The Surprising Conversion of a Supreme Court Justice

So Nicodemus, I believe, spent three years studying the scriptures, connecting the prophecies of Genesis and And Isaiah and Zachariah and the Psalms with what Jesus had told him in John chapter three. Psalm 22 describes the crucifixion scene. Isaiah 53 says he's rejected by the nation, suffers for their sins. Psalm 16 indicates the Messiah will not suffer decay. Nicodemus connected the dots.

It's all there. It's all there in the Old Testament. What if the most religious person you know? isn't even saved. Welcome to Wisdom for the Heart with Stephen Davey.

Stephen is the president of Wisdom International and he's your Bible teacher for this daily program. Today, Stephen deals with an intriguing issue. Can someone follow all the rules and still miss heaven? Are good intentions enough? Today, you'll meet a Supreme Court justice who secretly followed Jesus.

His conversion proves that religion can't save. Only Christ can. Stay tuned to hear this incredible story. Stephen called this message. The surprising conversion of a Supreme Court justice.

We're now in our fourth year, if you're new to us, studying together the Gospel of Luke. Today is study 129, if you're keeping count, and I am. I want you to know I'm going as fast as I can. I got a note in the mail, by the way, a few months ago from a couple. who are expecting their uh third child.

And they wrote that in honor of all they've learned and appreciated, they will be naming their son Luke. Is that great or what? That note reminded me that many years ago, if you We're around then, we went through, we took almost seven years to go through the book of Uh Romans. Uh a couple in our church was Having a son. And uh Wrote to tell me that they were going to give him the middle name, Roman, in honor of all they had learned.

The mother added in the note this request. She wrote, We would like to have more children, but please don't start preaching through the book of Habakkuk. Where are I? I've honored that request. I have it.

What a wonderful legacy though to embed in your child this idea of Honoring the word of God. Maybe for you, this is your. This is all new in your family. You're the first generation. A Christian.

You didn't have believing of parents and you're starting. This legacy. I know we have many families and I interviewed them in the greenhouse class at the end of it and so many new and new families coming in, new individuals just like that. You're the last person in anybody's mind that would ever be interested in the gospel. or in in Christ And you can now, though, look back and you can see how God orchestrated events.

Brought people into the traffic pattern of your life to live out the gospel and. Deliver to you the truth of the gospel, and you became one of those surprising Converts. to Christianity. Nobody expected it. Maybe you've even surprised yourself I think of surprising converts like Rosaria Butterfield.

A former professor of English and women's studies at Syracuse University, an avowed Loud. activist, atheist. living in a lesbian relationship for years. A pastor and his wife moved next door. And after years of conversations, And debates and questions.

She came to faith in Christ and Today she's a pastor's wife. Best-selling author, mother, grandmother. She's going to be one of our guest presenters this coming October in our Shepherds 360 conference. She surprised. Everybody.

When she took a stand for Christ. If you travel back in time, About 200 years ago, you would have met John Newton. If you're older in the faith, you're familiar with that name. You would have met a very calloused. wicked, God-hating.

Vile Slave trader. The storm at sea. threw him overboard, they harpooned them. to get him back. He began to think about the gospel of his mother.

which he had rejected. He soon trusted Christ Became a pastor and a hymn writer. You know the lyrics of his most famous hymn, Say With Me, Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost. But now I'm found.

was blind. But now I see. Let me tell you, John Newton was a surprising. Convert. to Christianity.

I also think of John Wesley. the exact opposite of John Newton. Wesley was a morally Outstanding. Young man. A student at Oxford.

Soon after arriving at college, he joined a fraternity of young men. They called themselves the Holy Club. They were Committed to living holy, circumspect lives. to avoid sin, they would write, at all costs. They followed every discipline of the church.

They rose early in the morning to pray. The last thing they did was pray. fasted twice a week. Avoided any kind of luxury, visited prisoners after class, taught orphans the Bible. Never missed a church service, never missed communion services.

At the end of every day, they would ask themselves four questions and journal the answers honestly. Did I dishonor God today? Was I faithful in praying today? Did I read my Bible today? And did I act selfishly today?

You know, so much of that is commendable, isn't it? Admirable. Let's ask ourselves those same four questions. At the end of every day. They're they're holy Regimen was mocked by the other students at Oxford, and they nicknamed this group of young men Methodists.

Because of their methods. They're strict methods. They're religious methods for achieving holiness. For John Wesley, the problem was he was following these methods to earn his way to heaven. to try to earn God's love.

Acceptance, forgiveness. Even went on what we would call today an extended missions trip. From England to the colonies, Of early America. He soon returned to England, a dismal failure. He recognized his spiritual bankruptcy.

He recognized his human efforts had just sort of run out of gas. But he had been deeply impacted in the voyage by Moravians who had a simple. Childlike faith in Christ alone, and he soon trusted Jesus. As a savior. He was eventually saved.

Now the people were surprised. That he wasn't already a convert. And to this day, by the way, we need to explain the difference between religion. and regeneration. Between sincerity and salvation, between trusting in your own merit.

and trusting in God's Mercy. And greys.

Well, if you could travel back in time, some 2,000 years. You would have met a man a lot like John Wesley. Who will become a surprising Convert. to Christ. Passionate.

About holy living. keeping all the religious rules. He was a man everybody would have assumed already had his ticket into the kingdom of heaven. But he didn't.

Now, we've already met one of his friends. Whose name was Joseph of Arimathea? Let's go back to Luke chapter 23 and let's reintroduce ourselves to this scene. We're at Calvary's Hill. We'll eventually get to Joseph's friend, but Jesus has died on the cross.

And in verse 52, We read, we studied this last Time we were in this book, that this man, the Bible reads, this man Joseph went to Pilate. to ask for the body of Jesus.

Now Again, without this request, Jesus would have been thrown into the garbage dump. outside the city. A place where fire perpetually Burned, the city's trash. It'll be that valley Jesus uses as an illustration of hell, as he preaches. It would burn also the remains.

Of Of slaves, crucified criminals. It was It was Roman law that a crucified victim Was not allowed to be buried. He was to be burned. But God moved in the heart of this politician, Pilate. He agreed.

Verse 53 tells us. Then he, that is Joseph, took the body down, took it down, wrapped it in a linen shroud, and laid him in a tomb. Cut in stone, the soft limestone, these hills dot that area. Where no one had ever yet been laid.

Now, if you put the gospel accounts together, You'll discover three different clothes. Connected with the burial of Jesus are used. I get asked all the time about the Shroud of Turin.

Well, you have the mention of a shroud. That's the first mentioned here. No doubt this. Enabled Joseph and his, more than likely his household servants, perhaps others who remain unnamed, to carry the body of Jesus. to the two.

Now, once there, in Jewish fashion, the body would have been quickly washed. You can imagine the body of Jesus would have been covered with sweat. At dirt. And blood The body would have been perfumed as well with dry spices, spices. That would have also been strewn on the floor of the tomb and on the ledge they would have carved out for the bodies to be laid upon.

The second material that's mentioned in the Gospel accounts are strips of cloth. John gives us the most detailed account. Of his preparation, bodily preparation, in chapter 19, verse 40.

So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths. with the spices As is the burial custom of the Jews. These linen strips were anywhere from 8 inches to 12 inches wide. They were wound around each limb. Separately.

with a mixture of spices layered in, To hold the strips in place. And when they finished, the corpse would have been encased in what would be a hardening wrapping. of linen strips. That's going to be important in a later study. wrapped from his shoulders to his ankles.

with each limb individually wrapped.

Now the third Cloth mentioned that the Gospel accounts is the face. Cloth, a suderion is the word. This was wrapped around the head and the face, tied under the jaw to keep the jaw from sagging open. The face cloth isn't mentioned until after the resurrection. John chapter 20 and verse 7.

tells us that Peter and John looked inside and they saw the linen cloths lying there. And the face Cloth? Which had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded up in a place. by itself. It's as if Jesus tidied up the place.

before leaving. Doing everything your teenage son does not do. By the way, it would take a miracle of resurrection. Equivalent. I don't want you to miss this.

These details are important. John is clarifying that Jesus did, in fact, receive an honorable. Typical Burial for a Jewish man. Strips of cloth, spices, Face? Cloth.

And here's the key. Listen, it was incredibly important that there was a body. A dead body that had been placed in the tomb. Why? Because you can't have a resurrection.

Without a corpse. There wasn't any question the gospel writers want us to know without any doubt. Jesus Died. Let me tell you, salvation's plan would not have been complete. If Jesus had merely suffered on the cross, and and shed his blood.

He had to do all that. But he also had to die. For the wages of sin is what? Death. The payment for sin is death.

But why would Jesus have to die? He never committed any sin.

Well, the answer is: He died in our place. And we certainly said. He died to make that payment for our sin. If the wages of sin is Death, then Jesus would have to satisfy the full wrath of God against sin by death. dying.

One author wrote: It's not simply his suffering on the cross that saves us, but the cold, Reality of his physical death. Charles Spurgeon preached on this text. He wrote this: If Jesus did not die, He has made no atonement for sin. Sin requires Def. And if Jesus did not die, then he could not rise.

From the dead. And as the Apostle Paul said, and if Jesus did not rise from the dead, our faith is in. Vain. By the way, that's why there are volumes. out there You know, these new revelations, these new discoveries, Gnostic Gospels, you hear about them all the time.

that that claim Jesus didn't actually die.

Some suggest that he lapped one of the more popular views is that he lapsed into a coma.

Well on the cross And then he revived. In the damp Cool. Tomb. With the help of his disciples. A woman once wrote J.

Vernon McGee. A radio Bible preacher now with the Lord for decades, but she wrote this. Dr. McGee, my pastor preached last Sunday that Jesus didn't really die. But that he just swooned.

That's the swoon theory. He fainted. And the disciples revived him three days later. McGee wrote back. Dear madam.

I recommend you get somebody to whip your pastor at least 40 times. Jam a crown of thorns down on his head. Nail him through his hands and feet to a cross, then run a spear up under his ribs and through his heart, take him down and wrap him up tightly with a hundred pounds of spices. Leave him in a tomb for three days without food or water. Then see if you can revive them.

Jesus didn't faint. He died. And his death is a key part of our gospel today. We're still sinners. But Jesus died and faced the wrath of the Jesus.

of a holy God. In our place, so here's the Apostle Paul, by the way, connecting the dots in Romans chapter 8. Who then? is the one who can condemn us? No one.

Why? Because Christ Jesus Died. He took our death penalty. But that didn't all. Paul goes on to write.

And he was raised. back. to life.

So he really did die. And he really did then rise. From the dead. Beloved, our hope, our gospel includes the death of the Passover lamb. Our Lord.

While we were yet sinners, Christ died For us. And he promises us. That even though we'll die, When we believe in him. We will yet Live.

Now, at this point in the narrative, Jesus is. being washed and wrapped. for burial. The rest of Luke chapter 23 informs us that a group of faithful women. Are sticking it out to the bitter end.

God bless them for their Faithfulness. Luke writes, The end of the chapter that the Sabbath is approaching. They want to anoint the body. They're going to have to wait. Yeah.

And this is The High Sabbath. Not the normal Saturday Sabbath. This is the High Sabbath. John is the only one that gives us that little clue in John chapter 19 and verse 31. There was an additional Sabbath, day of rest.

In addition to the normal Saturday Sabbath, according to the Jewish customs, they chose another day to rest in honor of the Passover.

Well, the high Sabbath this year. evidently, clearly, is on Friday. We've already discussed this in an earlier study. At the same time, the nation Israel Is killing their Passover lambs, which was Thursday afternoon. Jesus, the final Passover Lamb, is dying on the cross.

at approximately the same time. He's going to be in the grave then, literally, for a portion of three days. And three nights.

Now, these women take note of the tomb where Jesus is lying, then they go back and they quietly prepare more spices. They've got to wait. Through Friday and Saturday, two Sabbaths, back to back, before they can come and anoint his body, and that'll take place on Sunday. And of course, they're not going to be able to do it, will they? Because when they arrive, he's already risen.

From the dead. We don't want to get too far down the road there. I'm trying to go fast, but not that fast.

Now, something else happens here at the tomb. that deserves our attention.

So, I want to spend the rest of our time on this. John's Gospel is the only gospel account that informs us that another. Surprising convert. Shows up. And he emerges.

surprisingly, from the shadows of secret belief. His name is Nicodemus. You might turn in your Bibles to chapter 19 and verse 38. If you don't have a copy, we'll put it on the screen. The text reads: After these things, Joseph of Arimathea.

Who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission.

So he came and took away his body. Nicodemus Also. who earlier had come to Jesus by night came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes. About 75 pounds. in weight, 75 pounds in our calculations.

So they took the body of Jesus. and bound it in linen cloths. with the spices that is interspersed with these gummy spices.

Some of the dry spices. As is the burial custom, Of the Jews.

Now, wait a second. Who's Nicodemus? And how did he know Joseph? A Varimathea.

Well, the biblical clues reveal that both of these men. Served on the Sanhedrin. They were both members of the high court, the highest court, the supreme court in the land. And I would agree with Warren Weirsby, who wrote. and other Bible scholars that Nicodemus and Joseph had Been talking.

They didn't have a cell phone to call each other and say, hey, let's meet at the tomb. They had decided to emerge. Together. As followers of Jesus, Their Messiah. They would be secret followers.

No longer. They would give up their careers. Give up their reputations. literally walk away from life they knew. Surprising everybody.

By following after Christ.

Now I want you to follow this. Jesus has been arrested. At midnight. He's rushed through, and we studied them. six, at least six illegal trials.

So they can put him on the cross at 9 a.m. Six hours later, At three o'clock. Just 15 hours after he's arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus. is dead.

And these men are prepared. They're ready? Scholars indicate that Joseph May have had this tomb prepared beforehand for Jesus, unoccupied, never used, which would be unusual. And I would agree with that idea. And now here comes Nicodemus with about 75 pounds in our calculation of burial spices.

That would have been impossible to purchase. When all of the Jewish merchants are preparing for their Passover, the Sabbath, their shops are closed. In other words, these men already knew. that Jesus was going to die. And they were ready and waiting.

But how? I mean the disciples There They're planning on which throne they're going to sit on. I mean the night before their arguing is the greatest in the kingdom. Uh These two men, however, are watching what's happening from their vantage point of Sanhedrinists. Scholars in the Old Testament law.

But most importantly, to me, as I've gone back into this text. Nicodemus had met with Jesus three years earlier. You may know that in John chapter 3, we're told that Nicodemus Came to meet Jesus and were introduced to him. That he was a Pharisee. He came to Jesus during the night.

In other words, he's not willing at this point to risk his reputation, but he's a leader.

Now, when we think of Pharisees, we think of men You know, who are members of the Holy Club. They just won't smile. They're just so disciplined, they never enjoy anything. The truth is... Pharisees were the most revered men.

in their nation. Men of integrity. Passionate men. who wanted to avoid sin. passionate about keeping the law of Moses.

Dedicated to holy living. The word Pharisee means separated. One. They traced their traditional roots back to Daniel, who refused to eat the king's meat. And drink the king's wine.

Because Well, the meat was not kosher, and the wine had been offered as libations, as was their practice in Babylon, to the gods. They're not going to identify with any of that.

So, Daniel and his friends are living a separated life in Babylon. Trouble is, 600 years later, you got Pharisees here in the days of Christ who are simply following the rules. Like members of the Holy Club trying to earn their way. In the heaven. Nicodemus is also introduced to us in John chapter 3 as a ruler.

Of the Jews, ruler, Archon is the word, means that he's not only a member of the Sanhedrin, he is a leader in the Sanhedrin. He is a leader among leaders. And he's curious. He comes to Jesus at night. If you go back, and I have.

In light of this text, going back to John 3. He's basically asking Jesus Who are you? He says, only God can empower somebody to do what you're doing. Who are you? And with that, Sometime on your own, go back to John 3 and read it again.

He begins to reveal to Nicodemus that he's the Son of Man. That's a messianic title. But he's also the Son of God. He connects the titles. He tells Nicodemus in John chapter 3 and verse 16: For God so loved the world.

That he gave his only begotten Son. And that's me. Jesus is saying. That whoever believes in him will not perish, but have everlasting life. That verse is given to Nicodemus.

Earlier in verse 7, Jesus tells him, You must be born again. You can translate that. You must be born free. From above. In other words, God has to bring you to life, and when He does, through that miracle of regeneration, through faith that you place in His Son, you are given eternal life.

Which means you don't get into heaven. By keeping the rules, you get into heaven by having a relationship with Jesus, the Son of God, as your personal savior. This is a staggering conversation. Conversation. In fact, in verse 10, Jesus says to Nicodemus, Aren't you the teacher?

In Israel? And yet you do not understand this.

Now John's account is recorded in Greek. But it reflects the Lord Jesus of the definite article in the Aramaic language: Aren't you the? Teacher. In Israel. Jesus is pointing out that Nicodemus has the reputation in all of Israel as being the preeminent.

teacher of God's word. He is the leading voice. It was the role of the Pharisee to teach the scriptures to the people. This is a role that they had largely abandoned.

Now, here in John chapter 3. Jesus says, wait, aren't you the main teacher? Yeah. Aren't you supposed to know your Bible, the Old Testament? Nicodemus was a lot like preachers and religious leaders today.

They know a lot about. Religion And religious tradition, but they know very well. very little of anything about the Bible.

So Jesus chides him. He suggests What you need to do is go back and start studying the scriptures again.

Now remember, this conversation in John chapter three occurs. Three years. before this event in Luke chapter 23. And three years later, What's happening? Nicodemus is waiting.

with spices. Joseph has prepared a tomb. Temporarily. For the body of Jesus It's as if they knew. Another author wrote that these men had already carefully planned what they would do.

They could not have started at midnight making their plans after Jesus was arrested or later that morning when Jesus was nailed to a cross. And I agree.

Now, I could be wrong. There's no verse that says this. I could be wrong. I doubt it, but I could be wrong. But I I believe they knew months In Advance.

Think about it. Jesus is arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, and 15 hours later, he's dead, and these guys are ready. Three years earlier. Jesus is effectively telling the leading Scholar, the leading teacher in Israel. He needs to go back and study the scriptures again more carefully.

And it's All there. And Nicodemus evidently listened. He had mulled over and over this conversation he had with Jesus, given to us in John chapter 3. Jesus called himself the Son of Man, a title reserved for the Messiah. Jesus connected that title with the Son of God, implying it was himself.

Verses 16 and 18. Jesus said to Nicodemus in verse 14: just as Moses lifted up in the wilderness that brass serpent on a pole, And everyone who was bitten by a snake had to look there. In order to be saved?

So the Son of Man, that's me, is going to be lifted up on a pole. Very clear indication. I'm going to be crucified. Jesus said he was telling Nicodemus things that. Jesus had witnessed in heaven.

Verse 11. He's telling Nicodemus that he had come from heaven. Nicodemus had heard Jesus say before the Sanhedrin that he was coming back on the clouds of heaven.

So he's going to die on a cross. But he's evidently going to rise from the dead.

So Nicodemus, I believe, spent three years studying the scriptures, connecting the prophecies of Genesis and Isaiah and Zachariah and the Psalms with what Jesus had told him in John chapter 3. Jesus descended from heaven. Jesus was testifying to things he saw from heaven. He refers to himself as the Son of God. He's going to be lifted up on a cross.

Psalm 22 describes the crucifixion scene. Isaiah 53 says he's rejected by the nations, suffers for their sins. Psalm 16 indicates the Messiah will not suffer decay. Nicodemus connected the dots. It's all there.

It's all there in the Old Testament. And in the words of Jesus.

So here he is, three years later. with his buddy Joseph. A Vermatea. Ready to reveal that he is a follower of the Messiah. Let me tell you, this is a really surprising.

convert. The conversion of a Supreme Court Justice. Israel's most famous Preeminent Teacher. of Old Testament scripture. He's now a believer.

In Christ. I just love this. I'm going to close with a more recent illustration of a surprising conversion. Her name was Frieda Van Hessen. She was one of Holland's most famous opera singers.

During the Nazi Invasion. because she was Jewish. She went into hiding. And by the providence of God, her life was spared. She survived.

Someone later told her that she ought to convert to Christianity from Judaism because, you know, if bad things happen again, well, she could claim that she's not Jewish. That offended her, of course. But she eventually began talking to another Jewish woman who'd. Come to faith in Christ. Curious.

Asking questions. And so they agreed that they would get together and study the Bible. And they began studying the gospel accounts of Jesus' life, his crucifixion. His resurrection and Frida would argue. Debate She told Elizabeth that it was nothing but fairy tales.

Not to be trusted.

Well, after six weeks of arguing, Elizabeth finally said They'll just meet one more time. And during that last meeting, Elizabeth asked Frida at some point. on her own to read Psalm 22. And Isaiah 53. Frieda writes this, and I quote.

Six days went by And I finally got alone, Opened up the Bible and I found Psalm 22. It begins in verse 1. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Now having sung an opera, I remember Johan Sebastian Bach's great opera. called Saint Matthew's Passion, where the base who was portraying the Lord, saying, My God, my God. Why hast thou forsaken me? I was so close-minded that I said to myself, Well, what do you know? Psalm 22 stole this from Bach.

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.

So I continued reading to find out what more they had stolen from Bach. I read on in Psalm 22 to verse 16. They pierced my hands. And my feet. In shock I literally shouted That's what they did to Jesus.

I knew The Jews stoned people to death. They didn't crucify them. In fact, crucifixion was a Roman death penalty. I realized David had written this psalm hundreds of years before crucifixion. was even invented.

Then I turned to Isaiah 53. and knew that it was describing The rejection. and crucifixion. and death of Jesus. I read He was despised and rejected of men.

I read, He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. We hid our faces from him. He was afflicted and wounded for our transgressions. And I realized, yes, he died for my sins too. I called Elizabeth to tell her the good news.

Jesus was now my Lord. And my Savior. What did she do? She just went to the scriptures. and connected the dots that were there all along.

She became one more Ha ha ha ha ha. surprising. Convert. Recognizing that Jesus died for her. What about you today?

For those of you who believe, like me, as we gather, we're encouraged because. The scriptures reinforce our faith. If you don't believe. What more clues might you need? To admit your sin.

The emptiness that you feel. The vanity of self-effort. The guilt. We would invite you to trust in Christ alone. Who?

Died. Literally.

So that You can live. Eternally. We want you to live with us. Forever. Pray with me.

Father, thank you for. The record of These events, two men Stunning, surprising. conversions Thank you for The testimony of everyone here. Father today. who understands this miracle of regeneration.

His eyes were opened to the truth of the gospel. But this isn't A collection of fairy tales. History bears it out. The prophecies bear it out. You are indeed.

Messiah Lord Coming king. And we have sung today, so. Such glorious truths. We've sung. the lyrics of angels who circle your throne.

crying holy Holy Hold it. We have sung the lyrics of the Redeemed even in heaven today. Who've died and now with you are singing worthy is the lamb. Thank you for the encouragement from your word and from the assembly. Cause us to be good testimonies to our world that Needs to hear.

and see the reality. of genuine Christianity. People who Don't have a gospel of rules to keep. But a relationship to gain. With you, our Lord.

We pray it in Jesus' name. Amen. That was Stephen Davy. And this is wisdom for the heart. Today's message is called The Surprising Conversion of a Supreme Court Justice.

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