Who was Nicodemus in the Bible?

from the old testament

• Nicodemus is not mentioned in the Old Testament.

from the new testament

• We read about Nicodemus in only three Gospel accounts, and the only significant one is the first. In that account, he is introduced as: “There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews” (John 3:1). That comment provides most of the background on who he was. As a Pharisee, he belonged to the more legalistic sect of Judaism. As a “ruler of the Jews,” he was also a member of the Sanhedrin, a ruling body of Pharisees and Sadducees that set and enforced Jewish law. Jesus also called him a teacher of the law (John 3:10), consistent with his role as a Jewish ruler.
• Beyond this overview, we don’t know much more about Nicodemus except that he was likely one of the authorities referenced later in John who secretly believed in Jesus but were afraid of being excommunicated (John 12:42). This is supported by the fact that in the main account with Nicodemus, he approached Jesus at night (John 3:2a). He also referred to “we” when he said, “we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him” (John 3:2b). While he could be referring to all the leaders, he may also be alluding to those who believe that Jesus is who He said He was.
• However, in this account, Nicodemus clearly doesn’t fully understand salvation. Most of their conversation focuses on being born again by the Spirit (John 3:3–8). Nicodemus mostly listens, but the last time he speaks, he asks, “How can these things be?” (John 3:9), indicating he still didn't understand spiritual rebirth. Jesus ended the conversation by explaining that just as Moses lifted the serpent up so that the Jews who looked in belief would be physically saved, so also Jesus would be lifted so that all who looked at Him would be spiritually saved (John 3:10–15).
• After that, the story ends, and it’s unclear where Nicodemus is spiritually. However, he is mentioned briefly two more times, each time defending Jesus' interests. In the first, the Jewish leaders rebuked the officers for not arresting Jesus (John 7:45), who countered that “No one ever spoke like this man!” (John 7:46). The Jewish rulers were angry. Nicodemus tried to calm them down, saying, “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?” (John 7:50–51). He was effectively asking why they were in such a hurry to arrest Jesus without listening to Him first. They then began verbally abusing Nicodemus  (John 7:52).
• In the next brief mention, Joseph of Arimathea, another member of the Sanhedrin, received permission from Pilate to bury Jesus after He died (John 19:38). Nicodemus is recorded as helping Joseph prepare the body with expensive spices and wrap Jesus (John 19:39–40). The Bible never says directly that Nicodemus believed, but his actions suggest that he became more open about his faith in Jesus, possibly showing that he came to saving faith by the time Jesus died.

implications for today

As a Jewish leader, Nicodemus had everything to lose by following Jesus. Yet his willingness to consult with Jesus, defend Jesus’ right to a fair trial, and participate in Jesus’ burial suggests he may have been a secret believer.

If he was, that's great, but he’s not a model for how faith usually works itself out. Unlike Paul, also a Pharisee, who rejected all that he once was to follow Christ (Philippians 3:4–8), Nicodemus’ story is closer to a man straddling between belief and fear of the world.

He was in a completely different situation than we were, and it’s not our place to judge him or his heart. But we can learn two things about how we are to be.

First, Jesus said that the world will hate His followers because they hated Him (John 15:18–20). We need to be aware and willing to face the real possibility of rejection or worse for following Jesus.

Second, “fear of man” (Proverbs 29:25) is a real temptation even for believers. Jesus taught disciples at that time not to worry about standing strong in the future, but told them that the Spirit would give them what they needed to say at the right time (Luke 12:11–12). Our lives, then, should not be about worrying about the “what ifs,” but about preparing ourselves by knowing God and Jesus better through His Word. As we do, when temptations come—of any sort—we will have the knowledge the Spirit will use to help us in those difficult times.

If Nicodemus was a true believer, then he was a lot like the rest of us: a weak believer who struggled with fear. But that is why we need Jesus. None of us are strong enough on our own. We need God’s Spirit to help us stand firm and give us courage when following Jesus is difficult. So let us grow in knowing God through His Word and learn to depend on His strength, trusting Him to help us stand for Jesus when the time comes.