GOSPEL MESSAGE & RECORDING
What was it about that night that drew Nicodemus to Christ? What was so special about that night that gave Nicodemus the courage to go to Christ alone even though he was a Pharisee? Also, was it merely the fact that Nicodemus wanted to hide the fact that a Pharisee was going to meet with Christ? Or is it the fact that Nicodemus desired to have a one on one encounter with the Lord? For throughout the Gospels, Christ was always surrounded by crowds of people, or at the very least His 12 disciples. Therefore, at this moment, Nicodemus found the perfect time to be with the Lord alone, which was in the middle of the night. Nicodemus must have been a follower of Christ for he would have known that this setting is very common with Christ, for Jesus often leaves the crowds and His disciples to be alone to pray to the Father. Christ being alone in prayer is a fairly regular occurrence in the Gospels; for example, the Garden of Gethsemane. Yes, Christ takes Peter, James, and John to the Garden, but He leaves them to pray in seclusion. So, one could assume that Jesus did this often enough throughout His earthly ministry. Therefore, this is why Nicodemus decided that he would visit Jesus when Christ was going off to be alone to pray to the Father.
Nicodemus must have realized that the only way in which he would be able to have his one on one encounter with Christ, would have to do so at an inopportune time. He would have to give up his evening of rest just for a few moments to be with the Lord. With that said, Nicodemus took his opportunity to be alone with Christ and was rewarded with an answer that not only edified him but all who can read this Gospel account. In this encounter, there must have been such a great change within Nicodemus which allowed him, a prominent Pharisee, to become a secret follower of Jesus. This change was so great that our Church recognizes him as St. Nicodemus the Righteous for he was with Joseph of Arimathea to take the body of Christ from the Cross and he also acted as one of the Holy Myrrh-bearers to prepare the body of Christ. His love for the Lord would not have blossomed had he not taken this first step towards building that relationship during that one evening which he spent with Christ.
This experience is not far from what we can achieve. We are given the same opportunity which Nicodemus had during this Gospel account. When we prayerfully offer our evenings, we can be with the Lord just as Nicodemus had. It could be argued that this is something that every Christian must do. By offering up your evening of rest to pray and be with the Lord, we can build that same relationship that Nicodemus had built. As Orthodox Christians, we are not after some sort of ritualistic prayer life nor do we seek after signs but rather we should always be seeking after a relationship with God. For our relationship with God is one that should be between the Creator and the created, one that is intimate where there is an emphasis on the Lover and the loved. This is why Christ tells us that when we pray, we should go to our inner rooms and close the door.
With that said, however, it does not mean that praying in a group setting is wrong. As a matter of fact, we will only learn and feel the benefits of Liturgy and praying together, when we have built up a personal relationship with God. There is more meaning to our worship when we actively seek to foster the love between us and God. Our praises for God won’t be mere words but rather a meaningful exaltation for the One that had loved us first. Therefore, while we still have fewer responsibilities due to having to quarantine ourselves, see about dedicating your evenings with the Lord in prayer and fostering that relationship with the God who loves mankind.