Secret Disciple?

As we wrap up the month of April and prepare to enter the second quarter of the year it seems useful to once again refresh ourselves on the theme for the blog for this year: DISCIPLESHIP.

I was concluding one of the YouVersion Bible plans for Lent and the last day looked at the story of Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus who were proclaimed as ‘secret disciples’ of Jesus Christ. The attached devotional to the Bible reading describes this as an oxymoronic statement. That is a figure of speech which is contradictory. For example saying “bittersweet” or “small giant”.

Let’s backtrack a little and go through the assigned passage: John 19: 38-42

38 Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. 39 He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. 40 Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. 41 At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. 42 Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.

A couple of things stood out to me as I read this verse:

1. Joseph went from being a secret disciple to suddenly having the boldness and gumption to go ask Pilate permission and therefore publicly highlighting his allegiance to Jesus. He was a well established man in society, so I wonder, if he was not afraid of public ridicule and that he may ostracized from his society? Especially if Jesus does not resurrect. Remember, all this is done on the Good Friday/Silent Saturday (as some call it!). The evidence of the resurrection of Jesus was not yet seen. Perhaps, Joseph had an inner witness and just wanted to honor his Lord in his passing. Either way I think the key takeaway for me is that no matter how secretive we may be in our devotion and love for God, there will come a time where His presence will demand our public declaration that indeed, Jesus Christ is LORD (over and above all).

2. Uncle Nico makes a second appearance! He has John 3 dedicated to him such that he has a whole subtitle line in the NIV bible at least! In case you don’t remember here is (what I believe) to be our first introduction to Nicodemus :

Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 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.”

3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”

4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 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 of the Spirit.”

9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.

10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? 11 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. 12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

First of all, uncle Nico be moving under the radar because why did he also come to Jesus in the middle of the night! Lol, I guess he was that intrigued but yet loved his reputation still too much to boldly align himself with Jesus. It almost makes me think of the verse where it says “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.” [1 John 2:15].

The summary of including this interaction from John 3 is to show the deliberateness in which Jesus spent describing and teaching and mentoring Nicodemus to understand the ways of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He was basically giving him the gameplan and layout of what would happen in later chapter in John. So of course Nicodemus had a first person account of what was happening, therefore it made sense that he would want to see the story to the end right? I mean one of the most popular verses John 3:16 was revealed to Nicodemus!

The beauty of discipleship is that it is visible and evident for all to see. When one is correctly and intentionally discipled, there is no way the evidence will not show.

My prayer for us all is that we find the right Shepherds to guide and lead us as we continue on in this year and that as much as desire to be discipled, the right opportunities with the right people begins to present itself, in Jesus name. AMEN

Have a wonderful second quarter of the year!

If you are interested the snipper from YouVersion Bible Plan was from Day 40 of ‘Breath of Lent’

#ByGodsGrace

Mo 🙂