unity to move, but felt that
whatever conclusion regarding Christ the Pharisees as a body might
arrive at, he must on his own responsibility be at the bottom of those
extraordinary events and signs that clustered round the person of Jesus.
He was a modest, reserved, cautious man, and did not wish openly to
commit himself till he was sure of his ground. He has been blamed for
timidity. I would only say that, if he felt it dangerous to be seen in
the company of Jesus, it was a bold thing to visit Him at all. He went
by night; but he went. And would that there were more like him, who,
whether cautious to excess or not, do still feel constrained to judge
for themselves about Christ; who feel that, no matter what other men
think of Him, there is an interest in Him which they cannot wait for
others to settle, but must for themselves settle before they sleep.

Probably Nicodemus made his visit by night because he did not wish to
precipitate matters by calling undue attention to the position and
intentions of Jesus. He probably went with the purpose of urging some
special plan of action. This inexperienced Galilean could not be
supposed to understand the populace of Jerusalem as well as the old
member of the Sanhedrim, who was familiar with all the outs and ins of
party politics in the metropolis. Nicodemus would therefore go and
advise Him how to proceed in proclaiming the kingdom of God; or at least
sound Him, and, if he found Him amenable to reason, encourage Him to
proceed, and warn Him against the pitfalls that lay in His path.
Modestly, and as if speaking for others as much as for himself, he says:
"Rabbi, we know that Thou art a Teacher come from God, for no man can do
these miracles that Thou doest except God be with Him!" There is here
neither patronizing acknowledgment nor flattery, but merely the natural
first utterance of a man who must say something to show the state of his
mind. It served to reveal the point at which Nicodemus had arrived, and
the ground on which the conversation might proceed. But "Jesus knew what
was in man." In this acknowledgment of His miracles on the part of
Nicodemus, Jesus saw the whole mental attitude of the man. He saw that
if Nicodemus had uttered all that was in his mind he would have said: "I
believe you are sent to restore the kingdom to Israel, and I am come to
advise with you on your plan of operation, and to urge upon you certain
lines of action." And therefore Jesus promptly cuts