“Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, ‘Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him.’ In reply Jesus declared, ‘I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.’
…[Jesus] ‘You should not be surprised at my saying ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born in the Spirit.’
‘How can this be?’ Nicodemus asked.” –John 3:1-3, 7-8 (NIV)
I don’t think Nicodemus was coming at Jesus in a confrontational way, otherwise he would have done it in the day time, with other people around, like the other Pharisees would have. I think he came to Jesus with genuine interest, curiosity, humbleness, and maybe even yearning. It seems like he was dealing with some kind of conflict inside. He was a Pharisee, he was a politically important figure, and yet, he was trying to figure out who this Jesus guy truly was. Nicodemus seems to be questioning all the information that had been drilled into him; we can see this when he asks, “How can this be?” The Pharisees were very well-educated; they knew their facts. But Nicodemus was searching for something more… he lacked that relationship fulfillment in his heart. Unfortunately, his authoritative position was a little too high of a priority in his life. He could have come to Jesus with his questions in front of other people, but that would have risked his reputation. He could have given up his booksmarts, his professional career, his esteemed role in society, his respect by important leaders, and followed Jesus. But he sought Jesus out at night, when no one else was around who could judge or criticize him. His concern for his reputation prevented him from further and impacting revelation.
