Redeemed Failures, Day 20: Nicodemus – When Questions Lead to Courage

Nicodemus is an unlikely disciple. A Pharisee, a ruler of the Jews, and a “teacher of Israel” (John 3:1, 10), he embodied religious authority and respectability. Yet when he appears in John’s Gospel, he does not stride into daylight with confidence. He comes instead under cover of night. His story is one of halting steps, lingering questions, and gradual illumination, a journey that moves from darkness to light at the foot of the cross.

A Teacher Who Didn’t Understand

When Nicodemus first comes to Jesus in John 3, he begins with courtesy and respect: “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God” (v. 2). But Jesus bypasses small talk and cuts to the heart: “Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (v. 3). The statement confounds him. For all his learning and religious authority, Nicodemus cannot fathom the necessity of spiritual rebirth.

And here lies the irony. Nicodemus was “the teacher of Israel” (v. 10), a man revered for his knowledge of God’s law. Yet in this midnight encounter he finds himself in the role of a bewildered student, struggling to grasp what only the Spirit can reveal. Jesus’ words expose the inadequacy of pedigree, knowledge, or moral effort to enter the kingdom. The very man who thought he had sight is told he cannot even see the kingdom apart from new birth.

This exchange is not incidental. John loves to show that human credentials—heritage, knowledge, status—cannot unlock the kingdom. Only the Spirit can give life (v. 8). Nicodemus, the consummate insider, must become like a newborn child, helpless and dependent. His very confusion exposes the depth of his need.

The Cautious Defender

The next time we meet Nicodemus is in John 7. As the Pharisees rage against Jesus, Nicodemus speaks up: “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?” (v. 51). His words are timid, but telling. The man who once came in secret now risks his reputation with a public defense. The Spirit’s wind is beginning to fan Nicodemus' heart aflame.

From Night to Daylight at the Cross

Nicodemus reappears once more, in John 19, after the crucifixion. While most disciples fled, Nicodemus comes forward with Joseph of Arimathea to prepare Jesus’ body for burial. He brings an extravagant gift of myrrh and aloes, nearly a hundred pounds’ worth, which was an offering fit for royalty (v. 39). The man who once crept by night now honors Christ openly and lavishly, when hope seemed extinguished and association with Him was most costly.

John wants us to see the irony. Nicodemus, confused about new birth in chapter 3, finally witnesses its power at the cross. The Spirit has brought him into the light. The teacher who did not understand becomes the disciple who confesses with his actions that Jesus truly is King, even in death.

Nicodemus reassures us that faith does not always erupt in a single moment of clarity. It may grow slowly, through confusion, half-measures, and questions that seem unresolved. But Christ does not despise seekers who stumble toward Him. He patiently draws them until they step into the light.

An Encouragement

Many of us come to Christ with questions that don’t fit tidy categories. We hesitate. We struggle to reconcile long-held assumptions with the radical claims of the gospel. Nicodemus shows us that this is far from failure. To the contrary, it is often the soil in which true faith grows. What matters is not how quickly we arrive, but that Christ is faithful to finish the work He begins.

If you find yourself circling questions of faith, still unsure if everything makes sense, Nicodemus’s story is for you. He reminds us that Christ welcomes those who come in weakness and doubt, even under cover of night. The Spirit is patient, and in God’s time He will bring light where there was darkness, turning hesitant steps into costly, joyful devotion.

Enjoy all 31 devotionals in the Redeemed Failures series here —stories of grace, second chances, and the God who still restores.