(Read John 3:5-7.) Nicodemus is portrayed by Forrest Taylor in the 1952 television series The Living Bible and Erick Avari in the 2019 web television series The Chosen. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, both men of stature and wealth, chipped in to help fund Jesus ministry. Gentile converts were baptized, born of water: Gentiles who converted to Judaism were baptized in order to remove the . As is the case with Lazarus, Nicodemus does not belong to the tradition of the Synoptic Gospels, and is mentioned only by John,[3] who devotes more than half of Chapter 3 of his gospel and a few verses of Chapter 7 to Nicodemus, and lastly mentions him in Chapter 19. The first time Nicodemus is mentioned, he is identified as a Pharisee who comes to see Jesus at night. Mar 23, 2019. [3], Finally, when Jesus is buried, Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloesabout 100 Roman pounds (33 kilograms (73lb))despite embalming being generally against Jewish custom (with the exceptions of Jacob and Joseph). So he came and took away His body, a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one for fear of the Jews, Joseph of Arimathea came, a prominent member of the Council, who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God; and he gathered up courage and went in before Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus, Jesus told his disciples, If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me, A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher, If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple, Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple, So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple, made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth., Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. He is revered as a saint in the Church and spends his eternity with the King. In John 3:2, we are aware from V1 that Nicodemus is alone because he comes to Jesus at night - he clearly did not want others to know of his interview. (Nicodemus thought Jesus meant somebody's body being born again, like they had to be a little baby again.) Grammatically, the most likely candidate is option #2, the Pharisees as it provides a specific antecedent. Thus, Joseph had no claims on the body and, depending on how Pilate viewed the case, would have been putting himself in considerable danger. ), The Climax of the Glorification Begins: Jesus' Passion and Death (18:1-19:42), Enemies and Friends Attend to Jesus' Body (19:31-42), 1 Peter: IVP New Testament Commentary [IVPNTC], The Letters of John: Tyndale New Testament Commentary [TNTC], The IVP New Testament Commentary, 20 Volumes, The Hermeneutical Spiral: A Comprehensive Introduction to Biblical Interpretation, The Message of John's Letters, The Bible Speaks Today, The Message of Colossians & Philemon, The Bible Speaks Today. Both men had power, wealth, and influence, but they were willing to lose that for the purpose of receiving eternal life and being born again. Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Bible Verses, Quotes, Christian Answers, Songs and More. get answers to your Bible questions from 50+ resources ($2,400+ value! They claimed that he came as a representative of the Sanhedrin as a kind of spy, tasked with trapping Jesus in giving an official response based on the questions he would pose. Jesus told his disciples, If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me (Matt 16:24) and said, A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher (Luke 6:40), and those who are like Christ will suffer persecution like Christ, although not to the same extent of course. In their first meeting, Nicodemus came to Jesus at night. [14], On 16 August 1967, Martin Luther King Jr. invoked Nicodemus as a metaphor concerning the need for the United States to be "born again" in order to effectively address social and economic inequality. Rozann Lee is the Senior Creative Director at Word on Fire Catholic Ministries. . A man of great honor and influence, entirely and rightly rooted in the Jewish Law, recognizes in the most profound way that the young itinerant seated across from him is the fulfillment of the Law, the long-awaited Messiah. Caiaphas was also a member of the Sadducees. Lk 8:19-21). Contents show. All Rights Reserved. Jesus face betrays his disappointment as he laments under his breath, You came so close.. Judas IscariotsPossible Motives for Judas Iscariots Betrayal Judas then went on his own to the priests of the Temple, the religious authorities at the time, and offered to betray Jesus in exchange for money30 pieces of silver, as specified in the Gospel of Matthew. Considering his stature, it seems odd . He, she, it, they, them, same. [13] To Calvin, who opposed all veneration of saints, the fact of Nicodemus becoming a Catholic saint in no way exonerated his "duplicity". Nicodemus belonged to a group of Jews called Pharisees. In that manner. [9] Harder used events and timetables for his novel found within the pages of the Passion Translation version of the Bible[10] and brought biblical characters to life in a realistic story with the goal of keeping his book historically and scripturally accurate. We know that Christ himself provides intimacy when and where he deems necessary, especially in response to our commitment to him and love of him (we see this in the lives of the saints), but to be afforded the gift of hearing his words spoken with inflection, see his eyes glimmer with affection, and see his strong hand wrap around the head of a man like Nicodemus, as Nicodemus buried his face in Christs neck and cried the blessed tears of true epiphany, stirs ones heartand soulin new and beautiful ways. Nicodemus helped Joseph prepare Jesus body for burial. Though the plural is used here, it may refer to a single sheet (cf. Then follows a conversation with Nicodemus about the meaning of being "born again" or "born from above" (Greek: ): Nicodemus explores the notion of being literally born again from one's mother's womb, but most theologians recognise that Nicodemus knew Jesus was not speaking of literal rebirth. How to extract the coefficients from a long exponential expression? Since other Jewish officials challenged Jesus in public, Nicodemus would not have needed to sneak through the night to visit Jesus. In 2005, she graduated from the University of Notre Dame with dual degrees in Graphic Design and Theology. The Little Flower had given every material thing to Christ, and she then lovingly offered her every single conversation and thought to his providence by virtue of her Little Way. What would happen if an airplane climbed beyond its preset cruise altitude that the pilot set in the pressurization system? Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for professors, theologians, and those interested in exegetical analysis of biblical texts. No enemy of Christ would take such a risk for fear of being exposed by the Jews. What happened to Mary Magdalene after the Crucifixion? But the spiritual lessons remain. #5 is almost certainly untrue. But Nicodemus believed because of the miracles Jesus did. Jesus laments that Nicodemus cannot seem to grasp such a heavenly concept (John 3:12) and relies on an Old Testament story (Numbers 4-9), which a Pharisee was sure to have heard before, to illustrate how to be born again and get to heaven. But nowhere in the Bible does it actually say that Nicodemus believed in Jesus or ever took Jesus's words in John 3 to heart. Known for: Nicodemus was a leading Pharisee and well-recognized religious leader of the Jewish people. They accuse the crowd of being deceived and ignorant of the law. Want to Learn Philosophy? In popular music, Nicodemus' name was figuratively used in Henry Clay Work's 1864 American Civil War-era piece "Wake Nicodemus",[7] which at that time was popular in minstrel shows. That is, unlike those who wanted Jesus killed and were willing to ignore the Law, Nicodemus' primary concern was for adherence to the Law. Nikdmos) was a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin mentioned in three places in the Gospel of John: He first visits Jesus one night to discuss Jesus' teachings (John 3:1-21). Theologian Charles Ellicott wrote that "after the method of Rabbinic dialogue, [Nicodemus] presses the impossible meaning of the words in order to exclude it, and to draw forth the true meaning. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God . Stephen Gadberry. What Jesus says next is perhaps the most famous verse in the Bible: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). Nonetheless, it is probable that he wielded a certain influence in the Sanhedrin. When Jesus said that the Son of Man must be lifted up, he was referring to his own death on the cross. In the field of Psychology, personality types are commonly defined as a collection of traits that are thought to occur consistently together in people's thinking, behavior, and emotions. As a professor, he has taught Bible and theology courses at two Christian universities. New Testament scholar D.A. We read of the burial of Asa, that they "laid him in the bed which was filled with sweet odours and divers kinds of spices prepared by the apothecaries' art" (2Chronicles 16:14). Nicodemus needed to clarify certain truths that applied to his life and circumstances. By the time Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea had died, they had surely found this out. He currently works as a professor at a local college. Perhaps the other gospel writers were protecting Nicodemus because it appears that he later believed in Christ. The Sanhedrin was the highest legal court in first-century Judaism. Nicodemus, who is not mentioned in the Synoptics, was also a member of the Sanhedrin (Jn 3:1) and, presumably, was wealthy, given the amount of spice he provides for Jesus' burial (v. 39). Has Microsoft lowered its Windows 11 eligibility criteria? Mk 15:46 par. In the New Testament, money gets 37 mentions, while "gold" gets 38 citations . Nicodemus chose not to go with Jesus because he had a covenant with his wife. The Jewish leaders had a different perspective. I have not heard of any legends, but one speculation made involves Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea arranging for the burial of the crucified Jesus of Nazareth.. Nicodemus (/nkdims/; Greek: , translit. Source: Thanks, @Lesley. Joseph of Arimathea, In the current Roman Martyrology of the Catholic Church, Nicodemus is commemorated along with Saint Joseph of Arimathea on 31 August. Paul is passionate about helping students learn and grow, and he has written extensively on the topic of education. An Introduction to Philosophy from the 100 Greatest Philosophers. Jesus told Nicodemus that He was a man, born of a woman. But . The traditional Roman-rite Catholic liturgical calendar lists the same feast of the finding of their relics on the following day, 3 August. according to Matthew Henrys Concise Commentary. [11][12] While Jesus teaching continues in the passage, Nicodemus isnt mentioned again until later in the Gospel. He was a Pharisee who was attracted to Jesus' character and miracles. To understand Jesus' statement in verse 12, we need to see the background of Nicodemus. Their request for the body was also a very courageous act. He did not ask; he declared that Jesus was a Teacher from God. Mk 3:31-35 par. What is it, then, that you do mean? Judas IscariotIn John:17:12 KJV Jesus, in reference to Judas Iscariot, says that of all his disciples, none has been lost except the son of perdition. After Jesus death, we see Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea specifically, asking Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. While John doesnt explicitly state that Nicodemus is a follower of Jesus at this point, Nicodemus is doing what a follower of Jesus would do in such a moment. link to How Old Was Mary When She Gave Birth to Jesus? In Episode 7, we see Nicodemus conversation with Jesus as recounted in John 3:1-21. (Isaiah 7) If this was the case, Nicodemus needed to consider the possibility that Jesus could be the Messiah. Nicodemus, who was a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin, is one of the most fascinating people in the Gospel of John. . It is possible, Joseph of Arimathea fulfilled Isaiah 53:9 where it was told that the suffering servant, Jesus Christ, made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. This was fulfilled, probably unknowingly, when Joseph gave his own burial site for Jesus to be laid, perhaps indicating Joseph was well advanced in years. And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight. Thanks for contributing an answer to Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange! Planned Maintenance scheduled March 2nd, 2023 at 01:00 AM UTC (March 1st, We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup, Ticket smash for [status-review] tag: Part Deux. Also see How Old Was Jesus When Started His Ministry? If you like what you're reading, you can get free daily updates through the RSS feed here. Persuaded: The Story of Nicodemus by author David Harder is a historical fictional account on the life of Nicodemus. John 3:2-Nicodemus said "we" know," who are "we" he refers to? Note on Matthew 2:11. Matthew 12:20 A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory. Who Was Doubting Thomas? Since Jesus How Old Was Mary When She Gave Birth to Jesus? He was a powerful Pharisee, a member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council. 19:38). In the bible who was nicodemus? The fact that it is a new tomb is emphasized by John (v. 41). In any case, these are both men of power, privilege and wealth. ESV: Study Bible : English standard version. [5] Rosamond Rodman asserts that freed slaves who moved to Nicodemus, Kansas, after the Civil War named their town after him. 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