When Jesus was arrested, condemned, crucified, and buried, many of His most visible followers had scattered. Yet two unexpected religious leaders stepped forward: Nicodemus, the Pharisee who first came to Jesus at night, and Joseph of Arimathea, the wealthy council member who asked Pilate for Jesus’ body. In this episode of the Cold-Case Christianity Podcast, J. Warner Wallace examines every Gospel passage involving Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea and builds the strongest biblical case on both sides of the question.
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For more information about the reliability of the New Testament gospels and the case for Christianity, please read Cold-Case Christianity: A Homicide Detective Investigates the Claims of the Gospels. This book teaches readers ten principles of cold-case investigations and applies these strategies to investigate the claims of the gospel authors. The book is accompanied by an eight-session Cold-Case Christianity DVD Set (and Participant’s Guide) to help individuals or small groups examine the evidence and make the case.
Charles Beazley
September 24, 2026 at 12:14 pm
We need to realize that no one was saved yet because redemption had not been completed until Jesus had died and was resurrected. Even the disciples had not completely understood who he was until the Holy Spirit was given to them. I believe both Joseph and Nicodemus were being drawn to Jesus and were saved after He was raised. They believed he was the Messiah, but they didn’t understand how it would work as Jews.