Reference: Nicodemus
American
A member of the Jewish Sanhedrin, at first a Pharisee, and afterwards a disciple of Jesus. He was early convinced that Christ came from God, but was not ready at once to rank himself among His followers. In
Joh 3:1-20, he first appears as a timid inquirer after the truth, learning the great doctrines of regeneration and atonement. In Joh 7:45-52, we see him cautiously defending the Savior before the Sanhedrin. At last, in the trying scene of the crucifixion, he avowed himself a believer, and came with Joseph of Arimathea to pay the last duties to the body of Christ, which they took down from the cross, embalmed, and laid in the sepulchre, Joh 19:39.
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Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him." read more. Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." Nicodemus said to him, "How can this be?" Jesus answered him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and testify to what we have seen; but you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven, but he who came from heaven the Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. He who believes in him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.
The officers then went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, "Why did you not bring him?" The officers answered, "No man ever spoke like this man!" read more. The Pharisees answered them, "Are you deceived, you also? Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed." Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus before, and who was one of them, said to them, "Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he is doing?" They replied, "Are you from Galilee, too? Search and look, and you will find that no prophet is to rise out of Galilee."
And Nicodemus, who had at first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds.
Easton
the people is victor, a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin. He is first noticed as visiting Jesus by night (Joh 3:1-21) for the purpose of learning more of his doctrines, which our Lord then unfolded to him, giving prominence to the necessity of being "born again." He is next met with in the Sanhedrin (Joh 7:50-52), where he protested against the course they were taking in plotting against Christ. Once more he is mentioned as taking part in the preparation for the anointing and burial of the body of Christ (Joh 19:39). We hear nothing more of him. There can be little doubt that he became a true disciple.
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Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him." read more. Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." Nicodemus said to him, "How can this be?" Jesus answered him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and testify to what we have seen; but you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven, but he who came from heaven the Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. He who believes in him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been done in God."
Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus before, and who was one of them, said to them, "Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he is doing?" read more. They replied, "Are you from Galilee, too? Search and look, and you will find that no prophet is to rise out of Galilee."
And Nicodemus, who had at first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds.
Fausets
A ruler of the Jews, a master ("teacher") of Israel, and a Pharisee. John (Joh 3:1-10) alone mentions him. John knew the high priest (Joh 18:15), so his knowledge of Nicodemus among the high priest's associates is natural. John watched with deep interest his growth in grace, which is marked in three stages (Mr 4:26-29).
(1) An anxious inquirer. The rich were ashamed to confess Jesus openly, in spite of convictions of the reality of His mission; so Joseph of Arimathea "a disciple, but secretly for fear of the Jews" (Joh 19:38). The poor "came" by day, but Nicodemus "by night." By an undesigned coincidence marking genuineness, Jesus' discourse is tinged, as was His custom (Joh 6:26-27; 4:7-14,35), with a coloring drawn from the incidents of the moment: "this is the condemnation that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light", etc.; "every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light ... but he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God" (Joh 3:19-21). Nicodemus was now a timid but candid inquirer; sincere so far as his belief extended. Fear of man holds back many from decision for Christ (Joh 7:13; 9:22; 12:42-43; 5:44; Pr 29:25; contrast Isa 51:7-8; 66:5; Ac 5:41).
Where real grace is, however, Jesus does "not quench the smoking flax." Many of Nicodemus' fellow rulers attributed Jesus' miracles to Beelzebub; Nicodemus on the contrary avows " we (including others besides himself) know Thou art a teacher come from God, for no man can do these miracles which Thou doest, except God be with him." Nicodemus was probably one of the many who had "seen His miracles on the Passover feast day, and believed (in a superficial way, but in Nicodemus it ultimately became a deep and lasting faith) when they saw" (Joh 2:23-24); but "Jesus did not commit Himself unto them ... for He knew what was in man," as He shows now in dealing with Nicodemus. Recognition of the divine miracle. working Teacher is not enough for seeing the kingdom of God, Jesus with a twice repeated Amen solemnly declares; there must be new birth from above (margin Joh 3:3,5,7), "of water (the outward sign) and of the Spirit" (the essential thing, not inseparably joined to the water baptism: Mr 16:16; Ac 2:38 (See BAPTISM) ), so that, as an infant just born, the person is a "new creature"; compare Naaman the type, 2Ki 5:14; 2Co 5:17; Eze 36:25-26.
For, being fleshly by birth, we must continue fleshly until being born of the Spirit we become spiritual (Joh 3:6). Nature can no more east out nature than Satan cast out Satan. Like the mysterious growth of the child in the womb, and like "the wind" whose motions we cannot control but know only its effects, "the sound," etc., so is the new birth (Joh 3:8; Ec 11:5; 1Co 2:11). Such was the beginning and growth of the new life in Nicodemus (Mr 4:27). Regeneration and its fruits are inseparable; where that is, these are (1Jo 3:9; 5:1,4). Nicodemus viewed Jesus' solemn declaration as a natural man, "how can these things be?" (Joh 3:4,9; compare Joh 6:52,60; 1Co 2:14). Yet he was genuinely open to conviction, for Christ unfolds to him fully His own divine glory as having "come down from heaven," and as even then while speaking to him "being in heaven" in His divine nature; also God's love in giving His Son, and salvation through the Son who should be lifted up, as the brazen serpent was, to all who look to Him in faith, and condemnation to unbelievers.
(2) A sincere but as yet weak believer. The next stage in Nicodemus' spiritual history appears Joh 7:45-53. Naturally timid, Nicodemus nevertheless remonstrates with bigots. The Pharisees, chagrined at the failure of their officers to apprehend Jesus, said, "why have ye not brought Him?" They replied, "never man spoke like this man." The Pharisees retorted, "are ye also deceived? surely none of the rulers or the Pharisees have believed on Him, have they? (Greek) But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed." Here one who, as they thought, should have stood by them and echoed their language, ventures to cast a doubt on their proceedings: "doth our law judge any before it hear him and know what he doeth?" (compare Le 19:15; Ex 23:1). Indignantly they ask, "art thou also of Galilee? ... out of Galilee hath arisen (Greek) no prophet." Spite made them to ignore Jonah and Nahum. John marks the spiritual advance in Nicodemus by contrasting his first coming "by night" (Joh 7:50). He now virtually confesses Jesus, though in actual expression all he demands is fair play for an injured Person. As before he was an anxious inquirer, so now he is a decided though timid believer.
(3) The third stage is (Joh 19:39) when he appears as a bold and strong believer, the same Nicodemus (as John again reminds us) as "came at the first to Jesus by night." When even the twelve shrank from the danger to be apprehended from the mob who had clamored for Jesus' crucifixion, and whose appetite for blood might not yet be sated, and when Christ's cause seemed hopeless, the once timid Nicodemus shows extraordinary courage and faith Christ's crucifixion, which shook the faith of others, only confirms his. He remembers now Jesus had said He "must be lifted up," like the brazen "serpent," that all believers in Him might have eternal life. So Nicodemus had the honour of wrapping His sacred body in linen with 100 pounds of myrrh and aloes, in company, with Joseph of Arimathea.
Christ's resurrection richly rewarded the faith of him who stumbled not at His humiliation. Compare on the spiritual lesson Mt 12:20; Zec 4:10; Pr 4:18. Like Mary who "anointed Christ's body to the burying," "what Nicodemus did is and shall be spoken of for a memorial of him wheresoever the gospel is preached throughout the whole world." Where real desire after the Saviour exists, it will in the end overcome the evil of the heart, and make a man strong in faith through the Holy Spirit. The Talmud tells of a Nicodemus ben Gorion who lived until the fall of Jerusalem, a Pharisee, wealthy, pious, and of the Sanhedrin; bearing originally a name borne by one of the five rabbinical disciples of Christ (Taanith, f. 19, Sanhedrin f. 43); and that his family fell into squalid poverty.
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A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, till he sends forth justice to victory;
And he said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how.
and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. All by itself the earth produces grainfirst the blade, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. read more. But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."
He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs which he did. But Jesus did not trust himself to them, because he knew all men,
Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him." read more. Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"
Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'
Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."
The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." Nicodemus said to him, "How can this be?"
Nicodemus said to him, "How can this be?" Jesus answered him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?
And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. read more. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been done in God."
There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink." For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. read more. Then the woman of Samaria said to him, "How is it that you, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?" For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water." The woman said to him, "Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his cattle?" Jesus answered her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. The water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
Do you not say, 'There are yet four months and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and look at the fields! They are already white for harvest.
How can you believe, who receive glory from one another, and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?
Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you; for on him has God the Father set his seal."
Then the Jews began to argue among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"
Many of his disciples, when they heard it, said, "This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?"
However, no one spoke openly of him for fear of the Jews.
The officers then went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, "Why did you not bring him?" The officers answered, "No man ever spoke like this man!" read more. The Pharisees answered them, "Are you deceived, you also? Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed." Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus before, and who was one of them, said to them,
Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus before, and who was one of them, said to them, "Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he is doing?" read more. They replied, "Are you from Galilee, too? Search and look, and you will find that no prophet is to rise out of Galilee." Then each went to his own house.
His parents said this because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed that he was Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue.
Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.
Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. As this disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest.
After this Josnt of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body. And Nicodemus, who had at first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds.
And Peter said to them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they had been counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.
In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ;
having canceled the certificate of debt, which stood against us with its decrees. He took what was hostile away from us, nailing it to the cross.
No one who is of God practices sin, for God's seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the child.
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the worldour faith.
Hastings
A Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin (Joh 3:1; 7:50), elderly (Joh 3:4) and evidently well-to-do (Joh 19:39). He is mentioned only in the Fourth Gospel, and there he figures thrice. (1) At the outset of His ministry Jesus went up to Jerusalem to keep the Feast of the Passover, and His miracles made a deep impression on Nicodemus, half persuading him that He was the Messiah; insomuch that he interviewed Him secretly under cover of the darkness (Joh 3:1-21). He began by raising the question of the miracles, which, he allowed, proved Jesus at the least a God-commissioned teacher; but Jesus interrupted him and set him face to face with the urgent and personal matter of regeneration. Nicodemus went away bewildered, but a seed had been planted in his soul. (2) During the third year of His ministry, Jesus went up to the Feast of Tabernacles (October). The rulers were now His avowed enemies, and they convened a meeting of the Sanhedrin to devise measures against Him (Joh 7:45-52). Nicodemus was present, and, a disciple at heart but afraid to avow his faith, he merely raised a point of order: 'Doth our law judge a man, except it first hear himself and know what he doeth?' (RV). (3) At the meeting of the Sanhedrin which condemned Jesus to death Nicodemus made no protest; probably he absented himself. But after the Crucifixion, ashamed of his cowardice, he at last avowed himself and joined with Joseph of Arimath
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Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him." read more. Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"
Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. read more. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." Nicodemus said to him, "How can this be?" Jesus answered him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and testify to what we have seen; but you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven, but he who came from heaven the Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. He who believes in him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been done in God."
The officers then went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, "Why did you not bring him?" The officers answered, "No man ever spoke like this man!" read more. The Pharisees answered them, "Are you deceived, you also? Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed." Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus before, and who was one of them, said to them,
Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus before, and who was one of them, said to them, "Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he is doing?" read more. They replied, "Are you from Galilee, too? Search and look, and you will find that no prophet is to rise out of Galilee."
And Nicodemus, who had at first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds.
And Nicodemus, who had at first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds.
Morish
Nicode'mus
One of the Pharisees and a teacher in Israel. He came to the Lord by night for instruction, and was greatly astonished to find that, instead of instruction, he needed to be born again. See NEW BIRTH. To this the Lord added that the Son of man must be lifted up: sin must be condemned, and the Son of God be given in love, in order that whosoever believeth in Him should have everlasting life: that is, heavenly blessings in new creation. Nicodemus afterwards grew bolder, and suggested in the council that the Lord ought to be heard, and His acts examined before He was condemned. The last we read of Nicodemus is that after the crucifixion he brought about a hundred pounds' weight of myrrh and aloes to embalm the Lord's body. Joh 3:1-9; 7:50; 19:39. This last act was a tacit acknowledgement of his attachment to the One to whom he had come for instruction, but who had spoken to him of God's love, and of heavenly blessings through the Son of man lifted up, and whom he had attempted to defend in the council.
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Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him." read more. Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." Nicodemus said to him, "How can this be?"
Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus before, and who was one of them, said to them,
And Nicodemus, who had at first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds.
Smith
Nicode'mus
(conqueror of the people), a Pharisee, a ruler of the Jews and a teacher of Israel,
Joh 3:1,10
whose secret visit to our Lord was the occasion of the discourse recorded only by St. John. In Nicodemus a noble candor and a simple love of truth shine out in the midst of hesitation and fear of man. He finally became a follower of Christ, and came with Joseph of Arimathaea to take down and embalm the body of Jesus.
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Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
Jesus answered him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?
Watsons
NICODEMUS, a disciple of Jesus Christ, a Jew by nation, and a Pharisee, Joh 3:1, &c. At the time when the priests and Pharisees had sent officers to seize Jesus, Nicodemus declared himself openly in his favour, Joh 7:45, &c; and still more so when he went with Joseph of Arimathea to pay the last duties to his body, which they took down from the cross, embalmed, and laid in a sepulchre.
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Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
The officers then went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, "Why did you not bring him?"