The Bridge Between the Old and New Testament

“Let [us] bequeath to [our] children not riches, but the spirit of reverence.”-Plato

Yeshua’s demeanor felt attentive and loving as a shepherd tending his wandering flock. At that moment, Nicodemus removed his sandals as on holy ground and assumed a spirit of reverence, praise, and recollection. “But where does the wind go and where does it come from?”. Nicodemus could still feel the dry and breezy night he met Yeshua in secret. “Yeshua must be a man of God,” he pondered, eager to exchange words with the magnificent Rabbi and miracle worker from Nazareth. “What good can come from Nazareth?”, his brothers from the Great Sanhedrin viciously inquired, conspiring to vitiate Yeshua’s reputation. They rejected and despised everything about him. The Pharisees abhorred how Yeshua challenged them in morality, disarming and humbling them before the crowds. While John the Baptizer spoke of “baptism through water”, Yeshua averred to salvation through belief in him. The blame could walk, the blind could see, and the mute could speak. God is with us.

On occasions, the Pharisees blamed Yeshua’s miraculous healings on the prince of darkness hoping to deter the populace from coming to him. Yeshua’s massive gatherings of followers from all over Judea witnessed many miracles which included demonic deliverances. Yeshua’s parables and spiritual teachings only brought larger gatherings, even Gentiles, which made Rome uneasy. Nicodemus surmised only someone blessed by Adonai himself could act and speak in such way. Inherently, Yeshua made divine intercession visible and tangible through God’s Sacred Presence (Ruah HaKodesh).

While word began spreading of Yeshua’s influence, it promptly reached Jerusalem. Upon entering the holy city, Yeshua’s followers welcomed him with palms, asserting and venerating him as future King and Ruler of Israel. “Something is happening to our people through this man,” Nicodemus silently reflected and further expanded his knowledge on the Prophets. Yeshua’s parables even discomfited Nicodemus’ authoritative teachings on the Torah. Still, Nicodemus took the initiative of revisiting Isaiah’s prophetic description of the melekh mashiach or “anointed king”. Nicodemus reminisced and avowed how the Messiah would suffer and be rejected by his people.

Isaiah further asseverated in Scriptures: “He was wounded for our iniquities, he was bruised for our sins: the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and by his bruises we are healed.”[1] The complexion and features of Yeshua moved Nicodemus to kneel upon descrying him. Nicodemus’ embrace of Yeshua bar Joseph (son of Joseph) brought on ardent feelings of love and devotion for Elohim. Yeshua’s profound words pierced Nicodemus as if the logos became flesh and walked among his people. With tears in his eyes, Nicodemus innocently asked Jesus: “Rabbi, are you our people’s promised Messiah?”. Nicodemus knelt and kissed Yeshua’s burly hands as he poignantly did before his earthly Abba (father) seeking forgiveness for childhood, past transgressions. They spoke about Heavenly things: the essence of the wind, being born again of the Spirit through water, and about God loving the world so much as to surrender His only son in expiation for humanity’s sins. Those several hours spent with Christ were like manna from Heaven, an evolving, palpable bridge between the New and the Old Testament. Nicodemus wholeheartedly desired to follow Christ, but his age, his titles and even his reputation within the Sanhedrin detained his heart.

Undeniably, Nicodemus was a good Jew and his heart worshipped Adonai. Yet, Christ’s invitation to follow him burned in Nicodemus’ soul like the Ner Tamid (perpetual flame) in the Temple, which incandescently flickered once before the Ark of the Covenant. As tradition holds, the Ark was once the altar where the Israelites offered animal sacrifices in atonement for sins prior to the Babylonian insurgency. On the fifth day, at that ninth terrible hour, Christ was hung on the Cross as the Paschal lamb worthy of sacrifice. Simultaneously, at exactly 3 pm, during Pesach (Passover), the Shofar was blown to mark the perpetual completion of the Temple’s immolated sacrifice. Nicodemus refrained in preparing for Passover as tradition implores. Instead, during Christ’s flagellation and Crucifixion, he retreated privately to prayer, chanting, and fasting. As Nicodemus once met Christ in secret at night, he now received Christ in his heart. “Yeshua will make all things new,” he lamented, tearing his garment with divine contrition. And the land entered darkness and the earth shook. The Temple’s tapestry was severed in two. “Does my contrite heart and my copious tears make me born again, my Jesus?”, Nicodemus clamored to the crucified Christ. With Isaiah’s prophecy effectuated, Nicodemus crossed the bridge, thirsting for living waters in the Spirit, rejoicing in Christ his Savior. Consummatum est. It is finished. And our Lord gave up His spirit for the world, and His spirit descended into Hell, quiescent in the faithful promise of His resurrection.

[1] Isaiah 53: 5

"Thou knowest, O my God, that it is neither from ambition nor the love of glory that I make war on the enemies of Thy name, but in order to strike terror into those that blaspheme it."

-St. Ferdinand III of Castile