Who Was Nicodemus in the Bible — In Biblical Context
Nicodemus was a Pharisee and ruler of the Jews who came to Jesus by night and heard the famous words 'Ye must be born again.'
Nicodemus was a Pharisee and ruler of the Jews who came to Jesus by night and heard the famous words 'Ye must be born again.'
"There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night... Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." — John 3:1-3 (KJV)
The Biblical Context
Nicodemus appears three times in the Gospel of John. He first came to Jesus secretly at night, acknowledging that no man could do the miracles Jesus did unless God were with him. Jesus' response — 'Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God' — became one of the most famous statements in all Scripture, leading into John 3:16. Later, Nicodemus cautiously defended Jesus before the Sanhedrin. Finally, after the crucifixion, he openly helped Joseph of Arimathaea bury Jesus' body, bringing about a hundred pounds of myrrh and aloes — an extraordinary gift. His journey from secret seeker to public disciple shows how the new birth transforms hidden faith into open devotion.
Where It Sits in Scripture
The core passage for this question, John 3:1-3, sits inside John 3. To grasp the full meaning, read the surrounding paragraph — the verses before set up the thought, the verses after carry it forward.
"There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night... Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
Supporting Passages
"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."
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