John 3 — EMTV

Jesus and Nicodemus: The New Birth

3Verse 1Now there was a man of the Pharisees whose name was Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.^{Verse 2}This man came to Him by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”^{Verse 3}Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”^{Verse 4}Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born, being old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?”^{Verse 5}Jesus answered, “Most assuredly I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.^{Verse 6}That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.^{Verse 7}Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born⁺again.’^{Verse 8}The⁺wind blows where it wills, and you hear its sound, but you do not know from where it comes and where it goes. So is everyone who has been born of the Spirit.”^{Verse 9}Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?”^{Verse 10}Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?^{Verse 11}Most assuredly I say to you, that which We know, We speak, and that which We have seen, We bear witness to, and you do not receive Our witness.^{Verse 12}If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?^{Verse 13}And no one has gone up into heaven except He who came down out of heaven, the Son of Man, who is in heaven.^{Verse 14}And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,^{Verse 15}that everyone who believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.^{Verse 16}For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.^{Verse 17}For God did not send His Son into the world so that He might condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.^{Verse 18}“He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe has been condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.^{Verse 19}And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness more than the light, because their works were evil.^{Verse 20}For everyone that does evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works be exposed.^{Verse 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 Further Testimony

^{Verse 22}After these things Jesus, along with His disciples, came into the land of Judea, and there He was staying with them and He was baptizing.^{Verse 23}Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salem, because there was much water there. And they came and were baptized.^{Verse 24}(For John was not yet cast into prison).^{Verse 25}Then there came to be a dispute between John's disciples and a Jew about purification.^{Verse 26}And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified—behold, this Man is baptizing, and all men are coming to Him!”^{Verse 27}John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.^{Verse 28}You yourselves bear witness that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah,’ but, ‘I have been sent before Him.’^{Verse 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 voice of the bridegroom. Therefore my joy has been fulfilled.^{Verse 30}He must increase, but I must decrease.^{Verse 31}He who comes from above is above all; he who is from the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.^{Verse 32}And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony.^{Verse 33}He who receives His testimony has certified that God is true.^{Verse 34}For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.^{Verse 35}The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.^{Verse 36}He who believes in the Son has eternal life; and he who does not believe the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”