John 3

The Need for Spiritual Rebirth John 3:3–8

³Verse 3. Jesus answered him, “Most certainly, I tell you, unless one is born anew, he can’t see God’s Kingdom.” ⁴Verse 4. Nicodemus 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?” ⁵Verse 5. Jesus answered, “Most certainly I tell you, unless one is born of water and spirit, he can’t enter into God’s Kingdom. ⁶Verse 6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit. ⁷Verse 7. Don’t marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born anew.’ ⁸Verse 8. The wind blows where it wants to, and you hear its sound, but don’t know where it comes from and where it is going. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Nicodemus's Confusion John 3:9–12

⁹Verse 9. Nicodemus answered him, “How can these things be?” ¹⁰Verse 10. Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and don’t understand these things? ¹¹Verse 11. Most certainly I tell you, we speak that which we know, and testify of that which we have seen, and you don’t receive our witness. ¹²Verse 12. If I told you earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

Jesus Explains His Mission John 3:13–21

¹³Verse 13. No one has ascended into heaven, but he who descended out of heaven, the Son of Man, who is in heaven. ¹⁴Verse 14. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁵Verse 15. that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. ¹⁶Verse 16. For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. ¹⁷Verse 17. For God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through him.

¹⁸Verse 18. He who believes in him is not judged. He who doesn’t believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God. ¹⁹Verse 19. This is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their works were evil. ²⁰Verse 20. For everyone who does evil hates the light, and doesn’t come to the light, lest his works would be exposed. ²¹Verse 21. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his works may be revealed, that they have been done in God.”

John the Baptist's Role John 3:22–30

²²Verse 22. After these things, Jesus came with his disciples into the land of Judea. He stayed there with them, and baptized. ²³Verse 23. John also was baptizing in Enon near Salim, because there was much water there. They came, and were baptized. ²⁴Verse 24. For John was not yet thrown into prison. ²⁵Verse 25. There arose therefore a questioning on the part of John’s disciples with some Jews about purification. ²⁶Verse 26. They came to John, and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified, behold, the same baptizes, and everyone is coming to him.” ²⁷Verse 27. John answered, “A man can receive nothing, unless it has been given him from heaven.

²⁸Verse 28. You yourselves testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before him.’ ²⁹Verse 29. He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. This, my joy, therefore is made full. ³⁰Verse 30. He must increase, but I must decrease.

The Authority of the Son John 3:31–36

³¹Verse 31. He who comes from above is above all. He who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. ³²Verse 32. What he has seen and heard, of that he testifies; and no one receives his witness. ³³Verse 33. He who has received his witness has set his seal to this, that God is true. ³⁴Verse 34. For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for God gives the Spirit without measure. ³⁵Verse 35. The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into his hand. ³⁶Verse 36. One who believes in the Son has eternal life, but one who disobeys the Son won’t see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”