Malunga neenyanga ezintandathu kuphela emva kokuba uYesu eqalise ubulungiseleli bakhe basemhlabeni, uNikodemo uyaphawula ukuba uYesu ‘ngumfundisi ovela kuThixo.’ Echukunyiswe yimimangaliso eyayisandul’ ukwenziwa nguYesu eYerusalem ngePasika yowama-30 C.E., uNikodemo uza ngobusuku ukuze avakalise ukholo lwakhe kuYesu nokuze afunde okungakumbi ngalo mfundisi. Ngako oko, uYesu uxelela uNikodemo inyaniso enzulu yokuba kufuneka ubani “azalwe kwakhona” ukuze angene eBukumkanini bukaThixo. Ngesi sihlandlo, uYesu uthetha la mazwi: “Kuba uThixo walithanda kakhulu ihlabathi kangangokuba wanikela ngoNyana wakhe okuphela kwamzeleyo, ukuze wonk’ ubani obonisa ukholo kuye angatshabalali kodwa abe nobomi obungunaphakade.”—Yohane 3:1-16.

Elinjani ukumangalisa ithemba kuNikodemo! Unokuba sisinxulumani esisondeleyo kuYesu, akwazi ukuzibonela ngawakhe amehlo iinkalo ezahlukahlukeneyo zobomi bukaYesu emhlabeni. Njengomlawuli wamaYuda nomfundisi wakwaSirayeli, uNikodemo unolwazi olunzulu ngeLizwi likaThixo. Unengqondo ebukhali, njengoko oko kwabonakala ekuqondeni kwakhe ukuba uYesu ngumfundisi othunywe nguThixo. UNikodemo unomdla kwizinto zokomoya, yaye uthobeke ngendlela engaqhelekanga. Hayi indlela ekumele ukuba kunzima ngayo ngelungu lenkundla ephakamileyo yamaYuda ukuvuma ukuba unyana womchweli olihlwempu uyindoda ethunywe nguThixo! Zonke ezi ziimpawu ezixabiseke kakhulu ukuze umntu abe ngumlandeli kaYesu.

Okokuqala, uYohane uthi lo mlawuli wamaYuda ‘weza kuYesu ngobusuku.’ (Yohane 3:2) Omnye umphengululi weBhayibhile uthi: “UNikodemo weza ngobusuku, kungekhona ngenxa yoloyiko, kodwa ukuze aphephe izihlwele ezazinokumphazamisa xa ethetha noYesu.” Ukanti, uYohane uthetha ngoNikodemo ‘njengalowo weza kuYesu ebusuku ekuqaleni’ kwingxelo athetha kuyo ngoYosefu waseArimathiya ‘njengomfundi kaYesu ofihlakeleyo ngenxa yokoyika kwakhe amaYuda.’ (Yohane 19:38, 39) Ngoko ke, kusenokwenzeka ukuba uNikodemo weza kuYesu ngobusuku ngenxa “yokoyika amaYuda,” kanye njengokuba abanye abantu ngomhla wakhe babesoyika ukuba nento ebadibanisa noYesu.—Yohane 7:13.