Marla & I were watching The Chosen last night, and I was taken with the meeting between Jesus & Nicodemus. (From John 3)
I enjoyed Nicodemus' response to Jesus when He told him that a person must be born again. It made both characters seem very real to me. Personal interaction is often more casual than a written retelling, so I like how this series makes the characters relatable in that way.
I found it interesting that the show omitted the reference to Jesus talking about light and dark, maybe this was done to keep the tone of the conversation light (pardon the pun) as it had been throughout. The point still came across that Jesus was being very plain in telling Nicodemus that He was the Christ.
Something we see in this scene, which I don't recall from scripture is Jesus directly asking Nicodemus to follow Him. It was interesting to me, however, as it had the flavor of the story of the rich young ruler who Jesus tells to sell everything he has and give it to the poor and follow Him. You could see the anguish on Nicodemus' face at the prospect of giving up everything he had, prestige, wealth, a nice home, to follow this itinerant rebel - and become His student.
Nicodemus was called, but didn't answer the call.
The series gives a definite flavor to Nicodemus, I like the character they've created out of him. It's easy to see from the character that he believes Jesus is Messiah. At the end of the scene, Nicodemus kneels before Jesus, kisses His hand and references Psalm 2:12, which as I understand it is a verse that was often used in coronation ceremonies back in the day.
After things get "interesting" in Capernaum and Jesus tells his followers they need to be on their way, they prepare for travel and head out.
There are a couple things that could be picked apart as far as timeline & location go, but I'll leave that for another time.
The thing that really struck me was that as the disciples gathered to leave, and were grouping, Jesus seemed to be waiting for something. It was then Peter found a purple bag of gold coins and wondered where they came from. Jesus said that "a friend" had left them for Him, knowing this was Nicodemus' way of declining the invitation. Jesus said, under His breath, "so close" and as the camera panned out you could see Nicodemus around the corner sobbing at the loss he knew he just embraced, mourning.
My eyes leaked a little at this point too, if I'm honest.
So if you've read through my review of a show you probably haven't seen, and you're still with me, you may be asking why is Joe talking about a TV show?
Well, here's the thing. God calls each of us. Sometimes - often - answering that call requires letting go of something dear to you to reach for the new thing, the unknown . . . Nicodemus faced that, as did the young ruler Jesus talked with in Matthew 19. When they made the choice to not answer that call it left them very sad, mournfully sad.
Is there something to which God is calling you? Is there a choice God has called you to make that could result in tremendous change? It doesn't need to be something huge, like accepting a long-term overseas missionary position. Maybe it's as simple as living your faith in a bold way, and choosing to follow Jesus instead of the world. Maybe it's using your voice to glorify God and encourage His people instead of tearing down politicians and deriding those with different social beliefs than yours. It could be a lot of things, big or small, but the choice behind "door number God" could change the world.
My encouragement to you today if you find yourself in that situation - and my encouragement to myself as well - is to seek God, His Truth, His wisdom. Listen and He will offer guidance, seek and you will find it. Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us not to lean on our own understanding - which often desires comfort, security, things that are "easy" - but in ALL things submit to God - which is difficult to do if your focus is on worldly issues and things - only then will God make His desired path for you clear.
Lord, I pray for Your wisdom today. I seek Your will for me, I ask that you make my ears ready to hear from You, make my eyes able to see You in all things, help me focus on You and not the world. Give me the strength to choose You, and Your way no matter the cost. Thank You for the many blessings You've brought to my life, may I always choose to use what You've given me to glorify You.
I enjoyed Nicodemus' response to Jesus when He told him that a person must be born again. It made both characters seem very real to me. Personal interaction is often more casual than a written retelling, so I like how this series makes the characters relatable in that way.
I found it interesting that the show omitted the reference to Jesus talking about light and dark, maybe this was done to keep the tone of the conversation light (pardon the pun) as it had been throughout. The point still came across that Jesus was being very plain in telling Nicodemus that He was the Christ.
Something we see in this scene, which I don't recall from scripture is Jesus directly asking Nicodemus to follow Him. It was interesting to me, however, as it had the flavor of the story of the rich young ruler who Jesus tells to sell everything he has and give it to the poor and follow Him. You could see the anguish on Nicodemus' face at the prospect of giving up everything he had, prestige, wealth, a nice home, to follow this itinerant rebel - and become His student.
Nicodemus was called, but didn't answer the call.
The series gives a definite flavor to Nicodemus, I like the character they've created out of him. It's easy to see from the character that he believes Jesus is Messiah. At the end of the scene, Nicodemus kneels before Jesus, kisses His hand and references Psalm 2:12, which as I understand it is a verse that was often used in coronation ceremonies back in the day.
After things get "interesting" in Capernaum and Jesus tells his followers they need to be on their way, they prepare for travel and head out.
There are a couple things that could be picked apart as far as timeline & location go, but I'll leave that for another time.
The thing that really struck me was that as the disciples gathered to leave, and were grouping, Jesus seemed to be waiting for something. It was then Peter found a purple bag of gold coins and wondered where they came from. Jesus said that "a friend" had left them for Him, knowing this was Nicodemus' way of declining the invitation. Jesus said, under His breath, "so close" and as the camera panned out you could see Nicodemus around the corner sobbing at the loss he knew he just embraced, mourning.
My eyes leaked a little at this point too, if I'm honest.
So if you've read through my review of a show you probably haven't seen, and you're still with me, you may be asking why is Joe talking about a TV show?
Well, here's the thing. God calls each of us. Sometimes - often - answering that call requires letting go of something dear to you to reach for the new thing, the unknown . . . Nicodemus faced that, as did the young ruler Jesus talked with in Matthew 19. When they made the choice to not answer that call it left them very sad, mournfully sad.
Is there something to which God is calling you? Is there a choice God has called you to make that could result in tremendous change? It doesn't need to be something huge, like accepting a long-term overseas missionary position. Maybe it's as simple as living your faith in a bold way, and choosing to follow Jesus instead of the world. Maybe it's using your voice to glorify God and encourage His people instead of tearing down politicians and deriding those with different social beliefs than yours. It could be a lot of things, big or small, but the choice behind "door number God" could change the world.
My encouragement to you today if you find yourself in that situation - and my encouragement to myself as well - is to seek God, His Truth, His wisdom. Listen and He will offer guidance, seek and you will find it. Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us not to lean on our own understanding - which often desires comfort, security, things that are "easy" - but in ALL things submit to God - which is difficult to do if your focus is on worldly issues and things - only then will God make His desired path for you clear.
Lord, I pray for Your wisdom today. I seek Your will for me, I ask that you make my ears ready to hear from You, make my eyes able to see You in all things, help me focus on You and not the world. Give me the strength to choose You, and Your way no matter the cost. Thank You for the many blessings You've brought to my life, may I always choose to use what You've given me to glorify You.
