📖 Biblical Definition
Nicodemus was a Pharisee and "a ruler of the Jews" — a member of the Sanhedrin. He came to Jesus by night, acknowledging Him as "a teacher come from God" (John 3:2). Jesus responded with one of the most important statements in Scripture: "Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). Nicodemus, despite being "the teacher of Israel," could not comprehend spiritual rebirth — demonstrating that religious education without the Spirit's illumination produces blindness. Jesus explained that the new birth is the sovereign work of the Spirit, and pointed to His own coming death: "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up" (John 3:14). Nicodemus later defended Jesus' right to a hearing before the Sanhedrin (John 7:50-51) and, after the crucifixion, brought expensive burial spices and helped Joseph of Arimathea prepare Jesus' body (John 19:39). His story traces a journey from secret inquiry to public devotion.
📜 Webster 1828 Definition
A Pharisee and ruler of the Jews who came to Jesus by night; present at Christ's burial.
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NICODE'MUS, n. [Gr. victory of the people.] A Pharisee and member of the Jewish Sanhedrin who came to Jesus by night, to whom Christ taught the necessity of the new birth.
📖 Key Scripture
• John 3:3 — "Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."
• John 3:14-15 — "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life."
• John 7:50-51 — "Nicodemus... said to them, 'Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing?'"
• John 19:39 — "Nicodemus also... came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight."
⚠️ Modern Corruption
Nicodemus is romanticized as a 'seeker' figure, and John 3:16 is ripped from its context of sovereign regeneration.
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The modern church uses Nicodemus as the prototype of the "spiritual seeker." But Jesus did not affirm Nicodemus' seeking; He confronted him with the absolute necessity of being born again — a work Nicodemus could not perform on himself. John 3:16, which occurs in this conversation, is the most quoted and most decontextualized verse in the Bible. It is routinely cited as proof that salvation depends on human decision, while the verses surrounding it (John 3:3-8) teach that the new birth is the sovereign, mysterious work of the Spirit. The "whoever believes" of John 3:16 is preceded by "you must be born again" — belief itself is the fruit of regeneration, not its cause.
Usage
• "Nicodemus was the most educated religious leader in Israel, yet he could not understand the new birth — proving that human religion without the Spirit produces blindness."
• "Nicodemus came to Jesus in the dark and ended up caring for His body in the light — a journey from secret inquiry to courageous devotion."