to live in Him, walk with Him, trust in Him. No matter the outcome. (II Timothy 1:7; Proverbs 29:25; Galatians 5:1; Romans 8:15; I Peter 2:16; Ephesians 3:12; Psalm 119:45) 

Night had finally settled over the town. It was time for his mission. The dark blanket of sky lit only with a handful of stars and a sliver of moon offered the perfect cover. And he was ready. So ready. Pulling the hood of the dark cloak tightly around his face, he tiptoed to the door, carefully lifted the latch, and slipped through the portal. Pausing on the stoop, he furtively glanced to the right and left, studied the neighboring houses, searched for signs of people milling about. No one. The neighborhood was silent, still. Good. Quietly closing the door behind him, he hurried down the street, making a quick turn into an alley at the sudden sound of approaching voices. He didn’t want to be seen. Couldn’t afford to be recognized. Wasn’t interested in the possible consequences of being followed. Winding his way around buildings and down alleys, Nicodemus finally reached his destination, squared his shoulders, and prepared himself to find the truth. 

Slipping up to the door, Nicodemus knocked and held his breath. He forced himself to stand tall and still as he waited. It didn’t take long. As Jesus’ face appeared around the open door, Nicodemus released his pent-up breath. He had made it. Safely. No one had seen him. No one had questioned his movements. No one knew where he was. Except Jesus. And it was safe here. Safe to ask questions. Safe to find understanding. Safe to place his faith in what he believed to be true, in what all the evidence suggested was the truth. Because there was more to Jesus than everyone thought. He wasn’t just a miracle worker with special dispensation from God. He wasn’t only a gifted teacher sent from Heaven. Those were the things everyone believed. Everyone knew from the visible evidence that Jesus had been sent to earth by God. There had been no subterfuge, no effort to hide the fact. There was also no arguing with his miracles. Proof right before their eyes. A mountain of evidence manifesting that Jesus was absolutely heaven-sent. God-given. A gift to mankind. A teacher full of spiritual revelation. They all knew it. Nicodemus knew it. But he also believed there was more. 

Perched on the edge of his seat, his head full of questions and his time limited by the few remaining hours of darkness, Nicodemus plunged right to the heart of his visit. There was no reason for small talk. He didn’t care about the weather or what type of flowers were blooming out front. He wanted to get to know Jesus. Really know Him. So he started by stating what he already knew and believed. What everyone already knew. What the physical evidence had proven to be true. God had sent Jesus. To them. Everyone knew this to be true. It was irrefutable. His miracles had given Him away. He was sent by God. The question remained, was He the promised Messiah, or simply a teacher, a prophet, a person with the gift of healing? 

The facts of His power spoke for themselves. No one could do the things Jesus did unless they were authorized by God. Everyone knew that. Whether or not they chose to publicly admit it, they knew it. It was undeniable. No one had come along with healing power since a handful of old prophets centuries ago. Even John the Baptist, with all his preaching and baptizing, hadn’t performed miracles. Only Jesus had done that. But it wasn’t just the miracles for Nicodemus. It was more than that. It was the way He taught. It was the things He taught. It was how He confidently referred to God as “my Father.” It all held an air of more. More presence. More power. More authority. And Nicodemus was starving to know if he was right, if there was more. More to know. More to experience. More Jesus for mankind. 

Nicodemus’ instincts were spot on. There was more to have than simple knowledge about Jesus. There was a relationship. With Jesus. In fact, relationship with Jesus was imperative. He needed it. He needed to repent and be born again. He needed spiritual life breathed into his soul. He needed to believe that Jesus was the Son of God and place His faith for salvation and eternal life in Jesus alone. Not in knowledge. Not in tradition. Not in religion. Not in all the laws he could quote or his own obedience to them. No. Nicodemus had to know Jesus. Personally. He had to obey Jesus. Daily. Eternal salvation was available, but only to those who believed that Jesus was God’s Son, who obeyed His commands, who daily lived in relationship with Him. Though many others chose not to, Nicodemus believed. (John 3:1-21)  

Jesus wasn’t alone in telling His story and calling people to Himself. In another town, John the Baptist was preaching the same gospel. Inspired by God, he was busy teaching that Jesus was God’s Son. The miracles were from God. The teaching was about God. The Teacher was God. His own Son. The fulfillment of prophecy. God in human flesh. Over and over, he pointed out the truth. Jesus was God. The Messiah. They still weren’t getting it. Refused to believe it. He had no idea what it would take to make them believe. Finally, in words that could not be misunderstood, he told them. “Anyone who believes that Jesus is the Son of God and enters an obedient relationship with Him will have eternal life. Everyone who denies Him will experience eternal death.” It couldn’t have been plainer. No one could miss the facts. They were as obvious as Jesus’ miracles. Everyone who had seen the miracles and heard the teaching knew how to find eternal life. They all knew. Still, not everyone chose to find it. (John 3:22-36) 

It’s such a familiar story. Not the one about Nicodemus. The one about humanity making poor choices. The one where people seek book knowledge and degrees and titles and status, but never seek eternal life. The story where the activities and pull of the world are more important than sitting at the feet of Jesus. The one where full church seats on Sunday are not indicative of full obedience on Monday. The tale where selfish humanity begs God for physical and financial miracles, but offers nothing of themselves in return. Not their time. Not their money. Not their resources. The deeply disturbing narrative so prevalent in our day, where everyone knows the truth in their heads, but denies it in their hearts, because the social construct is to serve yourself, love yourself, care for yourself above everything else. It leaves no time, no space to follow the command of Jesus to love God with your entire being and love others as you love yourself. It is a story that allows no place for an obedient relationship with Jesus Christ. No matter what you know. It is a story about humanity, a depiction of the human heart, that hasn’t changed since the dawn of time. What you know doesn’t matter. Who you know does. (John 17:3)

You see, knowing about something means nothing unless you employ that knowledge. You can know all about Jesus, His miracles, His teachings, His promises, but if you choose not to take it a step further and actually know Jesus Himself, your knowledge is useless. It will gain you nothing. Not forgiveness. Not peace. Not eternal life. You can quote the entire Bible in the original language, pontificate on the historical meaning of every passage, interpret the words of Jesus to the best of your ability, but unless you choose to enter a relationship with the Author, all you know is the Book. A collection of stories. A list of ancestors. A tome of teachings. Unless you know Jesus, you know nothing. But when you know Jesus, you know everything you need to know. 

This was the whole point of Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus. The man came to Him, an avid student of Jesus’ teachings and miracles, knowing all about Him. He had listened to every religious leader’s opinion regarding Jesus. He had listened to his neighbors and friends ideas. He had gathered as much information as possible. He knew everything he could about Jesus. It all meant nothing. Until Nicodemus came to know Jesus personally. That personal knowledge was the point of all the miracles and signs. The sole purpose. To draw people to Jesus. To bring them near. To foster a relationship. Proper relationship. Obedient relationship. Jesus wanted to bring people, all people, to a place where their sins were forgiven and their eternity was settled. Jesus came to know people and to be known by people. He came to be in relationship with us. All of us. It is the reason He came. Relationship with God the Father. Peace through the blood of the cross. Erased sin. Evaporated guilt. Eternal life. We can all have it. We can all know Him. Not just about Him. We can have more than knowledge. We can have a relationship. We can know Jesus. He is everything we need to know.  (John 14:15; Deuteronomy 5:33; I Samuel 15:22; I John 5:12; Colossians 1:20; 2:14)