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Bible Dictionaries
Nicodemus
Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary
or A well known name in the gospel, compounded, it should seem, of Nake, innocent—and Dam, blood. We have abundant reason to bless the Holy Ghost, in causing to be recorded that memorable conversation, as well as the character of Nicodemus manifested in it, that took place between the Lord Jesus and Nicodemus, as given at large John 3How blessed the light thereby thrown upon that most important doctrine of regeneration, and which Jesus declares to be indispensably necessary for an entrance into the kingdom of God. And it is blessed to trace the effects of this glorious work of God the Holy Ghost upon the heart of Nicodemus himself. When he first came to Christ it was by night. Some impressions, no doubt, of the Spirit had been wrought upon his mind, or he would not have sought after Jesus; but his views were so dark and indistinct, that when Jesus opened to him the doctrine of regeneration, he thought it an impossible thing. The next account we have of him is John 7:50. where he ventures in open day-light to stand up for Christ before the whole council, and got himself no small contempt upon the occasion. By the time the Lord Jesus had finished his redemption-work on the cross, we find Nicodemus so advanced in the divine life and his love to Christ, that, in company with Joseph of Arimathea, he went boldly unto Pilate and begged the body of Jesus. (See Luke 23:51-52 with John 19:38-39) It is very blessed thus to trace the progress of grace, and to prove the truth of that sweet Scripture, "the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto a perfect day." (Proverbs 4:18)
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Hawker, Robert D.D. Entry for 'Nicodemus'. Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance and Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/pmd/n/nicodemus.html. London. 1828.
