gant question was doubtless meant to be an unanswerable proof that our Lord could not possibly be the Messiah :—" Can a person be deserving of the least credit, as a teacher of a new religion, if those who are the most learned and highest in posi- tion do not believe Him?" — This is precisely the common argu- ment of human nature iu every age. The doctrine which the great and learned do not receive is always assumed to be wrong. And yet St. Paul says, " Not many wise, not many no- ble are called." (1 Cor. i. 26.) The very possession of rank and learning is often a positive hindrance to a man's soul. The great and the learned are often the last and most unwilling to receive Christ's truth. — " How hardly shall a rich man enter the kingdom of God." (Matt. xix. 23.)
It seems clear from this that at present the Pharisees did not know that one of their own number, Nicodemus, was favourably disposed to our Lord.
49. — [But this people... knoweth not law...cursed.~\ This sentence is full of contempt and scorn throughout. "This people,"— a mob, — a common herd, — " which knoweth not the law," is not deeply read in the Scriptures, and have no deep Rabbinical learning, — " are cursed," are under God's curse and given over to a strong delusion. Their opinion is worthless, and' what they think of the new Galilean teacher is of no moment or value. — Charges like these have been made in every age, against the adherents of all reformers and revivers of true religion. The multitude who followed Luther in Germany, our own Reform- ers in England, and the leaders of revived religion in the last century, were always attacked as ignorant enthusiasts whose opinion was worth nothing. When the enemies of vital relig- ion cannot prevent people flocking after the Gospel, and cannot answer the teaching of its advocates, they often fight with the weapons of the Pharisees in this verse. They content them- selves with the cheap and easy assertion that those who do not agree with themselves are ignorant and kuow nothing, and that therefore it matters nothing what they think. Yet St. Paul says, " God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to con- found the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty." (1 Cor. i. 27.) The poorer and humbler classes are often much better judges of " what is truth" in religion than the great and learned.
The disposition of the Jews to pronounce those " accursed " who differ from themselves in religious controversy is exhib- ited in this verse. Jewish converts to Christianity in modern times are often sadly familiar with cursing from their own relatives.
50. — [Nicodemus... he... came to Jesus by night.'] This would be more literally rendered, "He that came to Him by night." The omission of our Lord's name here is very peculiar. — The fact of Nicodemus having come to see Jesus "by night" is always mentioned by St. John, where His name occurs. (See
58 EXPOSITOltY THOUGHTS.
John xix. 39.) It is to ray mind a strong proof that he was a coward when he first came to our Lord, and dared not come openly by day.
[Being one of them.'] This means that he was a chief man, or ruler among the Pharisees, and as such was present at all their deliberations and counsels. His case shows that the grace oi God can reach men in any position, however unfavourable it may be to true religion. Even a chief Pharisee, one of that com- pany of men who, as a body, hated our Lord and longed to kill Him, could believe and speak up for Him. We must never con- clude hastily that there can be no Christians among a body of men, because the great majority of them hate Christ, and are hardened in wickedness. There was a Lot in Sodom, an Oba- diah in Ahab's house, a Daniel in Babylon, saints in Nero's palace, and a Nicodemus among the Pharisees. He was "one out of their number," but not one of them in spirit.
51. — [Doth our law judge any man, etc.] This was undoubtedly speaking up for our Lord, and pleading for His being treated justly and fairly, and according to law. At first sight it seems a very tame and cautious mode of showing his faith, if he had any. But it is difficult to see what more could have been said in the present temper of the Pharisees. Nicodemus wisely ap- pealed to law. "Is it not a great principle of that law of Moses, which we all profess to honour, that no man should be condemned without first hearing from him what defence he can make, and without clear knowledge and evidence as to what he has really done?— Is it fair and legal to condemn this person before you have heard from His own lips what He can say in His defence, and before you know from the testimony of com- petent witnesses what He has really done? — Are you not flying in the face of our law by hastily judging His case, and setting Him down as a malefactor before you have given Him a chance of clearing Himself? (See Deut. i. 17, and xvii. 8, etc., and xix. 15, etc.) Nicodemus, it will be observed, cautiously takes up his ground on broad general principles of universal application, and does not say a word about our Lord's particular case.
The Greek words would be more literally rendered, "Doth our law condemn the man unless it hears from him first."
I think there can be no reasonable doubt that these words show Nicodemus to have become a real, though a slow-growing disciple of Christ, and a true believer. It required great cour- age to do even the little that he did here, and to say what he said.
Let us carefully note, that a man may begin very feebly and grow very slowly, and seem to make very little progress, and yet have the true grace of God in his heart. We must be care- ful that we do not hastily set down men as unconverted, be- cause they get on slowly in the Christian life. All do not grow equally quick.
JOHN, CIUP. Til. 59
Let us learn to believe that even in high places, and most un- likely positions, Christ may have friends of whom we know nothing. Who would have expected a chief ruler among the Pharisees to rise at this juncture and plead for justice and fair dealing in the case of our Lord ?
62. — {They answer ed...thou also of Galilee?] This was the lan- guage of rage, scorn, and bitter contempt. " Art thou too, a ruler, a learned man, a Pharisee, one of ourselves, become one of this Galilean party? Hast thou joined the cause of this new Galilean prophet?"
The tone of this bitter question seems to me to prove that Nicodemus had said as much as was possible to be said, on this occasion. The temper and spirit of the Pharisees, from disap- pointment and vexation at our Lord's increasing popularity, and their own utter inability to stop His course, made them furious at a single word being spoken favourably or kindly about Him. They must indeed have been in a violent frame of mind, when the mere hint at the desirableness of acting justly, fairly, and legally, made them ask a brother Pharisee whether he was a Galilean !
Musculus remarks that Nicodemus got little favour from the Pharisees, though his favourable feeling towards our Lord was so cautiously expressed. He observes that this is generally the case with those who act timidly as he did. People may just as well be outspoken and bold.
[Search and look,'] This seems to be meant sarcastically. "Go and search the Scriptures again, and look at what they say about the Messiah, before thou sayest one word about this new Gal- ilean prophet. Examine the prophets, and see if thou canst find a tittle of evidence in favour of this Galilean, whose cause thou art patronizing."
[Out of Galilee ariseth no prophet.] This would be rendered more literally, " a prophet out of Galilee has not been raised." About the meaning of the words there are three very different opinions.
(1) Some think that the words only mean, no "prophet of great note or eminence has ever been raised up in Galilee." This, however, is a tame and unsatisfactory view.
(2) Some, as Bishop Pearce, Burgon, and Sir N. Knatchbull, think that the Pharisees only meant that " THE Prophet like unto Moses, the Messiah, has nowhere in the Scripture been foretold as coming out of Galilee." According to this view the Pharisees said what was quite correct.
(3) Others, as Alford, Wordsworth, Tholuck, and most other commentators, think that the Pharisees, in their rage and fury, either forgot, or found it convenient to forget that prophets