The scriptures are silent about Joseph until the Crucifixion of Christ. If Farrar and McConkie are correct in their assessment that it is not just possible but rather extremely probable that the Nicodemus of the Bible and the Nicodemus ben Gorion of the Talmud are the same individual, then the story of Nicodemus is one of the most dramatic stories of conversion and sacrifice in scripture. So what does Nicodemus have that John doesn't? 1995. vol. She urges him to bring her back to their old life, and this seems to be one of the main pressures that prevents him from pursuing Jesus. In these conversations, he expresses his theological questions and worries, but his wife squashes them. [26] The question arises as to whether the biblical and Talmudic figures could be the same individual. Jack Zavada is a writer who covers the Bible, theology, and other Christianity topics. Ante-Nicene Fathers. Some of the extra-biblical traditions about Nicodemus are based on conjecture. It was, in fact, the great yearly fair of Jerusalem, and the crowds added to the din and tumult, till the services in the neighboring courts were sadly disturbed. Add an RSC shortcut to this device's Homescreen, In the menu, scroll past any icons and tap. [On one occasion] twenty-four persons were excommunicated for having failed to render to the rabbi the reverence due his position. In the Gospel of John, he appears three times. Jesus isn't using his conversation with Nicodemus as a teaching moment for a crowd; he's engaging Nicodemus in a private (it's at night) 1-1 conversation, in response to Nicodemus' honest questions. 1 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. February 8, 2022 New Testament mirabela Caiaphas was the high priest, considered the wisest of Jesus' time. [15] Walter M. Chandler, The Trial of Jesus from a Lawyers Standpoint (New York City: Federal Book, 1925), vol. At night, when the masses of humanity had settled into whatever places of abode they could find, there might be some hope of privacy. [35] Edersheim, Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, 1:381n1. Nicodemus, as a Pharisee, would have been among those who were watching for the promised Messiah. In the crowded Passover confusion, and following a very public clearing of the temple, Nicodemus would have been faced with the problem of arranging a meeting with this Galilean at a time and place favorable for his purposes. "Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother's womb to be born!" Quick Answer - Missional Manifesto","@id":"https://www.missionalmanifesto.net/what-happened-to-nicodemus-in-the-bible/#richSnippet","isPartOf":{"@id":"https://www.missionalmanifesto.net/what-happened-to-nicodemus-in-the-bible/#webpage"},"inLanguage":"en-US","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https://www.missionalmanifesto.net/what-happened-to-nicodemus-in-the-bible/#webpage"}}]}. [or to] believe.[8] A number of other translations use the word trust in place of commit. Nicodemus does not speak to Jesus simply as an individual, but as a leader of his community. It also influences his conversations with his wife. [28] Tenny and Barabas, eds., Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, s.v. The reason for such a reaction becomes clear when one understands the pharisaic reasoning and laws which they themselves had established. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him." While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. He was, for example (1) a Pharisee, (2) a member of the Sanhedrin, (3) wealthy, and (4) one of whom it was known that his attachment to Christ was great.. His list includes forty-two of the seventy-one members of that body. Sidney R. Sandstrom, "Nocodemus: Coward or Convert?" The Gospel of John does not describe how their conversation ended. . [20] Nicodemus had personally heard Jesus say in unmistakable language that He was the Only Begotten of the Father, the Son of God. According to Rosamond Rodman, the freed slaves who began living in Nicodemus, Kansas, christened the town after him. Two and one-half years after Nicodemuss visit, Jesus was in Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles. Today we call this unequally yoked. Zavada, Jack. On that occasion, He sat in the midst of the Doctors, and they were hearing him, and asking him questions. In contrast to other traditions, which place the church hierarchy as a mediator between the individual and God, evangelicals, because of their belief in the Priesthood of All Believers, talk about Jesus as someone we can encounter in a direct and personal way. After your youth list a few examples, I would point out: When we read the Bible and see women being mistreated by men it's good to keep in mind that the Bible is not endorsing these behaviors, it's simply describing events as they happened. In medieval paintings revolving around the Deposition, he prominently appears alongside Joseph of Arimathea, bringing the dead Christ down from the cross, often with the help of a ladder. If you liked this post, you might want to check out some of my other posts on The Chosen and Bible adaptation. Jesus counseled Nicodemus personally and privately. When appearing with Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus more commonly supports the lower body of Jesus while Joseph supports the upper body. Where in the Bible Does it Talk About Nicodemus, Where Is Nicodemus Mentioned in the Bible, What Does Transgression Mean in the Bible, Who Wrote the Book of Proverbs in the Bible, What Does the Bible Say About Seasons in Your Life, Who Was the Longest Living Person in the Bible, Can You Read the Bible in Chronological Order, Where in the Bible Talks About Lucifer Being an Angel, How Many Wives Did Solomon Have in the Bible. His reaction to the councils desire to arrest Jesus was boldly calculated to bring out the irony of their lawless act at the very moment in which they were ridiculing the lawless behavior of the crowd (7:4951). In that case, when Nicodemus suggests that the Sanhedrin should investigate Jesus' actions and words, it may reflect his own genuine desire to look more deeply into what Jesus is saying. As Season One of The Chosen progresses, Mary's story fades into the background and the show becomes more male-dominated, focusing primarily on Simon, Nicodemus, and Matthew. After all, they reasoned, Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him? (v. 48). I hope you enjoy them! Elder Bruce R. McConkie sets the scene: Our Lord has driven from the Temple Court the sacrificial animals, probably numbering in the thousands; has used a scourge of small cords upon the carnal men who made merchandise in his Fathers House; and has extended his own arm of healing to bless and cure manyand all Jerusalem is aware of the miracles he has done.[2]. However, Yussif, a Pharisee that is interested in Jesus, writes a letter to Nicodemus about Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. It would have been difficult for The Chosen to mirror the exact shape of Nicodemus' arc in The Gospel of John. This was a risky move for both of them. Nicodemus, whose name means "innocent of blood," stood up for Jesus when the Pharisees were conspiring against him: Nicodemus was intelligent and inquiring. [5] McConkie, Mortal Messiah, 1:471. or the need to stream it, you can find it. . He is also featured prominently in Chapter 19. . It seems like The Chosen brings a conclusion to Nicodemus' conversion story because it wants to shift the focus of his narrative to the struggle between faith and fear. Sellers shouted the merits of their beasts, sheep bleated, and oxen lowed. Luke 23 :55-56 states that the women "who had come with him from Galilee" prepared the spices and ointments. After Jesus crucifixion, Nicodemus assists Joseph of Arimathea in laying Jesus body in a nearby tomb (John 19:3942). . Episode 8 Guide: The Woman at the Well, Eden, & Zohara, Christmas with The Chosen: The Messengers, The Chosen Season 2 Controversy (Jesus, the Bible, & the Process of Inspiration), Should Nicodemus Kneel? [24] Frederic W. Farrar, The Life of Christ (New York: E. P. Dutton, 1874), 2:42829. He may have had a sincere desire to have a serious private conversation away from the crowded, county-fair atmosphere of the Passover-choked streets and temple precincts. For more information about how to have eternal life visit Searching For God. The Chosen begins with two episodes that follow the arc of Mary Magdalene (Lilith) very closely. That being said, I'm not 100% sold on every aspect of how The Chosen ends up depicting his character and interactions with Jesus. . Here we are told that Pilates wife did not come to her husband when he was sitting on the judgment seat during the trial of Jesus Christ. Ryan Nicodemus changed his way of life and went The Minimalist, the very last thing people expected from him. Strong suggests some alternative translations such as: to have faith (in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing) . The Gospel of Nicodemus. Nicodemus last appears in the Bible after the death of Jesus. You may want to supplement with your own knowledge of first century Jewish and Roman culture, but keep in mind that the episode itself will provide plenty of concrete snapshots of the life of women in Jesus' day. In John 3:1, he is described as a Pharisee. During the conversation, Jesus explains the nature of the kingdom of God and teaches Nicodemus how to enter it through water and spirit. It is said that the relics of Stephen the Protomartyr, Gamaliel, and Abibas (Gamaliel's second son) were found on the same day. [32], According to Elder McConkie, We are left to assume that following his interview with Jesus [at night], the processes of conversion continued to operate in the life of Nicodemus.[33] It would be hard to imagine an individual having a personal face-to-face conversation with the Lord in which he hears Christ bear witness in unmistakable language that He was the Son of God without that testimony having some effect. Composed in 1715, its libretto was written by the court poet in Weimar, Salomo Franck. Together, they sought permission from Pilate to take the body of Jesus off the cross and bury it before the Sabbath began. This would be a major sacrifice for them. He chose to have been thrown out of the synagogue after it was revealed that he believed in the Savior Jesus Christ. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Nicodemus. Out of a typically evangelical concern for proclaiming accurate theology, the characters jump to the conclusion that Jesus is divine far too quickly. One has to wonder what was happening or what motives were driving this interview, for if Nicodemus were the least bit open to offense, this would have given him ample reason to feel injured. After wrestling with the question in Episode 8, Nicodemus does not accept the invitation to follow Jesus. On the other hand, when he has his encounter with Jesus, the questions that he asks aren't intended to trick or catch Jesus like the questions of his peers. He was also a member of the Sanhedrin, the supreme court in ancient Israel. The Gospel of John says Nicodemus was a "Pharisee" and a "ruler of the Jews" (John 3:1). In response, both he and Jesus are subjected to mockery. During first several decades after Jesus' resurrection, Christianity was known as a religion predominantly of women and slaves. Either way, it is quite clear that he had significant power in the Sanhedrin. Quick Answer - Missional Manifesto","datePublished":"2022-06-23T12:59:31+00:00","dateModified":"2022-06-23T12:59:31+00:00","isPartOf":{"@id":"https://www.missionalmanifesto.net/#website"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https://www.missionalmanifesto.net/author/jspaul/","name":"Pastor JS Paul","url":"https://www.missionalmanifesto.net/author/jspaul/","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/a25b86780015a7a80bc62298866e0757?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/a25b86780015a7a80bc62298866e0757?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Pastor JS Paul","inLanguage":"en-US"},"sameAs":["https://web.facebook.com/groupepignosis"]},{"@type":"BlogPosting","headline":"What Happened to Nicodemus in the Bible? And that's it for our exploration of The Chosen Season 1 with youth! Can you think of some stories about Jesus' interactions with women? In some depictions, such as Filippino Lippis Piet, he is the lone figure bearing the body, flanked by two angels. It seems clear that Jesus saw Nicodemus as a receptive listener. [18] Elder McConkie explains, Our Lord is speaking in the early days of his ministry. Even so, a degree of ambiguity could still have been retained. . Quick Answer - Missional Manifesto","datePublished":"2022-06-23T12:59:31+00:00","dateModified":"2022-06-23T12:59:31+00:00","articleSection":"Are","author":{"@id":"https://www.missionalmanifesto.net/author/jspaul/"},"publisher":{"@id":"https://www.missionalmanifesto.net/#person"},"description":"What Happened to Nicodemus in the Bible? Unchecked, this fear can lead followers of Jesus to distance themselves from the Messiah and even fall away. Early traditions of the Roman imperial church, which held Nicodemus in high esteem, and apocryphal biblical literature both offer detail that informs the modern reception of Nicodemuss identity and biography. [36] McConkie, Mortal Messiah, 4:239. Nicodemus, having either seen or heard of these same miracles, approached Jesus with a virtually identical declaration: We know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him (John 3:2). Did you notice how Jesus responded back when that happened? Because evangelicals tend value art primarily as an instrument of evangelism, skeptic conversion side-plots are ubiquitous. Taking these cues from the Gospel of John, The Chosen uses Nicodemus' story to explore the tension between faith and fear. Now, ever since my Packing Party, in 2010, I'm . Nor was this all. . The Gospel of Nicodemus. In that case, Nicodemus is trying to hide his faith while at the same time secretly supporting his master. Season 2 Reflection P1: What is The Chosen Season 2 about? Brandon Potter as Quintus: a Roman magistrate in Capernaum and the Praetor of Galilee. When Nicodemus found Jesus, the Lord recognized his pressing need. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/nicodemus-38964.php. Among the most influential representations of Nicodemus is that in the apocryphal Acts of Pilate, a 4th/5th-century work that expounds on the sentencing and crucifixion of Jesus. Nicodemus ben Gorion later lost his wealth and position so that some have attributed this reversal of circumstance to his having become a Christian. However, the author then adds, The identification is unlikely.[28]. . Nicodemus makes three appearances in Scripture, all in the Gospel of John: in the Born Again conversation with Jesus (John 3:1-21), in a debate among the Jewish leaders (John 7:45-52), and at the burial of Jesus (John 19:38-42). His own disciples often queried him privately, seeking clarification following his public teaching or doctrinal understanding (see Matthew 24:3; Mark 9:2829). (Plots & Theme), Episode 2 Guide: Philip, Nathanael, & Matthew, Episode 3 Guide: Life Among the Disciples of Jesus, Episode 4 Guide: Simon the Zealot & the Man at the Bethesda Pool, Episode 5 Guide: Mary's Demons & the Destiny of John the Baptist, Episode 8 Guide: Judas, Matthew, & the Sermon on the Mount, Episode 1 Guide: Mary Magdalene, Lilith, and the Redeemer, Episode 2 Guide: Mary Magdalene, Nicodemus, and Shabbat, Episode 3 Guide: Depicting Jesus in Art, Film, and TV, Episode 4 Guide: When Jesus Met Simon (Peter), Episode 6 Guide: Jesus, Shmuel, & the Pharisees. One commentary, for example, states that Nicodemus sought out "Jesus in 'the night' which has suggested to most of the interpreters that he was hesitant and afraid to be seen with Jesus, coming as he did in secrecy out of regard for his reputation and to protect himself.". We'll get to see whether Nicodemus follows Jesus and what happens to Matthew, now that he's left his tax stall. The word commit is translated from the Greek verb ? (pist??). There is no indication in the Bible that Nicodemus left money for Jesus. And while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, Have nothing to do with that righteous Man; for last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of Him. Matthew 27:15-19 (NASB). Moreover, by bringing these concerns to the surface as a context for watching Episode 8 of The Chosen, you highlight the radical difference between how Jesus treated women and how women were treated by biblical figures like Abraham and David. Peter's decision to follow Jesus is encouraged strongly by Eden. Why do you think Photina sometimes responded a little harshly to Jesus? These were spices used to embalm the body. . This group of Jews influenced the early church and were critical of Jesus' ministry. In Chapter Seven, Nicodemus asks his fellow chief priests and Pharisees to carefully listen and examine before passing judgement on Jesus. How would you describe the way that Jesus treated women? FYI: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Nicodemus relationship with Jesus was marked by a complex spiritual development. His reputation was at stake, so he took a step outside his comfort zone by challenging fellow Pharisees. Joshua and his wife, Rebecca, launched How to Love, a podcast about relationships, sex, . 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