The Comeback Part 1Намуна

Title: "Faith and Comebacks"

Even the man who is arguably the greatest basketball player of all time, Michael Jordan, had a comeback. In 1995, after spending time trying to play baseball, Jordan returned to the game he loved until 1999, when he retired for good—or so we thought. MJ had a second comeback in 2001 with the Washington Wizards. Each comeback had its own meaning, but both were equally important. He was coming back to the game that he loved.

In the Gospel of John, we see a different kind of comeback in the life of Nicodemus—a man whose faith grew over time.

When we first meet Nicodemus in John 3, he comes to Jesus at night, full of questions. As a Pharisee, he was a respected religious leader, but something about Jesus intrigued him enough to take a risk. Maybe he was afraid to be seen with Jesus, or maybe he wasn’t sure what to believe yet. Either way, Nicodemus reminds us that it’s okay to have questions. It’s okay not to have it all figured out. Jesus welcomed Nicodemus into a conversation, and He’ll do the same for you.

The next time Nicodemus appears, in John 7, he defends Jesus when the other Pharisees try to condemn Him unfairly. Nicodemus isn’t an outspoken follower of Jesus yet, but he takes a small step—a cautious move in the right direction. Faith often grows like this, one step at a time. It doesn’t have to be loud or dramatic; sometimes, it’s simply doing the next right thing.

Finally, in John 19, after Jesus’ crucifixion, Nicodemus makes a bold move. He helps Joseph of Arimathea prepare Jesus’ body for burial, bringing an extravagant amount of myrrh and aloes. This was a public act of devotion—there was no hiding anymore.

Nicodemus’ journey reminds us that God meets us right where we are.

Just like Michael Jordan Nicodemus wanted to go back to what he loved, the good news for you today is that you can too. Come back to your first love, Jesus. Bring Him your doubts. Take small steps of faith. And when the time comes, go all in. Faith doesn’t have to be perfect—it just has to be real.

Your comeback starts now. Will you take it?

Pastor Jovan Ramos