Who was Nicodemus in the Bible?

"But there was a man of the Pharisees, his name Nicodemus,62b a ruler of the Jews. He came to Him by night,63 and said to Him, Rabbi, we know that Thou art come a teacher from God, for none can do these signs which Thou doest, unless God be with him. Jesus answered and said to him, Verily, verily, I say to thee, Except one be born anew,64 he cannot see the kingdom of God."65 It was a chief man from among the most orthodox in the chosen people; sufficiently in earnest to seek Jesus for truth, and still valuing the world enough to fear its condemnation and scorn. So he came by night to Jesus; yet did he take the ground of a persuasion he shared in common with his fellows because of the signs wrought by the Lord. He knew not that a deeper work was going on within, which drew him, not them, to Jesus. He, the teacher of Israel, recognised in Jesus One come a teacher from God, and God with Him: for any others born of woman a signal honour; for Jesus the proof that His true glory was unknown. As yet then Nicodemus was astray as to himself, as to the Jews, and as to Jesus. In short, the true God was unknown.

The Lord accordingly stops him at once with the declaration that man, any one, needs to be born from the outset and origin. Not teaching is wanted but a new nature, a new source of being spiritually, in order to see the kingdom of God. No inference, however logical, is faith. It is not even a conviction of conscience. It may be a conclusion fairly drawn from sound premisses, from sensible facts of the weightiest kind before the mind; but neither God is known nor itself yet judged. The new character of life which suits the kingdom of God does not yet exist for the soul. In such a state teaching would but aggravate the danger or expose to fresh evil. The Word of God has never penetrated the heart of Nicodemus. He knew not himself utterly defiled, spiritually dead in sins. What he wanted was to be quickened, not to have fresh aliment for the exercise of his mind. And Jesus, instead of commenting on his words, answered his true need, which he too would have sought himself, had he but known it.

When we come to chap. 3 we see that Nicodemus firmly believed in the miracles. He could not deny them — he could not gainsay them, and therefore he comes to Jesus with this confession, "Thou art a teacher come from God." He comes up like a scholar to be taught. But there was what distinguished him from those of John 2; there was a need in his soul. He came to Jesus by night. It was at the risk of losing his reputation, which he would minimise by coming at night. True, but he came to Jesus, and that ensured blessing. Why by night? He did not want anybody to know that he had come to Jesus. There are many persons today exactly like that. They would like to come to Jesus, and get their need met, but at the same time, they would not like all the world to know it. Nicodemus knew perfectly well that the world would be in opposition to him if he confessed Jesus to be what He was — the Christ. John the Baptist had plainly declared that Jesus was the Messiah. This news had gone forth throughout the land, and Nicodemus — ruler of the Jews, and man of importance though he was — knew full well that if he confessed Jesus to be the Messiah, he would have the whole nation against him. What matter? If all the world is against you, and you have the Lord Jesus, what matter? Suppose you have all the world with you and are without Him, you will sink to an eternal hell without Christ — you are opposed to the Son of God.

At this point Nicodemus again appears. Mentioned nowhere else, he is mentioned three times in our Gospel. We see him first as an enquirer, but needing to be humbled, and brought down from his high estate as Pharisee, teacher, and ruler in Israel. He must be born again. At the end of chapter 7 we find him raising a mild objection to the evil counsel and actions of the council, and standing up for what is right, and being snubbed for his remonstrance. Now we find him taking a further step in advance. He identified himself with Jesus in His death more definitely than he ever had during His life. He too must have been rich, judging from the amount of spices that he brought. The crisis, which had paralyzed the men who had boldly identified themselves with the Lord in His life and ministry, had nerved these timid and cautious men, who hitherto had been in the background unrecognized, into boldness and action. Truly Omnipotence has servants everywhere!

The first ray of light that enters his heart must be that which reveals to him his lost condition: “Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” This is a revelation that lays in dust the son of Abraham and ruler of the Jews. His natural birth will not do if he desires to be in vital relations with God. He was born blind. The kingdom was there before his eyes, but he could not see it. He saw a Man doing great works of power, and of such a character that he rightly judged that God was with Him. But the kingdom of God, which was the power of God vested in Jesus for the delivery of man from the consequences of his sinful condition, he saw not that. He was thoroughly convinced of the Divine mission of Jesus, and he will not admit that anyone can have the slightest doubt on the subject. He says: “We know.” If others refuse to admit that which is confirmed by abundant and overwhelming testimony, it is a sin against light: “We know that Thou art a teacher come from God; for no man can do these miracles that Thou doest, except God be with him.”

Nicodemus was a genuine enquirer, therefore his name is given to point him out afterwards, but he came in association with the thoughts and expectations of the Jews, as above rehearsed. "Rabbi, we know that … no one can do the miracles that thou doest, except God be with him." We learn also, though here exhibited as in the mind of a really sincere enquirer, what were the common feelings of the Jews, rulers even, and Pharisees, at that time; for he acted on them. So often God leads, though these thoughts operated, in his case, in a sincere mind, and led him to enquire for himself, for his conscience, which is always timid, always acting individually and for itself, and therefore afraid of others, though the same occasions, doubts, and enquiries may be, and here doubtless were, externally influencing them. They were willing that Jesus should be the Servant of their thoughts, meeting them; but to enquire in personal, self-subjecting interest was not with them at all. They would consult therefore together, so as to know the result of believing before they believed; therefore the Lord says, "He that is willing to do the will of God shall know," etc. Here is the awful responsibility of these people. Conscience is the real guide to knowledge.

In this state of things, while at Jerusalem, there was a man, a Pharisee, and a ruler of the Jews, came to Him by night, and said, "We know that thou art a teacher"; we must recognise you as such from these miracles. But he states it in the way which exhibits the genuineness of the conviction of his own mind, while he states the general impression: "No man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him." Still this was only outside, there was no kingdom of a new and spiritual character affecting the whole nation. Nay, I am not sure that Nicodemus does not, in form, come short here of the general impression, because he states that to which his own conviction had genuinely (and therefore that only) arrived. "Many believed on his name"; this was going apparently further than Nicodemus, but it was the loose impression of evidence, nothing affecting their souls. In one we see enough to set him in action, though fearfully, for one step in practice is all beyond any advance in theory. But, says Jesus, "the kingdom of God"; I am come with a definite object. He swerves nothing ever below it. Jesus never went below His point. A man "must be born again."

However, from their own ranks a voice speaks out. Nicodemus was both a Pharisee and a ruler of the Jews (John 3:1), and he appeals to the law they spoke of: “Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?” (v. 51). He himself had taken time to listen to the Lord (John 3:1-21), and all he asks for is a fair consideration, as indeed law requires. He does not here even take sides with the Lord Jesus, but he calls for righteous judgment. Later, in chapter 19:3, he does fully and plainly identify himself with Christ, after His crucifixion.

In face of this antagonistic atmosphere Nicodemus had the boldness to testify that the law does not condemn a man till it hear him; surely a matter of ordinary common justice. But this brought upon Nicodemus the rebuke, “Art thou also of Galilee? Search and look; for out of Galilee arises no prophet.”

Here Nicodemus’ advice brings him under suspicion. He is more in the open than when he first went to Jesus by night. Surely here we see an advance, but he is still in the Sanhedrin, sitting amongst the men, who would have apprehended our Lord.

Any Pharisee or ruler believe on Him! Impossible they thought. But one there was, and present at that moment, who felt differently. He now speaks, Nicodemus by name, and asks a simple, pertinent, but most unwelcome question: "Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he does"? (51) Such a question might well have made upright people pause. It only irritated those to whom it was addressed, and they turned at once on Nicodemus, saying, "Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee arises no prophet." They would, as is often done, if supporting a bad cause, try to silence him, whose question was most inconvenient. And, as with many another in a like spirit, accuracy of statement was unheeded. One prophet out of Galilee there certainly had been, if no more — Jonah, the son of Amittai, of Gath-hepher.

The Bible does not tell us much about Nicodemus, but what it does say is very illuminating. It tells us of the first introduction of Nicodemus to our Lord (John 3:1-21); then of his remark concerning our Lord in the Sanhedrin, which drew upon him the suspicion of his fellow-members (John 7:45-52); and, finally, the never-to-be-forgotten scene when he took part with Joseph of Arimathaea in the burial of our Lord (John 19:38-42). But the little that the Bible does say reveals more to the thoughtful mind than the few words employed would seem to warrant at first sight.

Not a single ruler? Yes, one, and Nicodemus speaks out, who, in the shades of night, had heard the words of the lowly Speaker, had been spellbound by them, and had been drawn from his darkness into a knowledge of the love of God in the gift of His Son, of the substitutionary work of the Son when lifted up on the cross, and of eternal life through faith in Him.