Nicodemus
Teacher of Israel
Nicodemus was a Pharisee and member of the Sanhedrin who came to Jesus at night. Jesus told him about the necessity of being born again. Nicodemus gradually developed from a nighttime questioner into someone who defended Jesus, and finally helped bury him.
Key events
The Night Visit
Nicodemus came to Jesus at night and heard about the necessity of being born again.
1There was a man among the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews.
Ἦν δὲ ἄνθρωπος ἐκ τῶν Φαρισαίων, Νικόδημος ὄνομα αὐτῷ, ἄρχων τῶν Ἰουδαίων·
2He came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you have come from God as a teacher, for no one can do the signs you do unless God is with him."
οὗτος ἦλθεν πρὸς αὐτὸν νυκτὸς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Ῥαββί, οἴδαμεν ὅτι ἀπὸ θεοῦ ἐλήλυθας διδάσκαλος· οὐδεὶς γὰρ ⸂δύναται ταῦτα τὰ σημεῖα⸃ ποιεῖν ἃ σὺ ποιεῖς, ἐὰν μὴ ᾖ ὁ θεὸς μετʼ αὐτοῦ.
3Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I tell you: unless someone is born from above,[^1] he cannot see the kingdom of God."
[^1]: The Greek word can mean both "from above" and "again"; Nicodemus hears it in the second sense in the next verse.
⸀ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω σοι, ἐὰν μή τις γεννηθῇ ἄνωθεν, οὐ δύναται ἰδεῖν τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ.
4Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter his mother's womb a second time and be born?"
λέγει πρὸς αὐτὸν ⸀ὁ Νικόδημος· Πῶς δύναται ἄνθρωπος γεννηθῆναι γέρων ὤν; μὴ δύναται εἰς τὴν κοιλίαν τῆς μητρὸς αὐτοῦ δεύτερον εἰσελθεῖν καὶ γεννηθῆναι;
5Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I tell you: unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
⸀ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς· Ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω σοι, ἐὰν μή τις γεννηθῇ ἐξ ὕδατος καὶ πνεύματος, οὐ δύναται εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ.
7Do not be astonished that I said to you, 'You must be born from above.'
μὴ θαυμάσῃς ὅτι εἶπόν σοι Δεῖ ὑμᾶς γεννηθῆναι ἄνωθεν.
9Nicodemus answered him, "How can this be?"
ἀπεκρίθη Νικόδημος καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Πῶς δύναται ταῦτα γενέσθαι;
10Jesus answered him, "You are the teacher of Israel, and you do not understand this?
ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Σὺ εἶ ὁ διδάσκαλος τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ καὶ ταῦτα οὐ γινώσκεις;
John 3:16
In his conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus spoke the Bible's most famous verse.
14And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
καὶ καθὼς Μωϋσῆς ὕψωσεν τὸν ὄφιν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, οὕτως ὑψωθῆναι δεῖ τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου,
15so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
ἵνα πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων ⸂ἐν αὐτῷ⸃ ἔχῃ ζωὴν αἰώνιον.
16For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Οὕτως γὰρ ἠγάπησεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν κόσμον ὥστε τὸν ⸀υἱὸν τὸν μονογενῆ ἔδωκεν, ἵνα πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων εἰς αὐτὸν μὴ ἀπόληται ἀλλὰ ἔχῃ ζωὴν αἰώνιον.
17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but so that the world might be saved through him.
οὐ γὰρ ἀπέστειλεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν ⸀υἱὸν εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἵνα κρίνῃ τὸν κόσμον, ἀλλʼ ἵνα σωθῇ ὁ κόσμος διʼ αὐτοῦ.
18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of God's only Son.
ὁ πιστεύων εἰς αὐτὸν οὐ κρίνεται· ὁ ⸀δὲ μὴ πιστεύων ἤδη κέκριται, ὅτι μὴ πεπίστευκεν εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ μονογενοῦς υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ.
Defended Jesus in the Council
Nicodemus argued for justice when the council wanted to seize Jesus without a hearing.
50Nicodemus, who had gone to him earlier and was one of their own, said to them,
λέγει Νικόδημος πρὸς αὐτούς, ὁ ⸀ἐλθὼν πρὸς αὐτὸν ⸀πρότερον, εἷς ὢν ἐξ αὐτῶν·
51"Does our law judge a man without first hearing from him and learning what he is doing?"
Μὴ ὁ νόμος ἡμῶν κρίνει τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἐὰν μὴ ἀκούσῃ ⸂πρῶτον παρʼ αὐτοῦ⸃ καὶ γνῷ τί ποιεῖ;
52They answered him, "Are you from Galilee too? Search and see: no prophet arises from Galilee."
ἀπεκρίθησαν καὶ εἶπαν αὐτῷ· Μὴ καὶ σὺ ἐκ τῆς Γαλιλαίας εἶ; ἐραύνησον καὶ ἴδε ὅτι ⸂ἐκ τῆς Γαλιλαίας προφήτης⸃ οὐκ ⸀ἐγείρεται.
Helped with the burial
Nicodemus brought a costly mixture of myrrh and aloes to anoint Jesus' body for burial.
39Nicodemus, who had first come to Jesus at night, came as well, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds.[^1]
[^1]: About seventy-five pounds, or thirty-four kilograms, in modern measure; the Roman pound was smaller than the modern one.
ἦλθεν δὲ καὶ Νικόδημος, ὁ ἐλθὼν πρὸς ⸀αὐτὸν νυκτὸς τὸ πρῶτον, φέρων ⸀μίγμα σμύρνης καὶ ἀλόης ὡς λίτρας ἑκατόν.
40They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it in linen cloths with the spices, according to the burial custom of the Jews.
ἔλαβον οὖν τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Ἰησοῦ καὶ ἔδησαν ⸀αὐτὸ ὀθονίοις μετὰ τῶν ἀρωμάτων, καθὼς ἔθος ἐστὶν τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις ἐνταφιάζειν.
42Because it was the Jewish day of preparation and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.
ἐκεῖ οὖν διὰ τὴν παρασκευὴν τῶν Ἰουδαίων, ὅτι ἐγγὺς ἦν τὸ μνημεῖον, ἔθηκαν τὸν Ἰησοῦν.