Besides cowardice, there are other possible explanations why Nicodemus would seek an audience with Jesus at night. His was more than a simple greeting of courtesy, such as sir. Nicodemus put himself in a subservient position, as Elder McConkie notes: Different degrees of honor were intended as people used the term Rab, meaning master; Rabbi, my master; and Rabboni, my lord and master.[12]. He was afraid of what might happen if he spoke to Jesus in broad daylight, where people might report him. 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. The fine linen (sindn) which Joseph had purchased was richly spread with the hundred litras of myrrh and perfumed aloe-wood which Nicodemus had brought, and the lacerated bodywhose divinely-human spirit was now in the calm of its Sabbath rest in the Paradise of Godwas thus carried to its loved and peaceful grave. Have my posts about Bible adaptation helped you learn more about the Bible and explore it with your ministry or family? During what years was Pontius Pilate governor of Judea. 3. As a member of the Sanhedrin, who derived their political power from the Roman government, political activists with a messiah complex could only mean trouble both politically and religiously. His reputation was at stake, so he took a step outside his comfort zone by challenging fellow Pharisees. Nicodemus had a Pharisee spirit, but he got saved. Religious Educator9, no. In the Bible, Nicodemus was an important figure who visited Jesus during the evening, and accompanied him to the cross. to entrust, . Season 2 Reflection P1: What is The Chosen Season 2 about? When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Nicodemus was not the only one among the ruling classes who believed in Jesus; but of most of these we learn nothing to indicate that they had sufficient courage to come even by night to make independent and personal inquiry. It's a perfect embodiment the evangelical vision of what it means to have a personal relationship with Jesus. In response, both he and Jesus are subjected to mockery. The scriptures are silent about Joseph until the Crucifixion of Christ. Today, what are some ways that women might have their lives disrupted by Jesus' kingdom? In the show, Nicodemus seems to already understand that Jesus is not just the Messiah but also divine, which isn't at all obvious from what Jesus actually says. [15] Walter M. Chandler, The Trial of Jesus from a Lawyers Standpoint (New York City: Federal Book, 1925), vol. Apparently John was, if not walking in the same circles, at least comfortable among those who wielded power in Jerusalem. With eighteen months of plotting against Jesus, the conspiracy was an open secret in the streets of Jerusalem. See also Farrar, The Life of Christ, 2:428; emphasis added. These would have been seen as marks of poor character - that's why Photina had to get water in the hot afternoon instead of going early in the morning when it's cool - the other women looked down on her. (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. 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. Buchanan's 2011 novel, "Nicodemus," portrays the Pharisee as a learned scholar enthralled by a woman who, like Jesus, puts love before the law. According to theologian Charles Ellicott, following the methods of Rabbinic dialogue, Nicodemus stresses on the improbable meaning of the words to bring out the real meaning. . Elliott was well versed in Pot Fishing by 19 and was better than your average . In The Chosen, Nicodemus has a wife named Zohara. Donations to this ministry aretax-deductible. 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. One other small critique of Nicodemus' conversion story: he understands far too much about Jesus far too quickly. The name of Nicodemus is mentioned in the Talmud also; and, although it was known that his attachment to Christ was great, he is, nevertheless, spoken of with honor. If so, the interview may well have taken place in the guest chamber on the roof, which would have been accessible via outside stairs.[5] If Elder McConkie is correct, it may have been fairly easy for an official with standing and influence in Jerusalem like Nicodemus to find Jesus, who was staying with an apparently well-known and well-connected John. The Chosen should allow its characters to embrace faith in Jesus with a more incomplete or tentative understanding of who he actually is. John does tell us that he was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews (John 19:38). [30] Chandler, Trial of Jesus from a Lawyers Standpoint, 2:319; emphasis added. The Chosen Season 3: What to Expect & How to Watch, The Chosen Season 3 Episode 1 & Episode 2: Reaction and Analysis, The Chosen Season 3 Episode 3: Recap, Review, & Analysis, The Chosen Season 3 Episode 4: Recap, Review, & Analysis, The Chosen Season 3 Episode 5: Recap, Review, & Analysis, The Chosen Season 3 Episode 6: Recap, Review, & Analysis, The Chosen Season 3 Episodes 7 & 8: Recap, Review, & Analysis, The Chosen Season 3 Episodes 1 & 2: Questions to Discuss Before the Premiere, Preparing for The Chosen Season 3: 7 Episodes to Watch, I am the Law of Moses (The Chosen Season 3 Controversy), Little James in The Chosen & Scripture ***Season 3***, Pontius Pilate & his Wife in The Chosen ***Season 3***, Judas in The Chosen ***Season 3 Update***, Matthew in The Chosen ***Season 3 Update***, Simon and Andrew in The Chosen ***Season 3 Update***, Lilith, Demons, & Evil Spirits in The Chosen, Simon the Zealot & Nathanael in The Chosen, Quintus, Gaius, and the Romans in The Chosen, Episode 8 Guide: The Feeding of the 5,000. The Chosen begins with two episodes that follow the arc of Mary Magdalene (Lilith) very closely. Despite the evangelical obsession with the Heel-Face Turn, there are actually relatively few stories in the Gospels themselves that follow this pattern. 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]. FYI: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. 1) Nicodemus meets Jesus secretly. However, the National Park Service disputes this, asserting that the name of the town was inspired by an 1864 song, Wake Nicodemus by Henry Clay Work. During Jesus burial, Nicodemus provides about 100 Roman pounds (33 kg) of a mixture of myrrh and aloes. For more information about how to have eternal life visit Searching For God. Jesus could then respond, "I know you have many more questions and doubts. "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit," Jesus said. This letter is placed in the keeping of his synagogue administrator, Jairus, to give Yussif time to reconsider his words before sending it. Jesus, the Living Word, ministered to Nicodemus, a hurting and confused individual, with great compassion and dignity. In Michelangelos sculpture of the entombment, Nicodemus is assisted by the Virgin Mary and Mary Magdalene, rather than Joseph of Arimathea. Required fields are marked *. As such, his character remains largely ambiguous within the biblical canon. ask them which heard me, what I have said unto them: behold, they know what I said. Then, one of the officers which stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, Answerest thou the high priest so? (John 18:1923). Finally an angel takes charge of his severed head. It is the fear of Rome that causes Nicodemus to abuse his role as an esteemed teacher and serve Roman interests. In the beginning of the biblical story, men and women are created to be in a loving and respectful relationship to one another. However, Nicodemus became a disciple of Jesus and publicly . However, the portrayal of him in the Gospel is generally positive. According to Rosamond Rodman, the freed slaves who began living in Nicodemus, Kansas, christened the town after him. 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.[1] Because the John discusses him as one who came to Jesus by night (John 7:50; 19:39), his every action thereafter seems to be colored by the timing of this first visit. 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? Peter ultimately accepts the call and follows Jesus. He is also featured prominently in Chapter 19. Even though the timeline between their relationship remains anonymous, the couple apparently met a while before 2014. [26] The question arises as to whether the biblical and Talmudic figures could be the same individual. How would you describe the way that Jesus treated women? [5] McConkie, Mortal Messiah, 1:471. [34] Geoffrey W. Bromiley ed., The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1986), s.v. Nicodemus first appears in the Bible in John 3, when he sought out Jesus by night. When he first sought out Jesus, Nicodemus went at night, so no one would see him. Today, what are some examples of situations that cause women to experience a sense of shame and regret like Photina? [3], Elder McConkie adds perspective to the crush in Jerusalem during Passover: In the days of Jesus, the walled portion of the city encompassed some three hundred acres of houses and streets and markets and shops. The Gospel of Nicodemus. This led the scholars to believe that Nicodemus was likely a wealthy man. . He was involved in the Pharisee movement and was part of the Sanhedrin assemblies. What did you notice about how Jesus interacted with Photina? Known for: Nicodemus was a leading Pharisee and well-recognized religious leader of the Jewish people. Today we call this unequally yoked. Nicodemus was a Pharisee who believed in the miracles that Jesus performed. There isn't one.". However, it's important to keep in mind that the Bible does not give us a complete description of the encounter between Jesus and Nicodemus (, In the Bible, it isn't completely clear when Nicodemus began to follow Jesus, if he did at all. Miriam, daughter of Naqdimon ben Gurion of distinguished parentage, whose marriage contract providing 1,000,000 gold denars for her widowhood. This enormous sum Baron presents in contrast to poor fathers [who] were expected to supply a minimum dowry of 50 denarii (Salo Wittmayer Baron, A Social and Religious History of the Jews, 18 vols., 2nd ed., [Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society of America, 1952], 2:11314, 221). Because of this, he is commemorated on the Sunday of Myrrh-bearing Women, two weeks after Pascha. 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. In the same conversation Nicodemus seeks to understand how a person might be born again after having left a mothers womb. He referred to Jesus as a man of God and sought to investigate his character. Out of a typically evangelical concern for proclaiming accurate theology, the characters jump to the conclusion that Jesus is divine far too quickly. Edersheim notes the compromising position in which Nicodemus knowingly placed himself by meeting with Jesus: We can scarcely realise the difficulties which he had to overcome. In John 3:1, he is described as a Pharisee. . Meet Nicodemus: Seeker of God. Instead of having Nicodemus respond to Jesus' Born Again speech by falling to his knees and confessing his faith, we could have been given a much more ambiguous response, communicated solely through facial expressions or perhaps by having him ask even more questions. February 8, 2022 New Testament mirabela Caiaphas was the high priest, considered the wisest of Jesus' time. He tagged along with Joseph of Arimathea, another disciple of Jesus. How do you think it might have related back to the way Jesus treated women? Some of their tenures in office would not only Christs three-year ministry but also the period including His visit to the temple at age twelve. The conversation between Nicodemus and Jesus revolves around the concept of "born again" or "born from above". This was a risky move for both of them. [24] Frederic W. Farrar, The Life of Christ (New York: E. P. Dutton, 1874), 2:42829. They feared the result in loss of popularity and standing. Nicodemus is one of the few Pharisees who believed in Jesus. Just think Claudia Procula was the first one we know of who was unequally yoked. These were spices used to embalm the body. Nicodemus does not speak to Jesus simply as an individual, but as a leader of his community. The episode also gives Nicodemus a wife, who seems to exist mainly to give him someone to express his ideas to when he isn't with his fellow Pharisees. Having missed the opportunity to arrest Him at the most recent Passover, the Jews sought him at the feast [of Tabernacles] (John 7:11). It would seem that Nicodemus, if his visit was indeed an act of cowardice, was nevertheless the bravest of his associates. However, based on what we know of Jewish culture, it's almost certain that Nicodemus was married. Unchecked, this fear can lead followers of Jesus to distance themselves from the Messiah and even fall away. (John 3:3, NIV), "How can someone be born when they are old?" It drives him to abuse his position as an esteemed teacher to serve the interests of Rome. This must have caused some uneasiness among those whom we know were or may have been in this meeting of the Sanhedrinpeople such as Nicodemus (himself a Pharisee), Joseph of Arimathea, and others among the chief rulers who also believed on him.. It also influences his conversations with his wife. But, even so, we cannot wonder that he should have wished to shroud his first visit in the utmost possible secrecy. When he heard about Jesus' ministry, he grew disturbed and confused by the words the Lord was preaching. Joseph and Nicodemus were the only two who saw the body of Jesus before it was wrapped, but the women didnt see Nicodemus. Either this was the height of blasphemy or He was the Son of God, the Messiah, or a political time bomb. Taking these cues from the Gospel of John, The Chosen uses Nicodemus' story to explore the tension between faith and fear. In some depictions, such as Filippino Lippis Piet, he is the lone figure bearing the body, flanked by two angels. As the the bronze serpent was lifted up on a pole, all who . What did you observe about the way Jesus interacted with Eden and her mother? [15] It is possible that some of those earlier doctors were among the current chief rulers who these many years later are said to have also believed on himpart of the we to which Nicodemus referred. [7] For a good illustration of the temple complex, see David B. Galbraith, D. Kelly Ogden, and Andrew C. Skinner, Jerusalem: The Eternal City (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1996), 189. The Minimalists are American authors, podcasters, filmmakers, and public speakers Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, who promote a minimalist lifestyle. Even if there were more than one member of the Sanhedrin with the name Nicodemus who were both Pharisees and wealthy, how many of them were also believers in Christ? Nicodemuss legends generally link him to the monumental crosses. Ibid. At this Feast of Tabernacles the scriptures next mention Nicodemus as he sits in this meeting of the Sanhedrin. Fear also plays an important role in the conversations that Nicodemus has with his wife. I have Bible studies/discussion guides for each episode of The Chosen Seasons 1-3, blogs exploring how The Chosen adapts key biblical figures, and articles exploring the controversial nature of adaptation. [14] We know from Walter M. Chandlers research that some of the members of the Sanhedrin served many years. Jesus identifies Nicodemus as a prominent Pharisee and a leader of the Jewish people. What do you think Jesus' heart is for women in these situations? In 1937, Ernst Pepping wrote an Evangelienmotette (motet on gospel text), titled Jesus und Nikodemus. Nina Leon as Salome: the wife of Zebedee and the mother of Big James and John. The Copts and Christians of . Episode 7 Guide: Did Nicodemus Follow Jesus? 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