Bible Characters
Nicodemus in the Bible: The Pharisee Who Came to Jesus at Night
Nicodemus in the Bible was a Pharisee and a member of the Jewish ruling council who came to Jesus at night to ask him questions (John 3:1-2). In that conversation Jesus told him that no one can see the kingdom of God without being born again (John 3:3). Nicodemus appears three times, all in the Gospel of John, and his last appearance is helping Joseph of Arimathea bury Jesus (John 19:39-40).
He is not mentioned in Matthew, Mark, or Luke. Everything the Bible says about him comes from John 3:1-21, John 7:45-52, and John 19:38-42.
Nicodemus at a Glance
| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Name meaning | Greek, commonly explained as "victory of the people" |
| Testament | New Testament |
| Key book | John (chapters 3, 7, and 19) |
| Time period | About AD 27-30, during Jesus's public ministry (traditional dating) |
| Position | Pharisee, member of the Jewish ruling council, called Israel's teacher by Jesus (John 3:1, 10) |
| Known for | Visiting Jesus at night, the "born again" conversation, bringing spices for Jesus's burial |
Who Nicodemus Was
John introduces him as a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council (John 3:1). The ruling council was the Sanhedrin, the high court in Jerusalem. The Pharisees were a group known for strict attention to the law of Moses and the traditions of the elders (Mark 7:3-5; Acts 26:5).
Jesus called Nicodemus Israel's teacher, which indicates he was a recognized teacher of the Scriptures (John 3:10). John does not record his age, family, or hometown.
The Night Conversation with Jesus (John 3)
Nicodemus came to Jesus at night (John 3:2). John does not explain why he chose that time. John later refers to him as the one who had first come to Jesus at night, which suggests the detail was part of how he was remembered (John 19:39).
He opened by calling Jesus Rabbi and saying that he and others knew Jesus was a teacher from God, because no one could do the signs Jesus was doing unless God was with him (John 3:2). Jesus had recently performed signs in Jerusalem during the Passover (John 2:23).
Born Again
Jesus answered by moving the conversation from signs to the kingdom of God:
"Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again." (John 3:3, NIV)
The Greek word translated "again" can also mean "from above," and the NIV notes that alternative. Nicodemus took Jesus literally and asked how a grown man could enter his mother's womb a second time (John 3:4).
Jesus explained that no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit (John 3:5). Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit (John 3:6). He compared the Spirit to the wind, which blows where it pleases; people hear it but cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going (John 3:8).
"How Can This Be?"
Nicodemus asked how these things could be (John 3:9). Jesus responded that as Israel's teacher he should understand them (John 3:10). He said that if Nicodemus did not believe when he spoke of earthly things, he would not believe heavenly things (John 3:12).
Jesus then pointed to an event from Numbers 21. When venomous snakes struck the Israelites in the wilderness, God told Moses to make a bronze snake and put it on a pole, and anyone bitten who looked at it lived (Numbers 21:8-9). Jesus said that in the same way the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him (John 3:14-15). John later uses "lifted up" to refer to Jesus's death on the cross (John 12:32-33).
John 3:16
The conversation leads into the verse that summarizes the reason for Jesus's coming:
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16, NIV)
The passage continues that God did not send his Son to condemn the world but to save it (John 3:17). Whoever believes in him is not condemned, and whoever does not believe stands condemned already (John 3:18). Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness because their deeds were evil (John 3:19-21).
Bible scholars differ on whether Jesus's words end at verse 15 or verse 21, since the original Greek had no quotation marks. Some translations show the change in the text or a footnote. Either way, the passage is presented as the explanation of what Jesus told Nicodemus.
Nicodemus Speaks Up in the Council (John 7)
Nicodemus appears again during the Festival of Tabernacles. The chief priests and Pharisees had sent temple guards to arrest Jesus (John 7:32). The guards came back without him and said no one ever spoke the way this man did (John 7:45-46).
The Pharisees accused the guards of being deceived and said none of the rulers or Pharisees believed in Jesus (John 7:47-48). Nicodemus then asked whether their law condemned a man without first hearing him to find out what he was doing (John 7:50-51). The law of Moses required judges to investigate carefully before reaching a verdict (Deuteronomy 1:16-17; 17:4).
The others turned on him and asked whether he was from Galilee too. They told him to look into it and he would find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee (John 7:52). Nicodemus did not openly declare faith in Jesus here, but he objected to condemning Jesus without a hearing.
Nicodemus at Jesus's Burial (John 19)
After Jesus died, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body. John describes Joseph as a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, because he feared the Jewish leaders (John 19:38). Mark and Luke add that Joseph was also a member of the council, and Luke says he had not consented to their decision (Mark 15:43; Luke 23:50-51).
Nicodemus came with Joseph and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes weighing about seventy-five pounds (John 19:39). The two men wrapped Jesus's body in strips of linen with the spices, following Jewish burial customs (John 19:40). They laid him in a new tomb in a garden near the place of crucifixion, where no one had been buried (John 19:41-42).
The quantity of spices was large. Some interpreters compare it to the spices used at a royal burial (compare 2 Chronicles 16:14). By taking part, Nicodemus identified himself publicly with Jesus at the time most of Jesus's disciples had scattered (Mark 14:50).
Was Nicodemus a Believer?
The Bible does not include a statement that Nicodemus believed in Jesus. The text shows a progression: he came privately at night (John 3:2), then questioned the council's handling of Jesus (John 7:50-51), and finally joined in a public burial alongside a man John calls a disciple (John 19:38-39).
Church tradition holds that Nicodemus became a follower of Jesus, and later writings outside the Bible (such as the apocryphal "Gospel of Nicodemus," also called the Acts of Pilate) tell stories about him. Those writings are not part of the Bible and are not reliable history.
Lessons from Nicodemus
- Religious position does not replace new birth. Jesus told a respected teacher that he needed to be born again (John 3:3, 10).
- Salvation comes through believing in the Son. Jesus pointed Nicodemus to belief in the Son of Man who would be lifted up (John 3:14-16).
- Fair process matters. Nicodemus asked his colleagues to follow the law and hear a man before judging him (John 7:51).
- Honoring Jesus can come at a cost. Nicodemus and Joseph identified themselves with Jesus after his execution by the Roman authorities (John 19:38-40).
For another figure from the Gospels whose story is often confused with tradition, see our profile of Mary Magdalene in the Bible. For more on the apostle whose ministry began after these events, see Paul in the Bible, also a Pharisee (Acts 23:6).
Where Nicodemus Appears in the Bible
- John 3:1-21: the night conversation with Jesus
- John 7:45-52: speaking up in the council
- John 19:38-42: the burial of Jesus with Joseph of Arimathea
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Nicodemus come to Jesus at night?
John records that he came at night but does not give a reason (John 3:2). Suggestions such as fear of other Pharisees or a desire for an uninterrupted conversation are interpretations, not statements from the text.
What did Jesus tell Nicodemus?
Jesus told him that no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again, and that one must be born of water and the Spirit (John 3:3, 5). He also said the Son of Man must be lifted up so that everyone who believes may have eternal life (John 3:14-15).
Was Nicodemus a member of the Sanhedrin?
Yes. John calls him a member of the Jewish ruling council, which was the Sanhedrin (John 3:1). He was present when the chief priests and Pharisees discussed arresting Jesus (John 7:45-50).
What did Nicodemus bring to Jesus's burial?
He brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes weighing about seventy-five pounds (John 19:39). He and Joseph of Arimathea wrapped the body in linen with the spices (John 19:40).
Is Nicodemus mentioned in the other Gospels?
No. Nicodemus appears only in the Gospel of John (John 3, 7, and 19). Matthew, Mark, and Luke mention Joseph of Arimathea at the burial but not Nicodemus.