John 3:1-21 - Nicodemus Visits Jesus
Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader
of the Jews. He 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 apart from the
presence of God.’ Jesus answered him, ‘Very truly, I
tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from
above.’
Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can anyone be born after having grown old?
Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?’
Jesus answered, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of
God without being born of water and Spirit. What is
born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Do not be astonished that I said to you, “You
must be born from above.”
The wind
blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not
know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is
born of the Spirit.’ Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can
these things be?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Are you a
teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?
‘Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know
and testify to what we have seen; yet you
do not receive our testimony. If I have told you
about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I
tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended
into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.
And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the
Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in
him may have eternal life.
‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only
Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have
eternal life.
‘Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world
to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through
him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but
those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not
believed in the name of the only Son of God. And
this is the judgement, that the light has come into the world, and
people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil.
For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that
their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do
what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that
their deeds have been done in God.’
