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, whose name was Nicodemus, a ruler among the Jews: who came to Jesus by night, and said unto Him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for none can do these miracles which thou dost, unless God be with him. read more. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily verily I tell thee, Unless a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto 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, I tell thee of a truth, Unless a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into 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 wonder that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. As the wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound of it, but knowest not whence it cometh, or whither it goeth; so is every one that is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered and said unto Him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a teacher of Israel and knowest not these things? I assure thee, that we speak what we know, and testify what we have seen; though ye receive not our testimony. If I have told you earthly things and ye believe not, how will ye believe if I should tell you heavenly ones? For no one hath ascended up into heaven, but He that came down from heaven, even the Son of man who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth on Him may not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him might not perish, but have everlasting life: for God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved by Him. He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not, is already condemned; because he hath not believed on the name of the only-begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doth evil, hateth the light; and he cometh not to the light, least his deeds should be reproved.
Then came the officers to the chief priests and pharisees, and they said, Why have ye not brought Him? and the officers answered, Never man spake like this man. read more. The pharisees therefore answered them, Are ye also deceived? have any of the rulers believed on Him, or of the pharisees? but these people, who know not the law, are cursed. Upon this Nicodemus, (who came to Him by night) being one of them, saith to them, Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he hath done? They replied, Art thou also of Galilee? Search and see: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet.
And there came also Nicodemus (who at first came to Jesus by night) and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes about an hundred pound weight.
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, whose name was Nicodemus, a ruler among the Jews: who came to Jesus by night, and said unto Him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for none can do these miracles which thou dost, unless God be with him. read more. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily verily I tell thee, Unless a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto 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, I tell thee of a truth, Unless a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into 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 wonder that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. As the wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound of it, but knowest not whence it cometh, or whither it goeth; so is every one that is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered and said unto Him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a teacher of Israel and knowest not these things? I assure thee, that we speak what we know, and testify what we have seen; though ye receive not our testimony. If I have told you earthly things and ye believe not, how will ye believe if I should tell you heavenly ones? For no one hath ascended up into heaven, but He that came down from heaven, even the Son of man who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth on Him may not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him might not perish, but have everlasting life: for God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved by Him. He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not, is already condemned; because he hath not believed on the name of the only-begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doth evil, hateth the light; and he cometh not to the light, least his deeds should be reproved. But he that acts according to truth, cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
Upon this Nicodemus, (who came to Him by night) being one of them, saith to them, Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he hath done? read more. They replied, Art thou also of Galilee? Search and see: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet.
And there came also Nicodemus (who at first came to Jesus by night) and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes about an hundred pound weight.
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 shall he not break, and smoking flax he will not extinguish, till He send forth judgement victorious.
And He said, The kingdom of God is as if a man should cast seed into the ground, and sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring up, and increase; he knows not how.
and sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring up, and increase; he knows not how. For the earth produces fruit of itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear: read more. but when the fruit is ripe, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest is come.
he that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved; but he that believeth not, shall be condemned.
And when he was in Jerusalem at the passover on the feast-day, many believed in his name, seeing his miracles, which He wrought. But Jesus did not trust Himself to them;
Now there was a man of the pharisees, whose name was Nicodemus, a ruler among the Jews: who came to Jesus by night, and said unto Him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for none can do these miracles which thou dost, unless God be with him. read more. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily verily I tell thee, Unless a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily verily I tell thee, Unless a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto 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 saith unto 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, I tell thee of a truth, Unless a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Jesus answered, I tell thee of a truth, Unless a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into 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 wonder that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
Do not wonder that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. As the wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound of it, but knowest not whence it cometh, or whither it goeth; so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
As the wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound of it, but knowest not whence it cometh, or whither it goeth; so is every one that is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered and said unto Him, How can these things be?
Nicodemus answered and said unto Him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a teacher of Israel and knowest not these things?
And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doth evil, hateth the light; and he cometh not to the light, least his deeds should be reproved. read more. But he that acts according to truth, cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
when a woman of Samaria coming to draw water, Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. (For his disciples were gone away to the city to buy food.) read more. But the Samaritan saith unto Him, How is it that thou who art a Jew askest drink of me, who am a Samaritan? for the Jews have no friendly intercourse with the Samaritans. Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith unto thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldst have asked of Him, and He would have given thee living water. The woman saith unto Him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: whence then hast thou the living water? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself, and his children, and his cattle? Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water, will thirst again; but he that drinketh of the water which I shall give him, shall never thirst: but the water, which I shall give him, will be in him a fountain of water springing up unto eternal life.
Do not ye say, it is yet four months, and then cometh harvest? Behold, lift up your eyes, and see the fields, they are already white for harvest.
How can ye believe, who receive applause from each other, and the glory which is from God only, ye seek not?
Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. Labour not so much for the meat that perisheth, but rather for that food which endureth unto life eternal, which the Son of man will give you: for Him hath God the Father sealed.
The Jews therefore cavilled amongst themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
Many therefore of his disciples, when they heard Him, said, This discourse is hard to be understood, who can take it in?
No one however spake openly in favor of Him, for fear of the Jews.
Then came the officers to the chief priests and pharisees, and they said, Why have ye not brought Him? and the officers answered, Never man spake like this man. read more. The pharisees therefore answered them, Are ye also deceived? have any of the rulers believed on Him, or of the pharisees? but these people, who know not the law, are cursed. Upon this Nicodemus, (who came to Him by night)
Upon this Nicodemus, (who came to Him by night) being one of them, saith to them, Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he hath done? read more. They replied, Art thou also of Galilee? Search and see: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet. And every man went to his own house.
These things said his parents, because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed, that if any one confessed Him to be Christ, he should be turned out of the synagogue.
There were however many of the chief rulers that believed on Him; but because of the pharisees they did not confess it, lest they should be excommunicated. For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.
And Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus. And that other disciple being known to the high priest went in with Jesus into the high-priest's hall.
And after these things Joseph of Arimathea (who was a disciple of Jesus, but a concealed one for fear of the Jews) petitioned Pilate, that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate gave him leave: he came therefore and took away the body of Jesus. And there came also Nicodemus (who at first came to Jesus by night) and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes about an hundred pound weight.
And Peter said unto them, Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of your sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the holy Spirit:
And they departed from the presence of the council rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer disgrace for his name.
In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision not performed by hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision which is of Christ:
and cancelled the obligation we were under by ritual decrees, which was grievous to us, and hath taken it quite away, even nailing it to his cross.
Whosoever is born of God doth not practise sin, because his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one, that loveth Him that begat, loveth Him also that is begotten of Him:
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that vanquisheth the world, even our 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, whose name was Nicodemus, a ruler among the Jews:
Now there was a man of the pharisees, whose name was Nicodemus, a ruler among the Jews: who came to Jesus by night, and said unto Him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for none can do these miracles which thou dost, unless God be with him. read more. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily verily I tell thee, Unless a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto 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 saith unto 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, I tell thee of a truth, Unless a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into 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 wonder that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. As the wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound of it, but knowest not whence it cometh, or whither it goeth; so is every one that is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered and said unto Him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a teacher of Israel and knowest not these things? I assure thee, that we speak what we know, and testify what we have seen; though ye receive not our testimony. If I have told you earthly things and ye believe not, how will ye believe if I should tell you heavenly ones? For no one hath ascended up into heaven, but He that came down from heaven, even the Son of man who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth on Him may not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him might not perish, but have everlasting life: for God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved by Him. He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not, is already condemned; because he hath not believed on the name of the only-begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doth evil, hateth the light; and he cometh not to the light, least his deeds should be reproved. But he that acts according to truth, cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
Then came the officers to the chief priests and pharisees, and they said, Why have ye not brought Him? and the officers answered, Never man spake like this man. read more. The pharisees therefore answered them, Are ye also deceived? have any of the rulers believed on Him, or of the pharisees? but these people, who know not the law, are cursed. Upon this Nicodemus, (who came to Him by night)
Upon this Nicodemus, (who came to Him by night) being one of them, saith to them, Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he hath done? read more. They replied, Art thou also of Galilee? Search and see: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet.
And there came also Nicodemus (who at first came to Jesus by night) and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes about an hundred pound weight.
And there came also Nicodemus (who at first came to Jesus by night) and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes about an hundred pound weight.
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, whose name was Nicodemus, a ruler among the Jews: who came to Jesus by night, and said unto Him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for none can do these miracles which thou dost, unless God be with him. read more. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily verily I tell thee, Unless a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto 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, I tell thee of a truth, Unless a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into 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 wonder that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. As the wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound of it, but knowest not whence it cometh, or whither it goeth; so is every one that is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered and said unto Him, How can these things be?
Upon this Nicodemus, (who came to Him by night)
And there came also Nicodemus (who at first came to Jesus by night) and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes about an hundred pound weight.
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, whose name was Nicodemus, a ruler among the Jews:
Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a teacher of Israel and knowest not 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, whose name was Nicodemus, a ruler among the Jews:
Then came the officers to the chief priests and pharisees, and they said, Why have ye not brought Him? and the officers answered,