Biblical Profile: Nicodemus

Nicodemus

Nicodemus was a highly respected Jewish Pharisee (John 3:1), one of the prominent members of the high council, who appears to have become a convert of Jesus. He is mentioned only in the Gospel of John.

Intrigued by the authority of Jesus and the miracles he was doing, Nicodemus went to see him secretly, at night, in an attempt to discover who he really was. Jesus challenged him with the need to be born again if he wished to be in the Kingdom of God (John 3:1-8). The Gospel does not give us Nicodemus’s response.

Later, however, in opposition to his colleagues on the Jewish high council, he strongly argued that Jesus should be given a fair trial (John 7:50-51). After Jesus was crucified, he bought seventy-five pounds of expensive perfumed ointment for his burial, took it to the tomb, and assisted Joseph of Arimathea in burying him (John 19:39-42). Thus, Nicodemus appears to be an example of a Pharisee who came to believe in Jesus and was willing to express that commitment publicly after his death.

Passages for Further Study

John 3:1-9; 7:50; 19:39-42