Nicodemus

Nicodemus (meaning victory of the people) was a Pharisee and ruler of the Jews — a member of the Sanhedrin — who came to Jesus by night, apparently seeking to avoid being seen (John 3:1–2). Jesus's conversation with him produced some of Scripture's most profound teaching on the new birth: "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3), and the declaration of John 3:16 — "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son." Nicodemus's nighttime visit suggests fear of his colleagues, but his subsequent appearances suggest growing courage.

He defended Jesus before the Sanhedrin when they sought to condemn him without due process (John 7:50–52), and after the crucifixion he joined Joseph of Arimathea in providing a costly burial — bringing a hundred pounds of myrrh and aloes for the body of Jesus (John 19:39–40). This final act in the open, at personal and financial risk, suggests that the man who came by night had moved toward a more public faith.