its bursting head at the cross. Long after, when Jesus had died
and been raised, these five leading disciples find a new strengthening
of their faith in recalling words spoken at this time by Jesus.[23]

Growing naturally out of this Passover visit comes the Nicodemus
incident. Many of the Passover crowds were caught by the power of Jesus
shown in the miracles He did, but had not the seasoned thoughtful faith
of these first disciples. But one man sifts himself out by his spirit of
earnest inquiry. The sharp contrast that runs throughout these incidents
stands out here. This man is of the inner upper cultured circle, that
controlled national affairs, that sent that Jordan committee, and that
had been so upset by the temple cleansing.

Yet not only Nicodemus' earnest search for truth, and the questions
asked by him, but the fullness and fineness of spirit truth in Jesus'
words to him reveal the true faith of this rare inquirer; and this is
verified by his later actions.[24] Clearly Jesus found here an opened
door. Here is the first of those exquisite bits of Jesus' teaching that
mark John's Gospel.[25]

These four incidents make up the first group of, what I think of as, the
three chief groups of incidents in this section of John. The group
begins at the Jordan, and runs up into Galilee, but in its interest and
its chief incident, centres in Jerusalem. The action begins with John
the witness, and swings naturally to Jesus. The contrast in this group
of incidents is intense. With the same evidence at hand, first
contemptuous silence and loving allegiance, then the beginnings of
bitterest hate and of tenderest personal love, grow up side by side.

Then there is a sort of swing-away-from-Jerusalem group that includes
three incidents. After the rejection of John's witness to Jesus[26] by
the nation's leaders, Jesus withdraws from Jerusalem to the country
districts of Judea. There He takes up the sort of work John has been
doing, so bearing His witness to John. John had drawn great crowds down
to the Jordan and in the neighbourhood of its tributary streams.

Now Jesus helps in arousing and instructing these crowds. There are two
men preaching instead of one, and Jesus has the greater crowds. This is
used to make trouble. It stirs up gossipy disputings. It is made to look
like a jealous rivalry between the two men. And this supposed rivalry
and disputing about the various claims of the two men become the
uppermost thing. It