A Pharisee and a "ruler of the Jews." He was part of the elite 70-member council that governed Jewish religious life. He was wealthy, respected, and educated.

Jesus called him "The Teacher of Israel" (John 3:10). He knew the Torah inside and out. He had all the answers, yet he came to Jesus because he sensed something was missing.

He was formed by Structure and Tradition. His life was defined by boundaries—what to eat, who to touch, when to pray. Jesus challenged him to be "born of the Spirit" (like wind), which has no boundaries.

He was shaped by the Hostility of his Peers. In John 7, he tried to defend Jesus on legal grounds ("Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him?"). He was mocked: "Are you from Galilee, too?" He felt the sting of being an outsider among his own group.

1. The Night (Curiosity).
2. The Question (Confusion).
3. The Council (Defense).
4. The Cross (Public Devotion).

The Seeker in High Places. Nicodemus represented the possibility that the Gospel could reach the elite. He carried the intellectual questions of the educated class.

He provided Dignity in Death. He brought 75 pounds of myrrh and aloes to bury Jesus. This was a "King's Burial." He honored Jesus when the world had shamed Him.

Jesus' body depended on him. If not for Nicodemus and Joseph, Jesus might have been thrown into a common criminal's grave.

He fulfilled Isaiah 53:9 ("He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death"). His wealth served the prophecy.

He held fast to Reason. He didn't get swept away by the emotional hatred of the Pharisees. He kept asking, "Does our law allow this?" He was a man of fairness.

He broke his Fear at the Cross. For three years, he was a "closet believer." But when he saw the Innocent One die, his fear vanished. He stepped out of the shadows. The death of Christ killed his cowardice.