Almost everyone knows this story, but a lot of important and powerful details are still missed by most church people, even pastors. Among the details is the private nature of the meeting. There's a powerful Kingdom and apostolic principle behind it. As I have shared in the first post of this series, "Why the Father is Particular about What is Done in Secret," Jesus taught about keeping our acts of righteousness a secret so that the Father who sees what is done in secret will like it.
He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” [John 3]
Apparently, it was a convenient time for Jesus, too, not because he also feared being caught talking to a Pharisee, but it was in secret. He knew exactly why Nicodemus was there, being prophetic and spiritually discerning. He knew that Nicodemus wanted to know how to be saved--how to see and enter heaven. I believe that to Jesus, ministry, like evangelism, ought to be done in private, NOT to be seen by men.
For one, it wouldn't be proper to shame a top Pharisee in public. Evangelism is a private thing because people are bound to be exposed when the Holy Spirit moves a servant of God to speak. Jesus had public appearances doing ministry, but they were never intended to be public. He never planned, arranged or prepared for ministry the way we do today. He always moved quietly and in private, but the multitudes rushing to him made it appear like it was intended publicly. And it was good that Nicodemus met him in private, at night, because Jesus was going to make Nicodemus face a truth about him that he probably never realized until then.
“You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things?"
Other preachers would've enjoyed belittling a Pharisee like that in public. It would make them popular and feared. And it's so ego-satisfying to be able to make righteous pronouncements like that and be heard by people, and applauded especially. In fact, the reason why church leaders love attaching titles to their names is recognition, respect and applause. They crave for men's admiration.
But your spiritual Kingdom stature or title should be in secret, too. Hence, Jesus said no one on earth should called "father" or "teacher." Of course, we have our fathers and teachers and we call them thus. But Jesus was referring to titles and the entitlements and egotistic pride they came with, and especially the broadcasting and parading of the same. God wants everything to be in secret, and which is why Jesus didn't permit them to call him Christ.
“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.” Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.
[Mark 8]
Jesus told Nicodemus other supernatural and deep revelations that Nicodemus probably had never heard in his entire life and entire theological training as a top Pharisee. Everything he knew was earthly--the theologies and doctrines that men invented, putting in lots of bible verses for legitimacy, to make a name for themselves. Even the Kingdom concept of being born again was still earthly, and yet Nicodemus couldn't get it, despite all his "seminary" education, credentials and title. Prophetic ministers would love to declare things like this in public, too, before a massive moneyed audience (or a profitable market), because it can mean an avalanche of offerings and donations. But Jesus did it strictly in private. All righteous acts must be done in secret, to please only the Father's eyes.
Very truly I tell you, 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. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.
That was an extraordinary revelation only folks genuinely and supernaturally led by the Holy Spirit (not by human theologies or denominational doctrines) can speak and understand. True Jesus believers testify to what they have seen, not what they learn from their theologies. They speak of both earthly and heavenly things. And when Jesus says "earthly" it's not about human theology or doctrines or churchy stuff. It's about things of the Holy Spirit on an earthly level.
The revelation of the Holy Spirit can be on an earthly dimension to reveal spiritual things in ways humans can understand, like how Jesus talked about his body as real food and his blood as real drink which true believers must eat and drink to have life. That's earthly. But even on that earthly level, many of his disciples failed to understand it and left him. People bound by earthly mindsets that are worldly and based on human thinking will never grasp even the earthly things of the Holy Spirit.
The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. [1 Corinthians 2.14]
This is why many "scholars" from seminaries would rather discuss theology and philosophy rather than pursue after genuinely experiencing the supernatural things of the Holy Spirit, because you get no title and credentials with the supernatural. You get them with bible school and seminary education, with the accompanying respect and applause from their ilk. No wonder, Jesus never pursued anything that man can teach.
“Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you (or taught you) by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven."
Once you get the Holy Spirit's anointing in your life, you cannot show it off by presenting titles, degrees or earthly positions. You know you have it but you keep it secret. And you keep humble and low profile. That's truly apostolic and prophetic.
Continued in the links below:
Why Jesus Met Nicodemus in Private
SURRENDERING TO JESUS
‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ 12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other Name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” [Acts 4]
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