A Sunday School Lesson On Nicodemus

Here is a Sunday school lesson or Bible study on Nicodemus from the New Testament.

Nicodemus Visits Jesus

John 3:1 “Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.”

Nicodemus wasn’t just a Jew, he was a Pharisee, plus a member of the Sanhedrin (the highest legal, legislative and judicial body of the Jews), and he was considered “the teacher” of Israel (John 3:10), so why did Nicodemus come to Jesus, at night? Possibly because he didn’t want anyone to see him or Jesus was so busy during the day in His ministry that Nicodemus had little chance to talk with Jesus in private. I sense it is the latter but Nicodemus was a very important man as “a ruler of the Jews” and “the teacher” of Israel and he comes to Jesus, perhaps wanting to know more Christ and salvation.

Why do you think Nicodemus came at night?

Why do you think Nicodemus came to visit Jesus?

Why didn’t “the teacher,” Nicodemus understand?

Born Again

John 3:4 “Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”

We are reminded again of Nicodemus status as just after he asks Jesus how a man can be born again when he’s old, “Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things” (John 3:9-10)? Jesus doesn’t just identify Nicodemus as “a” teacher of Israel but “the” teacher of Israel, so this is why Jesus said, “Are you a teacher of Israel” and “do not understand these things?” Since Nicodemus is supposed to be “the teacher of Israel” he should know multiple passages like Ezekiel 11:19 which speaks of a dramatic, birth-like change; “And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God.” A new creation in Christ means you have a new heart and mind for Christ (2nd Cor 5:17-21) you’ve been born again, from above, by God (John 3:3-7).

Was Nicodemus mocking Jesus by asking Him the question in John 3:4?

Do you think Nicodemus was sincere in asking Jesus about this new birth? If so, why? If not, why not?

Is Ezekiel 11:19 and many other similar verses from him (Ezk 36:26; 37:14) and Jeremiah have passages that sound like a new birth (Jer 24:7; 31:33)?

Injustice

John 7:50-51 “Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?”

Here is the first evidence that we have showing Nicodemus has now come to believe in Jesus. He now stakes his position and reputation on defending Jesus, because remember, Nicodemus was a highly respected teacher of the Old Testament Scriptures, a Pharisee, a member of the Sanhedrin and “the teacher” of Israel. It didn’t matter because the chief priests and the Pharisees outnumber Nicodemus’ and ignored his point that it violated Jewish law. A person can’t legally be judged without a hearing and without them knowing what they’re being charged for. They angrily replied to Nicodemus, “Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee” (John 7:52). By himself, Nicodemus was not enough to stop the greatest travesty of justice ever in the “trial,” verdict, and execution of Jesus on the cross, but we should acknowledge the fact that Nicodemus stood up for Jesus. He tried to get Him a fair trial (which He didn’t get!). The fact that Nicodemus was said to have gone before to Him points back to the Nicodemus of John 3 and the “him” of John 7:50 is Jesus, but most importantly, it says Nicodemus “was one of them,” clearly meaning that Nicodemus was one of Jesus disciples. Incredible!

Do the above Bible passages give you enough to believe that Nicodemus trusted in Christ?

Did anyone else besides Nicodemus speak up that you know of?

Why were the Jews so angry with Nicodemus?

Follower of Christ

John 19:38-39 “After these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body. Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight.”

This might all we need to read to now see that Nicodemus came to saving faith in Christ as He and Joseph of Arimathea went to take Jesus’ body and bury it, at both of their expenses. Nicodemus brought some of the costliest burial needs there is and Joseph of Arimathea gave Jesus “a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid” (John 19:41). These two men must have been seen by others and it must have been reported to the Jewish authorities, although for a time, “Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews” (John 19:38). Church history indicates that both of these men were kicked off the council and out of the Jewish temple and both lost everything but yet, they gained more than anything!

Have you been a Christian “secretly for fear of” others?

Why do you think Pilate gave Joseph and Nicodemus permission to take Jesus’ body?

Why is it important for us to know Jesus’ grave was “a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid” (John 19:41)?

Conclusion

I urge you in your study to look at all of the Bible verses and read them aloud in the class so that you can get the most out of this lesson on Nicodemus. Church history records that Nicodemus lost everything Christ but I expect to see Nicodemus in the kingdom because there is every reason to believe from Scripture that he finally believed in Jesus. At first, he sought him (John 3:1-7), then He believed Him (John 7:50-51), and finally God saved Him. Having lost everything was nothing to gain more than anything.

Do you think Nicodemus knew he’d lose everything if he followed Jesus?

What about Joseph of Arimathea?

What has changed in your understanding about Nicodemus after this study?

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren Church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Teaching Children the Gospel available on Amazon.