John

Chapter 3

Jesus and Nicodemus

1
Among the Pharisees, there was a Jewish leader named Nicodemus.
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He visited Jesus at night and said:

     “Rabbi, we know that you have come from God to teach us, for no one can perform miraculous signs like yours unless God is with him.”

3

Jesus replied:

     “Truly, I say to you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again from above.”

4

Nicodemus asked:

     “How can a grown man experience rebirth? Who could go back to his mother’s womb and be born again?”

5

Jesus replied:

     “Truly, I tell you: No one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.

6
What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7
Because of this, don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again from above.’
8

 The wind blows wherever it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. That’s how it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

9

Nicodemus asked again:

     “How can this be?”

10

And Jesus responded:

     “You are a teacher in Israel, and you don’t understand these things!

11
Truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen, but you don’t accept our testimony.
12

 If you don’t believe when I talk about earthly things, then how will you believe when I talk about heavenly things?

13
No one has ever ascended to heaven except the one who came from heaven, the Son of Man.
14
As Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
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so that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

16
Yes, God so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that whoever believes in him may not be lost but have eternal life.
17
God did not send the Son into the world to condemn it; instead, through him, the world is to be saved.
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Whoever believes in him will not be condemned. The one who does not believe is already condemned because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

19
This is how Judgment is made: Light has come into the world, and people loved darkness more than light because their deeds were evil.
20
Whoever does wrong hates the light and avoids coming to the light because they fear their deeds will be exposed as evil.
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But whoever lives according to the truth comes into the light so that it can be clearly seen that his works have been done in God.”

22
After this, Jesus traveled into the territory of Judea with his disciples. He stayed there with them and baptized people.
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John was also baptizing at Aenon, near Salim, where water was abundant; people came to him and were baptized.
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This occurred before John was imprisoned.

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 John’s disciples had been questioned by a Jew about spiritual cleansing,
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so they came to John and said:

     “Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan and about whom you spoke favorably is now baptizing, and everyone is going to him.”

27

John answered:

      “No one can receive anything except what has been given to him from heaven.

28
You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’
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Only the bridegroom has the bride, but the friend of the bridegroom stands by and listens and rejoices to hear the bridegroom’s voice. My joy is now complete.
30

It is necessary that he increase, but that I decrease.

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 He who comes from above is above all; he who comes from the earth belongs to the earth and his words belong to the earth. He who comes from heaven
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 speaks of the things he has seen and heard; he bears witness to these things, but no one accepts his testimony.
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Whoever does receive his testimony acknowledges the truthfulness of God.

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The one sent by God speaks God’s words and gives the Spirit generously.
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The Father loves the Son and has entrusted everything to him.

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Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not believe in the Son will never know life and will always face God’s justice.

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