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Nicodemus, A Ruler and A Pharisee

Text: John 7: 50-53

NICODEMUS, A RULER AND A PHARISEE

Nicodemus was mentioned in the Gospel of John as one of the Jewish rulers who had spoken to Jesus. He was with the chief priests and Pharisees who made this uncalled-for remark.

“Nicodemus (he who came to Jesus by night, being one of them) said to them, ‘Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?’ They answered and said to him, ‘Are you also from Galilee? Search and look, for no prophet has arisen out of Galilee.’ And everyone went to his own house.” 

John 7:50-52

1. Nicodemus was identified as one of the members of the Sanhedrin Council

a. He sought to temper things.

b. His was the voice of reason.

c. There were protocols to be followed.

d. Legal procedures had not been carried out.

i. Does our law judge a man before it hears him?

ii. Nicodemus was sharp enough to note that the rulers were already judging Jesus before He was heard.

iii. This famous teacher of Israel had been deeply impacted by Jesus and was now standing up for Him as best he could.

2. The retort of the Pharisees and the chief priests

a. They could not ignore that Nicodemus was “one of them”.

b. They did not want to lose him to Jesus.

c. Nor did they want Nicodemus to stand against them.

d. Nicodemus had earned a good name for himself as an outstanding teacher of Israel.

e. They retorted by sneering.

i. “Are you also from Galilee?” (This was meant as an insult!)

ii. Galilee was not well-respected as a region/ district.

f. The challenge to search the Scriptures

i. They were confident that no prophet had arisen from Galilee.

ii. The meeting of the chief priests and Pharisees did not end on a happy note for them.

经文：约翰福音 7：50-52

尼哥底母，一位官长和法利赛人

根据约翰福音的记载，尼哥底母是其中一位与耶稣谈过话的犹太官长。当祭司长和法利赛人对耶稣说这些无礼的话时，尼哥底母正在场。

“内中有尼哥底母，就是从前去见耶稣的，对他们说：‘不先听本人的口供，不知道他所做的事，难道我们的律法还定他的罪吗？’ 他们回答说：‘你也是出于加利利吗？你且去查考，就可知道加利利没有出过先知。’”

《约翰福音 7：50-52》

1. 尼哥底母是犹太公会的成员之一

a. 他尝试缓和局势

b. 他说的话是有道理的

c. 他们得遵照指定的规则

d. 他们这么做是不合乎法律程序的

i. “不先听本人的口供……难道我们的律法还定他的罪吗？”

ii. 尼哥底母敏锐地观察到官长们还没听耶稣的口供就已经定祂的罪了

iii. 耶稣让这位著名的以色列人的先生留下了深刻的印象。他如今正竭尽所能维护耶稣

2. 法利赛人和祭司长的反驳

a. 他们无法忽视尼哥底母确实是他们公会的成员之一

b. 他们不愿尼哥底母反过来支持耶稣

c. 他们也不愿尼哥底母反对他们

d. 尼哥底母为自己赢得了杰出的以色列人的先生的好名声

e. 他们以嘲笑的方式来反驳

i. “你也是出于加利利吗？”（这是在侮辱他！）

ii. 加利利不是一个受人重视的地区

f. 搜索经文的挑战

i. 他们很有把握加利利没有出过先知

ii. 祭司长和法利赛人的会议并没有圆满地结束