Interact
After the video, prompts are supplied for thinking and sharing with others personal perception and experience. This opening activity prompts participants to think about and relate to the topic, and to share with others
An oxymoron is two words that seem to contradict each other but reveal a deeper truth. Think of phrases like deafening silence, bittersweet, jumbo shrimp, original copy, or working vacation.
What about a secret disciple? Before considering Joseph and Nicodemus, think about how a pearl is formed.
- An oyster is designed to keep unwanted things out.
- A grain of sand or a small piece of debris slips inside.
- The irritation cannot easily be removed.
- Instead of rejecting the intruder, the oyster covers it with nacre, a substance produced from its own body.
- Layer after layer, month after month, year after year, the oyster continues the process.
- The work remains hidden beneath the surface where no one can see it.
- Over time, the irritation is transformed into a pearl.
- Only when the pearl is revealed does everyone recognize its beauty and value.
A pearl is a product of irritation, sacrifice, patience, time, and hidden work. The oyster does not deny, avoid, or ignore the problem. It gives itself and transforms what was once a wound into something valuable. The treasure is formed in secret long before it is revealed in public.
Notice the hidden work in Joseph and Nicodemus.
Insight
The Bible discussion begins with a careful reading of the whole passage, either from your own Bibles, or from the provided images below.
Then participants are to ask:
- What is going on in this passage of Scripture?
- What are the key words and phrases? Highlight them.
- Why do you think this passage is included in the Bible?
- What does it contribute to our “knowing Christ” and “living in Christ”?
A “secret disciple” sounds like a contradiction, yet John tells us Joseph of Arimathea was one, and Nicodemus first came to Jesus at night (John 3:1–2; 19:38–39). Around the world today, there are people in Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, secular, and even hostile settings who quietly read Scripture, pray, and grow in their love for Christ. We may never know their names, but Heaven does. Jesus compared God’s kingdom to seed growing beneath the soil, unseen but alive (Mark 4:26–29). The Spirit is always at work where human eyes cannot see.
Joseph and Nicodemus remind us that faith often grows in hidden places before it appears in public ones. In the middle of John’s Gospel, when leaders debated what to do with Jesus, Nicodemus cautiously spoke up, asking whether a man should be judged before being heard (John 7:50–51). It was a small step, but it revealed a heart moving toward Christ. Then the cross drew both men even closer. The disciples who had remained hidden stepped forward boldly, requesting Jesus’ body and providing a burial fit for a King. Their gift of spices and a new tomb publicly identified them as followers of Jesus. We see what is visible; God sees every hidden prayer, quiet conviction, and silent steps moving toward Christ (1 Samuel 16:7).
Insight Out
A parting video clip with a personal invitation to apply the message to “knowing Christ” and “living in Christ” in the coming week.