Who was Nicodemus in the Bible?
Nicodemus was a Pharisee and member of the Jewish ruling council who came to Jesus at night with questions. He appears three times in John’s Gospel and moves from cautious curiosity to openly honoring Jesus at his burial.
John introduces Nicodemus as “a man of the Pharisees … a ruler of the Jews” (John 3:1). He came to Jesus by night — perhaps from caution, perhaps because he wanted an unhurried conversation. He acknowledged Jesus as a teacher “come from God,” and Jesus answered with the call to be born again.
Nicodemus appears twice more. In John 7 he urges the council to give Jesus a fair hearing rather than condemn him unheard. Then in John 19, after the crucifixion, he helps Joseph of Arimathea bury Jesus, bringing a large, costly amount of spices — a public act of devotion.
His story is often read as a quiet journey from secret inquiry toward open faith, showing that even a learned religious leader needed the new birth Jesus described.
Original BibleDawn answer · reviewed 2026-06. Drafted with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy.