one who speaks out for Jesus (7:51) and finally comes out of the closet to publicly stand with Jesus in his suffering and death (19:39–40). Two characters in the story, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, represent all secret disciples who must journey into the light and become a model for a group of John’s readers who, according to 12:42–43, “would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue, for they loved the praise from men more than praise from God.” Not only did our