The Art of Life Bible - Flipbook - Page 38
Nicodemus
nikodmos ~ victor over the people
Read John 3:1-21.
Nicodemus was a Pharisee and
a member of the Sanhedrin, the
governing council of the Jews.
John, the only Gospel writer to
mention Nicodemus, characterized him as a religious leader of
high status and influence. He also
seems to have been quite wealthy,
given the volume of expensive
spices he provided for Jesus’ burial
(John 19:39). One night during
Jesus’ ministry, Nicodemus visited
him, and their conversation is
recorded in detail. Nicodemus
called Jesus “Rabbi,” a surprising
greeting coming from a respected
Jewish teacher to a carpenter from
a Galilean village. He probably
met Jesus at night because,
though he was interested in Jesus
and his teachings, he wasn’t
willing to admit this publicly yet.
In Jesus’ words to Nicodemus, we
find a powerful explanation of the
gospel. In a bolder move, Nicodemus later spoke up for Jesus
when other Jewish leaders wanted
to arrest him (John 7:50-52). The
subsequent response of hostility
from the rest of the council toward his modest request makes
it clear that Nicodemus’s caution
was warranted. After Jesus’ death,
Nicodemus assisted Joseph of
Arimathea, a fellow member of
the Sanhedrin, in taking Jesus’
body down from the cross and
preparing it for burial. These actions imply that Nicodemus may
have indeed become a disciple
of Jesus.
Nicodemus’s story is told in John
3:1-21; 7:50-52; 19:39-42.
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