Nicodemus

Nicodemus appears in two scenes in the fourth gospel: the night-time conversation with Jesus on rebirth, and the council scene where he reminds his colleagues that the law hears a man before it judges him.

The Ruler Who Came by Night

He is introduced by name and station: "Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:" (Joh 3:1). The opening is immediately closed by the next verse — he comes by night, and addresses Jesus as a teacher sent from God: "the same came to him by night, and said to him, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do, except God be with him" (Joh 3:2).

Jesus' reply turns the conversation from credentials to rebirth: "Jesus answered and said to him, Truly, truly, I say to you, Except one be born anew, he can't see the kingdom of God" (Joh 3:3). Nicodemus presses literally — "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb, and be born?" (Joh 3:4) — and Jesus answers by distinguishing two births: "Jesus answered, Truly, truly, I say to you, Except one be born of water and spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit" (Joh 3:5-6).

The instruction widens out to the whole audience and shifts to a wind-image: "Do not marvel that I said to you, You⁺ must be born anew. The wind blows where it will, and you hear its voice, but do not know from where it comes, and where it goes: so is everyone who is born of the Spirit" (Joh 3:7-8). Nicodemus answers once more: "How can these things be?" (Joh 3:9). Jesus turns the question back on him as the teacher who ought to know: "Jesus answered and said to him, Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not understand these things?" (Joh 3:10).

In the Council

The second appearance is in the council scene, when the chief priests and Pharisees are deciding what to do with Jesus. He is identified as the same man from the earlier visit: "Nicodemus, he who came to him before, being one of them, says to them," (Joh 7:50). His intervention is procedural: "Does our law judge a man, except it first hear from him and know what he does?" (Joh 7:51). The council's answer dismisses him geographically: "They answered and said to him, Are you also of Galilee? Search, and see that out of Galilee rises no prophet" (Joh 7:52).