Nicodemus
“Conqueror of the people”
Summary
Nicodemus was a Pharisee and ruler of the Jews who came to Jesus by night to inquire about His teaching, defended Him before the Sanhedrin, and helped prepare His body for burial.
☩The Night Interview
Nicodemus was a Pharisee, a member of the Sanhedrin, and a teacher of Israel who came to Jesus by night, probably to avoid notice by his fellow rulers. He acknowledged that Jesus was a teacher come from God because of the signs He performed. Jesus responded by teaching him about the necessity of being 'born again' or 'born from above' to see the kingdom of God. When Nicodemus asked how these things could be, Jesus rebuked his ignorance as a teacher of Israel and proclaimed the famous words: 'God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.' In this discourse, Jesus also spoke of being 'lifted up' as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness.
☩Defense of Jesus
Nicodemus appears again at the Feast of Tabernacles when the Sanhedrin sought to arrest Jesus for His bold claims. The officers sent to apprehend Him returned empty-handed, saying 'Never man spake like this man.' When the Pharisees scornfully asked whether any of the rulers believed on Jesus, Nicodemus spoke up cautiously, appealing to the law: 'Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?' His colleagues angrily asked if he too was from Galilee. Though timid in his defense, it showed growth in his attachment to Christ.
☩Burial of Jesus
When Christ's cause seemed utterly lost after the crucifixion, Nicodemus came forward boldly. Together with Joseph of Arimathea, who had obtained Pilate's permission to take the body, Nicodemus brought an extraordinary quantity of myrrh and aloes—about a hundred pounds—to prepare Jesus for burial. This lavish gift was fitting for a king and showed remarkable faith at a moment when even the disciples had fled. John's Gospel emphasizes that this was the same Nicodemus who 'at the first came to Jesus by night,' highlighting his spiritual progress from fearful inquirer to bold confessor.
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Nicodemus," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. VII (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Hastings (ed.), "Nicodemus," in Dictionary of Christ and the Gospels, vol. II (T. & T. Clark, 1906–1908).
- 3.James Orr (ed.), "Nicodemus," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. IV (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).