Chapter 9—Nicodemus Comes to Christ
The great authority Jesus had assumed in the temple, in condemn-
ing the practices of the Jewish dignitaries, was freely commented upon
by Pharisees, priests, and elders. His appearance, and the tones of his
voice, together with the irresistible power he had exercised over the
multitude, were such as to lead many of them to believe that he was
indeed the Messiah whom they had so long expected and desired to
see.
A portion of the Jews had ever been fearful of opposing one who
seemed to possess any remarkable power or seemed to be influenced by
God’s Spirit. Many messages had been given to Israel by the mouths
of prophets. Yet some of these holy men had been slain through the
instigation of the leaders in Israel, because they had denounced the
sins of those in authority. The captivity of the Jews to a heathen nation,
was their punishment for refusing to be reproved of their iniquities,
slighting the warnings of God, and folding their sins still closer to their
hearts.
The Jews, in the days of Christ, lamented their humiliation to
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the Romans, and condemned the acts of their fathers in stoning the
prophets who were sent to correct them. Yet their priests and elders
cherished the spirit in their hearts which would lead them to commit
the same crimes.
The dignitaries of the temple consulted together in regard to the
conduct of Jesus, and what course was best for them to pursue. One of
their number, Nicodemus, advised moderation both in their feelings
and acts. He argued that, if Jesus was really invested with authority
from God, it would be perilous to reject his warnings, and the mani-
festations of his power. He could not look upon him as an impostor,
nor join the rest of the Pharisees in their derision of him. He himself
had seen and heard Jesus, and his mind was much disturbed in conse-
quence. He anxiously perused the scrolls containing the prophecies
relating to the coming of the Messiah. He sought earnestly for clear
light upon the subject, and the more he searched the stronger was his
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