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). FYI: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Apparently Jesuss measure of the man, though Nicodemus came by night, was different from the masses who professed belief based on the same evidence. In the sequence of events, John puts the rendezvous after the cleansing of the temple and connects it to the signs which Jesus demonstrated in Jerusalem during the Passover feast. Jesus calls him by an honorific title, "the Teacher of Israel" (John 3:10). John gives us the account of Nathanael when he asks Philip, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? He is invited to Come and see. Then based on Jesus miraculous description of Nathanael praying, he bears witness, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel (John 1:4649)thus a skeptic becomes a disciple and perhaps even an Apostle. The Gospel of John, which appears to be a primary source for much of The Chosen's first season, is particularly interested in the tension between the fear of man and faith in Jesus (e.g. Part 1, Chapter 4 (second Greek form). The Sadducees consisted of old high-priestly families who came to the front during the Maccabean war. Nicodemus.. Nicodemus struggles with the call but ultimately has cold feet and doesn't follow Jesus. Frederic W. Farrar refers to Christian tradition when he writes: Tradition says that after the Resurrection . This prominent member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish supreme court, secretly visited Jesus Christ at night because he suspected the young teacher might be the Messiah promised to Israel by God. Sidney R. Sandstrom, "Nocodemus: Coward or Convert?" 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. He was also a member of the Sanhedrin, the supreme court in ancient Israel. If Zohara met Jesus, do you think she would respond differently to Nicodemus' spiritual struggle? Martin Luther King Jr., during his Where Do We Go From Here? speech, given at the 11th Annual SCLC Convention in Atlanta, Georgia, on August 16, 1967, used Nicodemus as a metaphor to speak about the need of the United States to be born again, so the country is able to successfully deal with social and economic inequalities. It seems clear that Jesus saw Nicodemus as a receptive listener. . The Heal-Face Turn is a very popular trope in Christian fiction. It was Caiaphas who gave the Jews this advice. The reaction was so predictable that John informs us that those of the Sanhedrin who believed on him did not dare to have it known lest they should be put out of the synagogue (John 12:42). . By having Nicodemus demonstrate that he clearly has faith in Jesus during their secret meeting, it emphasizes how his refusal to follow Jesus in public is due to his fear of man (more on that plot arc below). The dream must have been a bad dream for the Greek, pascho polys, states that she suffered great pain during the dream. Commenting about Nicodemus and Joseph on this occasion, Farrar writes: However much he had held back during the life of Jesus, now, on the evening of His death, his heart was filled with a gush of compassion and remorse, and he hurried to His cross and burial with an offering of truly royal munificence. The possibility of seeing the Kingdom of God is also talked about. or the need to stream it, you can find it on Amazon. Nicodemus was not the only one who sought a private audience with Christ. Episode 7 Guide: Did Nicodemus Follow Jesus? 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). The Minimalists are American authors, podcasters, filmmakers, and public speakers Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, who promote a minimalist lifestyle. Joseph of Arimathea, Donor of Jesus' Tomb, John 3:16 -- The Most Popular Bible Verse, The Gospel Truth About How to Get to Heaven, Meet Matthew the Apostle, Ex-Tax Collector, The Ultimate List of Christmas Bible Verses to Celebrate Jesus' Birth, Holy Week Timeline: From Palm Sunday to the Resurrection, M.A., English Composition, Illinois State University, B.S., English Literature, Illinois State University, Jesus replied, "Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again." has been identified by some with this man in the NT who came to Jesus by night. Nicodemus, like other seekers, had a deep feeling that there must be something more to life, a great truth to be discovered. In the Bible, Nicodemus was an important figure who visited Jesus during the evening, and accompanied him to the cross. On the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus finally made His appearance. There is no indication in the Bible that Nicodemus left money for Jesus. Ryan Nicodemus changed his way of life and went The Minimalist, the very last thing people expected from him. Although Joseph of Arimathea, the owner of the tomb, is mentioned in all four canonical Gospels as preparing the body for burial, Nicodemus is mentioned only in the Gospel According to John. 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. Nicodemus struggles with the call but ultimately has cold feet and doesn't follow Jesus. This makes these creations examples of acheiropoieta. There might have been some furtive glances at fellow believers before Nicodemus asked his question. Thus the dialogue between Nicodemus and Jesus begins with, Rabbi, 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). [or to] believe.[8] A number of other translations use the word trust in place of commit. . In fact, it goes out of its way to highlight their moral failures. Nicodemus first appears in the Bible in John chapter 3 when he desires to know more about Jesus and His teachings. About Ryan Nicodemus. With Jesuss public challenge to the Jewish aristocracy in cleansing the temple, with so little known about the man and his intentions, with other messiah figures having come and gone, caution could be seen as a wise approach, especially for a person of position. Jesus is the source of all truth, the meaning of life. 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. [20] Nicodemus had personally heard Jesus say in unmistakable language that He was the Only Begotten of the Father, the Son of God. Your email address will not be published. He may have been absent. When we are born again, as Nicodemus was, we should never forget that we have forgiveness of our sins and eternal life because of Christ's sacrifice for us. Zavada, Jack. He chose to have been thrown out of the synagogue after it was revealed that he believed in the Savior Jesus Christ. . Nicodemus speaks to Jesus in the first-person plural (we know). 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. Elliott was well versed in Pot Fishing by 19 and was better than your average . But The Chosen must have other reasons taking interest in Nicodemus. Nicodemus is clearly the perfect candidate for the role of the Heal-Face skeptic in The Chosen. By the end of the Gospel of John, Nicodemus appears to have become a disciple, and so it's possible that Jesus did invite Nicodemus to follow him. Finally an angel takes charge of his severed head. The Woman at the Well, Eden, & Zohara (Exploring The Chosen with Youth), Photina in the Market in The Chosen Season 2, Jesus with Mary Magdalene, Tamar, Ramah, and his mother, Mary, Due to COVID restrictions, my youth group watched The Chosen online using Zoom. (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. 4. We see this especially in the veiled threat that Shmuel makes toward the end of season 1. Furthermore, John 3:16 has become a frequently-quoted verse in relation to Gods plan of salvation. It was a most compromising step for a Sanhedrist to take. After men and women sin, their relational intimacy is broken and they're warned that conflict and power struggles will become the new normal in how they relate to each other (Genesis 3:16). Taking these cues from the Gospel of John, The Chosen uses Nicodemus' story to explore the tension between faith and fear. Nicodemus last appears in the Bible after the death of Jesus. In the beginning of the biblical story, men and women are created to be in a loving and respectful relationship to one another. Most characters that encounter Jesus in the Gospels are either stubbornly opposed to him (the Pharisees) or already inclined to at least a modicum of faith. If we were able to walk the streets of Jerusalem at Passover in Jesuss day, we would see ample reason for any sincere individual to seek a secluded setting in which to have a private, serious conversation: The streets were blocked by the crowds from all parts, who had to make their way to the Temple, past flocks of sheep, and droves of cattle, pressing on in the sunken middle part of each street reserved for them, to prevent contact and defilement. . Although Nicodemus wonders about the probability of being actually reborn from one's mother's womb, most theologians hold the view that Nicodemus was aware that Jesus was not talking about literal rebirth. We know from John 3 that Nicodemus was a Pharisee, a member of the Jewish ruling council, who came to Jesus at night with a question. Yes, we see Jesus teaching crowds from time to time, but such moments are merely set pieces that provide context for more private interactions. Theologian John Calvin was the originator of it. You can find episode 8 on YouTube, . In the Bible, it isn't completely clear when Nicodemus began to follow Jesus, if he did at all. Whether there was any connection with our Nicodemus, and if so what, cannot be proved, but it does look as if John is not merely inventing. On more than one occasion, he expresses theological questions and doubts, only to get batted down by his wife, who reminds Nicodemus of the potentially negative social ramifications if someone else heard him talking that way. If the above statements are true about her, she was one who feared God. Nicodemus is often portrayed as a cowardly or vacillating person. The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible states, A Nicodemus ben Gorion, who was a brother to the historian Josephus, a very wealthy member of the Sanhedrin in the 1st cent. With that first bold purgation of the Temple a deadly feud between Jesus and the Jewish authorities had begun. He received an answer that generations of Christians would hide in their hearts. Imagine if, after Jesus concludes his teaching about New Birth, Nicodemus responded with more questions and doubts instead of a clear display of faith. Nicodemus is one of the few Pharisees who believed in Jesus. Joshua and his wife, Rebecca, launched How to Love, a podcast about relationships, sex, . Donations to this ministry aretax-deductible. After all, he only shows up in one Gospel (John) and only makes a handful of appearances: the well known "Born Again" conversation (John 3:1-21), in a brief argument with the Sanhedrin about whether Jesus should get a full hearing (John 7:45-52), and at the burial of Jesus, to which he brings an exorbitant amount of spices (John 19:38-42). Talmage describes the reaction by members of the Sanhedrin: Maddened with bigotry and bloodthirsty fanaticism, some of his colleagues turned upon him with the savage demand: Art thou also of Galilee? meaning, Art thou also a disciple of this Galilean whom we hate? 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. Nicodemus is mentioned only three times in the Gospel According to John (and nowhere in the Synoptic Gospels). It's unlikely Nicodemus ever physically followed Jesus in his travels. Typically the Bible only mentions figures who play a role in the narrative or who were well-known among the followers of Jesus. The Chosen must have been some furtive glances at fellow believers before Nicodemus his! Is also talked about Kingdom of God is also talked about ( we know ) beginning of Temple! 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