By Bob Bunn
For many raised in a particular generation, term papers lived and died by a set of drawers known as the card catalog. Before electronic technology and internet searches, we had no choice but to make our way to the library and search card after card to locate the books we needed for our research. Those cards told us where to find the answers to our deepest questions—or at the very least, where to find the sources we needed to finish our papers!
These days, the contents of a thousand libraries are at our fingertips. All we need is a smartphone and a connection to our favorite search engine. We ask the question and pages of possible answers appear in seconds. Of course, not all “facts” are created equal, so we’ve got to be careful with the results we get. After all, we’re not just searching for answers. We’re searching for the correct answers. In a world where everyone has both an opinion and a platform, we’ve got to examine the reliability of the content sent our way.
That’s especially true in matters of faith. When it comes to connecting with God, we’re not just fishing for an “A” on a paper. We’re grappling with the life-and-death stuff of eternity.
That’s the struggle that kept Nicodemus awake at night. He was a man searching for answers—but not just any answers. After all, his career had taken him to the top of the religious ranks in first-century Judea. When it came to understanding “God’s way,” he was among the cream of the crop. People came to him for answers, but by John 3, he had some serious questions of his own.
Of course, he could have turned to his peers in the religious community for advice. But like a student wrestling with an internet full of sketchy options, he felt the urge to refine his search. And while Nicodemus didn’t have all the answers, he knew someone who might.
Jesus was the One who had gotten him thinking, so Jesus was where he turned for clarity.
It might seem funny that what is arguably the most famous verse in all of Scripture—John 3:16—is rooted in a religious leader’s confusion about who Jesus was and what He was all about. Then again, maybe it is appropriate, as Nicodemus’s search resonates with so many people today.
We’re all looking for answers. We’re all trying to figure out how the pieces fit together or if we even have all the pieces. Instead of puffing up with religious arrogance, Nicodemus humbled himself and came to Jesus. Yes, he was a “secret seeker,” but he was looking in the right place.
After more than 2,000 years, that’s still a solid plan. Most of us live with more questions than answers. When we come to Jesus, though, He doesn’t just provide the solutions we seek. He gives us Himself.
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