First, John calls attention to how Nicodemus' meeting with Jesus is at night (i.e. Then, about six months before the crucifixion, the Chief Priests and Pharisees attempted to have Jesus arrested for deception. In the sequence of events, John puts the rendezvous after the cleansing of the temple and connects it to the signs which Jesus demonstrated in Jerusalem during the Passover feast. There was no dearth of self-proclaimed messiahs. It also seems like following Jesus would create significant issues in his marriage with Zohara. Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem. PROUDLY CREATED WITH WIX.COM. Yet Nicodemus spoke. Nicodemus.. [9] Put succinctly, Jesus did not trust the peoples professed belief. Instead, Elliott took to fishing and had already begun angling by the age of 12. Peter doesn't even make his triumphant confession that Jesus is the Messiah until a significant way into each Gospel. Nicodemus speaks to Jesus in the first-person plural (we know). It will be remembered that blasphemy was the very charge the Sanhedrin would use three years later to justify Christs death (see Matthew 26:6368; Mark 14:6165; Luke 22:6671; John 19:7). Add to this Elder McConkies speculation about the possible location of Nicodemuss dialogue with Jesus: We are left to assume the meeting took place in a house owned or occupied by John in Jerusalem. As a product of evangelical culture, The Chosen presents us with a Jesus who is distinctly intimate and personal. Characters of the Sanhedrists who Tried Jesus, 291326. Updates? Early traditions of the Roman imperial church, which held Nicodemus in high esteem, and apocryphal biblical literature both offer detail that informs the modern reception of Nicodemuss identity and biography. He received the credits for carving both the Holy Face of Lucca and the Batll Crucifix, apparently with angelic help. ","name":"What Happened to Nicodemus in the Bible? His list includes forty-two of the seventy-one members of that body. Nicodemus is clearly the perfect candidate for the role of the Heal-Face skeptic in The Chosen. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/nicodemus-38964.php. But this fact may be due to his great wealth. Adam Zeidan is an Associate Editor, having joined. Here we are told that Pilates wife did not come to her husband when he was sitting on the judgment seat during the trial of Jesus Christ. Jesus reminds Nicodemus of the Old Testament story of Moses and the Bronze Serpent (Numbers 21:4-8 ). One commentary, for example, states that Nicodemus sought out "Jesus in 'the night' which has suggested to most of the interpreters that he was hesitant and afraid to be seen with Jesus, coming as he did in secrecy out of regard for his reputation and to protect himself.". (2021, September 7). But it seems like Nicodemus could have struggled with both skepticism and fear. Zavada, Jack. In his final appearance, Nicodemus aids Joseph of Arimathea, a secret follower of Jesus, in Jesus' burial, at great expense (John 19:38-42). As an introduction, Nicodemus complements Jesus saying, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. See also Farrar, The Life of Christ, 2:428; emphasis added. The story of Nicodemus relationship with Jesus begins when Jesus explains that in order to enter the kingdom of God, one must be born again. Just think Claudia Procula was the first one we know of who was unequally yoked. Commit.. As the the bronze serpent was lifted up on a pole, all who . In the next few verses, Jesus goes on to explain that without a new birth, a person will not enter the kingdom. They were regarded as enemies by the Sanhedrin. 1) Nicodemus meets Jesus secretly. Although Nicodemus wonders about the probability of being actually reborn from one's mother's womb, most theologians hold the view that Nicodemus was aware that Jesus was not talking about literal rebirth. Strong suggests some alternative translations such as: to have faith (in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing) . 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. One would have thought that under the circumstances, Nicodemus, with his position, learning, and wealth, if his coming were motivated by idle curiosity or timid discipleship, would have ended the conversation at this point. . 2. In The Chosen, during Season 1 Episode 5 Nicodemus visits John the Baptist in jail and asks him questions about miracles and the coming of the Messiah. Episode 8 returns Season One of The Chosen back to where it began, with a storyline that features female characters in much more prominent roles and explores the effect that Jesus' ministry brought to women in a variety of situations. . Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Have my posts about Bible adaptation helped you learn more about the Bible and explore it with your ministry or family? We can conclude that Nicodemus was a highly honored Jewish teacher who also happened to be very rich and very powerful. Nicodemus is one of the few Pharisees who believed in Jesus. Nicodemus had a family. Other traditions are hagiographical, intended to clarify his acceptance of Jesus teachings. After your youth list a few examples, I would point out: When we read the Bible and see women being mistreated by men it's good to keep in mind that the Bible is not endorsing these behaviors, it's simply describing events as they happened. [34] Geoffrey W. Bromiley ed., The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1986), s.v. The Pharisees were a group of Jewish people who strictly adhered to the letter of the law. Sellers shouted the merits of their beasts, sheep bleated, and oxen lowed. Nicodemus was not the only one among the ruling classes who believed in Jesus; but of most of these we learn nothing to indicate that they had sufficient courage to come even by night to make independent and personal inquiry. Furthermore, John 3:16 has become a frequently-quoted verse in relation to Gods plan of salvation. As part of the Talmudic evidence, Robinson recounts the story of Nakdimon ben Gurions purported miracle. They denied the evidence of Jesus' deity. Over time, however, as Shmuel and Nicodemus part ways theologically, the students begins to leverage the fear of his teacher to his own advantage. The only time the New Testament refers to Pontius Pilates wife, Claudia Procula, is found in Matthew 27:19. Instead of giving us immediate access, The Chosen invites us into the lives of Nicodemus and a diverse array of first century Jews who have their lives turned upside down by their personal encounters with the Messiah. But Jesus wasn't like most rabbis. He had a wife who had become accustomed to the stable, secure, and beautiful life his position afforded. At that time they were holding a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas. The Gospel of Nicodemus. Tacitus speaks of a population of 600,000; at the time of the Passover this number rose to between 2,000,000 and 3,000,000. . In John 3:1, he is described as a Pharisee. Jack Zavada is a writer who covers the Bible, theology, and other Christianity topics. At the expense of a little diversion it is worth trying to set out and sort out the evidence. Have you ever been concerned about how women are sometimes treated in the Old Testament? Joshua and his wife, Rebecca, launched How to Love, a podcast about relationships, sex, . When Genesis depicts unhealthy and unfair relationships between men and women, it's not saying that's okay. [26] The name, which seems to have been not uncommon among the Jews . In this context, Nicodemus decides to utilize the literal over figurative meaning of anthen (definition: from above, from a higher place) and presumes that the meaning undermines the importance of the word. Joseph and Nicodemus were the only two who saw the body of Jesus before it was wrapped, but the women didnt see Nicodemus. In the 18th century, the Lutherans read the gospel text of the meeting of Jesus and Nicodemus at night on Trinity Sunday. They feared the result in loss of popularity and standing. . The following outlines Nicodemus' actions and response to Jesus. On the one hand, he's a Pharisee, a group that the Gospel of John unequivocally associates with opposition to Jesus. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit," Jesus said. The conversation between Nicodemus and Jesus revolves around the concept of "born again" or "born from above". Nicodemus, a man of great wealth, donated 75 pounds of expensive myrrh and aloes to anoint the Lord's body after his death. Although they had nothing to gain by being associated with him, they still had everything to lose. What would it look like for us as a community to demonstrate this? In medieval paintings revolving around the Deposition, he prominently appears alongside Joseph of Arimathea, bringing the dead Christ down from the cross, often with the help of a ladder. This is a great reminder for us to remember and pray for those who are married to non-Christians. Brigham Young University After Jesus crucifixion, Nicodemus assists Joseph of Arimathea in laying Jesus body in a nearby tomb (John 19:3942). It is the fear of Rome that causes Nicodemus to abuse his role as an esteemed teacher and serve Roman interests. He publicly defended the Messiah, but was later mysteriously missing. By having Nicodemus demonstrate that he clearly has faith in Jesus during their secret meeting, it emphasizes how his refusal to follow Jesus in public is due to his fear of man (more on that plot arc below). Nicodemus' decision to not follow Jesus would have been even more significant, since it would be a set back in both his struggle against fear and skepticism. [22], Not only did Joseph own a tomb convenient to Calvary but, among the believers, he was uniquely suited to the task of obtaining the body from Pilate because of the office he held with the Roman government Chandler writes, Joseph of Arimathea is called in the Vulgate, or the Latin version of the Bible, noble centurion, because he was one of the ten magistrates or senators who had the principal authority in Jerusalem under the Romans. . In the Catholic Churchs current Roman Martyrology, Nicodemus is honoured on 31 August, on the same day as Saint Joseph of Arimathea. Click here for my affiliation policy. The holy and righteous Nicodemus was a Pharisee who came to hear the Lord by night. . John 7:13; 9:22; 12:42; 19:38; 20:19). That evening Nicodemus learned from Jesus that he must be born again, and he was. Answer All that we know of Nicodemus in the Bible is from the Gospel of John. 3. Why do you think he did that? One source postulates that John used the Nicodemus interview to illustrate the statement in 2:25 that Jesus knew what was in man. Jesus saw in Nicodemus a sincere seeker after truth to whom He could reveal a clearer and more complete knowledge of His mission than He could to many others.[34], Elder McConkie, in his Mortal Messiah series, quotes extensively from both Edersheim and Farrar. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Nicodemus. Instead of having Nicodemus respond to Jesus' Born Again speech by falling to his knees and confessing his faith, we could have been given a much more ambiguous response, communicated solely through facial expressions or perhaps by having him ask even more questions. . These would have been seen as marks of poor character - that's why Photina had to get water in the hot afternoon instead of going early in the morning when it's cool - the other women looked down on her. It is profitable for one man to die to save the whole people. Typically the Bible only mentions figures who play a role in the narrative or who were well-known among the followers of Jesus. According to Rosamond Rodman, the freed slaves who began living in Nicodemus, Kansas, christened the town after him. Your email address will not be published. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. FYI: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Edersheim notes the compromising position in which Nicodemus knowingly placed himself by meeting with Jesus: We can scarcely realise the difficulties which he had to overcome. There might have been some furtive glances at fellow believers before Nicodemus asked his question. Because of his apparent stature among the Pharisees, it was supposed that he was a member of the Great Sanhedrin, the supreme Jewish legislative and judicial court in Jerusalem under Roman rule. That evening Nicodemus learned from Jesus that he must be born again, and he was. Time the new Testament refers to Pontius Pilates wife, Rebecca, launched to... Crucifixion, Nicodemus assists Joseph of Arimathea the meeting of Jesus & x27. 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