The Pharisees were sticklers for the laws of God. They were also sticklers for the oral law, regulations and interpretations of previous generations, they called the “tradition of the elders” in Matthew 15:2 and Mark 7:3. They were especially concerned with ritual washing and tithing down to even herbs.
During Jesus’s ministry, the Pharisees were a powerful religious and political party. Many were part of the Jewish ruling council of 71 leaders known as the Sanhedrin. Nicodemus was one of the Pharisees on the Sanhedrin. Like others, Nicodemus was concerned about Jesus of Nazareth. The man was performing miracles-but how? Many people believed Jesus was the Messiah for whom they had been waiting. A growing number were following Jesus. The time had come for Nicodemus to get some answers directly from this man.
Nicodemus made his way to Jesus under the cover of darkness (John 3). After all, he didn’t want to be seen in broad daylight talking to the man from Nazareth. Once he was in the presence of the man who was causing such a stir, Nicodemus began by addressing the man with a title of respect for teachers-Rabbi.
“Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him,” began Nicodemus.
But Jesus doesn’t answer this question. He cuts to the chase and gets down to the real issue. He tells Nicodemus that unless one is born again, they will not see God. The Pharisee does not understand what Jesus meant by being born again.
Jesus explains to Nicodemus that people are born once of water when they are born. But to have eternal life, one must be born again-this time of the Spirit. Many times, Jesus called God His father. Many times, Jesus called Himself the Son of Man, a Messianic title. Jesus tells Nicodemus that He, the Son of Man, would be “lifted up” ---crucified. And that whoever believed in the Son of Man would have eternal life.
Then Jesus tells Nicodemus what may be the most well-known verse in the Bible:
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16.
Very clearly, Jesus tells the Pharisee that anyone who believes in Him—God’s only son—would have eternal life. They both knew belief was more than just knowing Jesus existed. It meant putting faith and trust in Him. Nicodemus spent his days as a Pharisee following the laws of God and the elders. But this man from Nazareth didn’t mention anything about washing or tithing or any of the other laws he so carefully kept. Jesus cut through it all with His simple explanation: When one believes that Jesus is who He said He is (Son of God, Son of Man) they are born of the Spirit and receive eternal life.
Scripture does not tell us how Nicodemus responded to Jesus that dark night. Did Nicodemus ask more questions? Did he leave in disgust, or confusion, or fear? Or did his heart burn with something he’d never felt before?
The next mention of Nicodemus, gives us a glimpse into his heart. In John 7:51 Nicodemus tries to calm down the situation when his fellow Pharisees wanted to seize Jesus. This verse might show us man who is still on the fence about Jesus. Maybe Nicodemus was still undecided about Jesus, even as his fellow members of the Sanhedrin thought the man was just a trouble maker.
Then Jesus was crucified. Lifted up, just as He’d told Nicodemus.
Nicodemus could not stay on the fence about Jesus any longer. It was time for the Pharisee to publicly choose which side he was on. Nicodemus joined with fellow Sanhedrin member, Joseph of Arimathea, to bury Jesus. Nicodemus bought a hundred pounds of costly spices to use for His burial. They placed Jesus in Joseph’s tomb.
In doing so, Nicodemus and Joseph crossed a line in the sand. There was no going back after this public action. Scripture is silent on what happened to these two men. Were they both tossed out of the Sanhedrin? Were they both tossed out of the temple? Were they both tossed out of the brotherhood of Pharisees?
We will never know how much their belief in Jesus cost them during their lives.
But we know how much they gained: eternal life.
Carla Killough McClafferty