Bible
Nicodemus in the Bible
Last updated: May 31, 2026
Written by Blake Boege
Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council, who appears exclusively in the Gospel of John. He is famous for visiting Jesus under the cover of night to ask questions, leading to Jesus's teaching on the necessity of being born again and the declaration of John three sixteen. Nicodemus later defends Jesus in the council and assists Joseph of Arimathea with the burial of Jesus, bringing costly spices. Scholars and Bible readers search for this topic to study the progressive development of discipleship, examine the political dynamics of ancient Jerusalem, and explore early theological debates on spiritual rebirth.
Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a member of the Jewish ruling council. He visits Jesus by night to ask questions in John 3, defends Jesus's right to a fair hearing in John 7, and helps Joseph of Arimathea bury Jesus in John 19. His conversation with Jesus produced two of the most quoted verses in the New Testament.
Quick Answer
Nicodemus was a Pharisee and member of the Sanhedrin who secretly visited Jesus by night in John 3, receiving the famous teaching on being born again, and later helped bury Jesus.
Direct answer
Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a member of the Jewish ruling council. He visited Jesus at night (John 3) and heard the famous words about being born again and John 3:16. He later defended Jesus's right to a fair hearing before the council (John 7) and helped Joseph of Arimathea bury him (John 19).
The Bible does not say in so many words that Nicodemus became a Christian, but his arc from a quiet night visit to a costly public burial is one of the most carefully drawn portraits in John's Gospel.
Examples
Came by night
John 3:1-2
Ye must be born again
John 3:3, John 3:5-7
God so loved the world
John 3:16 (within the conversation)
Defends Jesus
John 7:50-52
Burial of Jesus
John 19:39-40
How it works
The page surveys Nicodemus across his three appearances in John's Gospel and explains the "born again" teaching of John 3 in plain biblical terms. References are KJV.
Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.John 3:3, KJV
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.John 3:16, KJV
John 3: the night visit and the new birth
Nicodemus comes to Jesus by night and acknowledges him as a teacher come from God. Jesus answers: 'Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God' (John 3:3). Nicodemus takes this physically: how can a man be born when he is old? Jesus explains: 'Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God' (John 3:5). The conversation flows into the famous summary of the gospel: 'For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son' (John 3:16).
John 7: speaking up before the council
Later, when the chief priests and Pharisees are angered by Jesus and want to arrest him, Nicodemus, identified as 'he that came to Jesus by night,' speaks up: 'Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?' (John 7:51). It is a careful, lawyerly defense of due process. The other leaders dismiss him. Nicodemus is shown moving, slowly, in Jesus's direction.
John 19: helping with the burial
After the crucifixion, Joseph of Arimathea, a secret disciple, asks Pilate for the body of Jesus. Nicodemus joins him, bringing 'a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight' (John 19:39). The two men wrap Jesus's body with the spices and lay him in a new tomb. The amount of spices is striking, more like a royal burial than an ordinary one. By this point Nicodemus is publicly identified with Jesus, even after the cross.
What the New Testament makes of him
Nicodemus appears only in John's Gospel. His three appearances frame an arc: night visit and theological perplexity (John 3), careful defense before the Sanhedrin (John 7), public devotion at the burial (John 19). Many readers see in him the picture of a thoughtful person whose understanding deepens over time. The conversation in John 3 contains one of the most famous gospel statements in the Bible and the founding New Testament discussion of new birth in the Holy Spirit.
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Frequently asked questions
Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council. He appears in three passages, all in John's Gospel: he visits Jesus by night to ask questions about Jesus's teaching (John 3), he speaks up for due process when the council wants to act against Jesus (John 7:50-52), and he helps Joseph of Arimathea bury Jesus, bringing about a hundred pounds of myrrh and aloes (John 19:38-40).
Jesus tells Nicodemus that no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again (John 3:3). The Greek phrase translated 'born again' can also be rendered 'born from above.' Jesus then explains that this new birth is 'of water and of the Spirit' (John 3:5): a spiritual birth worked by the Holy Spirit, distinct from physical birth. To be born again is to receive new life from God through faith in Christ.
John 3:2 simply says he came by night. The text does not give his motive. Many readers see in it caution about being seen with a controversial teacher; others note that night was a common time for rabbinic discussion. The detail is meaningful in John's Gospel, which often plays on light and darkness as theological themes (John 3:19-21).
The Bible does not say in so many words. His later actions are telling: he defends Jesus on procedural grounds before the council (John 7:50-52), and after the crucifixion he helps with the burial and brings a costly weight of spices, an act of public devotion (John 19:39-40). Many Christian readers see in his arc a movement from secret inquiry to public commitment. The text leaves the conclusion implied rather than stated.
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