John 3
3
Jesus and Nicodemus
1There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, # Jn 19:39 a ruler of the Jews. 2He came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher who has come from God. For no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” # Ac 2:22; 10:38
3Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly I say to you, unless a man is born again, # Jn 1:13 # 3:3 Or born from above. he cannot see the kingdom of God.” # Jn 3:5–6
4Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”
5Jesus answered, “Truly, truly I say to you, unless a man is born of water and the Spirit, # Isa 44:3–5; Eze 36:25–27; 37:9–10; Mk 16:16; Ac 2:38 he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6That which is born of the flesh is flesh, # Ge 6:12; Job 14:4 and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7Do not marvel # Jn 5:28 that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ # Jn 3:3 8The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. # Eze 37:9 So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” # 1Co 2:11
9Nicodemus said to Him, “How can this be?” # Jn 6:52, 60
10Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, but you do not know these things? 11Truly, truly I say to you, We speak of what We know and bear witness of what We have seen, # Jn 1:18; 7:16 but you do not receive Our testimony. 12If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13No one has ascended to heaven except He who descended from heaven, # Dt 30:12; Pr 30:4 even the Son of Man who is in heaven. # Jn 1:18; 6:38 14Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, # Nu 21:8–9 even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, # Jn 8:28 15that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but may have eternal life. # Jn 3:36
16“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, # Jn 1:18; Ro 5:8; 1Jn 4:9–10 that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. # Lk 19:10; 1Jn 4:14 18He who believes in Him is not condemned. # Jn 5:24 But he who does not believe is condemned already, # Mk 16:16 because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19This is the verdict, that light has come into the world, # Jn 1:4; 8:12 and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20For everyone who does evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21But he who does the truth comes to the light, # Ps 139:23–24; 1Jn 1:6 that it may be revealed that his deeds have been done in God.”
Jesus and John the Baptist
22After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea. He remained with them there and baptized. # Jn 3:26 23John also was baptizing in Aenon toward Salim, because much water was there. And people came and were baptized. 24For John had not yet been put in prison. # Mt 4:12; 14:3 25Then a dispute arose between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about ceremonial cleansing. # Jn 2:6 26They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you bore witness, look, He is baptizing, and everyone is going to Him.” # Jn 1:7; 12:19
27John answered, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. # 1Co 4:7; Jas 1:17 28You yourselves bear witness of me, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ # Jn 1:20 but ‘I have been sent before Him.’ # Jn 1:23 29He who has the bride is the bridegroom. # Mt 9:15 But the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. 30He must increase, but I must decrease.”
The Witness of Jesus
31He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. # Mt 28:18; Jn 6:33; 8:23 32He bears witness of what He has seen and heard, yet no one receives His testimony. # Jn 1:11; 3:11 33He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true. 34For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, # Jn 3:17 for God gives the Spirit without measure to Him. # Lk 4:18 35The Father loves the Son, and has placed all things into His hand. # Mt 28:18; Jn 5:20 36He who believes in the Son has eternal life. # Jn 3:15–16; 5:24 He who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version
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