Untitled Sermon (2)

The New King James Version Chapter 3

Nicodemus

He was religious (of the Pharisees), educated (Nicodemus is a Greek name), and influential (a ruler). Nicodemus came to Jesus as a representative of all men (John 2:23–25), and in a sense he represented what is highest and best in men.

Nicodemus was “a member of the Jewish ruling council.” That means he was a member of the Sanhedrin, a group of seventy men, both lay and clerical, who had jurisdiction over every Jew on earth. In addition, our Lord’s identification of Nicodemus in verse 10 as “Israel’s teacher” may mean Nicodemus was considered to be the greatest teacher in Jerusalem.

There is some evidence that he came from a very aristocratic family that traced its bloodline back to the Maccabees.11 Hughes, R. Kent. 1999. John: That You May Believe. Preaching the Word. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

He was a Pharisee. One of the primary characteristics of the Pharisees was their seriousness. They were so earnest about their faith that on the Sabbath they would carry no more food than the weight of a dried fig or no more milk than could be swallowed at one gulp lest they break the Sabbath-rest.11 Hughes, R. Kent. 1999. John: That You May Believe. Preaching the Word. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.