John 3:1-21

Jesus Teaches Nicodemus

1 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council.
2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.[a]
4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”
5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.
6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit[b] gives birth to spirit.
7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You[c] must be born again.’
8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”[d]
9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.
10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things?
11 Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony.
12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?
13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.[e]
14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,[f]
15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”[g]
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.
20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.
21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

Images for John 3:1-21

Cross References 35

  • 1. John 7:50; John 19:39
  • 2. Luke 23:13
  • 3. S Matthew 23:7
  • 4. ver 11
  • 5. S John 2:11; John 9:16,33
  • 6. Acts 10:38">Jn Acts 10:38; John 14:10,11; Acts 2:22; Acts 10:38
  • 7. S John 1:13; 1 Peter 1:23
  • 8. S Matthew 3:2
  • 9. S Acts 22:16
  • 10. Titus 3:5
  • 11. S John 1:13; 1 Corinthians 15:50
  • 12. 1 Corinthians 2:14-16
  • 13. John 6:52,60
  • 14. Luke 2:46
  • 15. John 1:18; John 7:16,17
  • 16. ver 32
  • 17. Proverbs 30:4; Acts 2:34; Ephesians 4:8-10
  • 18. ver 31; John 6:38,42; Hebrews 4:14; Hebrews 9:24
  • 19. S Matthew 8:20
  • 20. Numbers 21:8,9
  • 21. S John 8:28; John 12:32
  • 22. ver 16,36; Genesis 15:6; Numbers 14:11; Matthew 27:42; Mark 1:15; John 1:7,12; John 2:23; John 5:24; John 7:38; John 20:29; Acts 13:39; Acts 16:31; Romans 3:22; Romans 10:9,10; 1Jn 5:1,5,10
  • 23. ver 16,36; S Matthew 25:46; John 20:31
  • 24. Romans 5:8; Ephesians 2:4; 1 John 4:9,10
  • 25. Isaiah 9:6; Romans 8:32
  • 26. Genesis 22:12; John 1:18
  • 27. S ver 15
  • 28. ver 36; John 6:29,40; John 11:25,26
  • 29. John 6:29,57; John 10:36; John 11:42; John 17:8,21; John 20:21
  • 30. Isaiah 53:11; S Matthew 1:21; S Luke 2:11; Luke 19:10; John 1:29; John 12:47; S Romans 11:14; 1 Timothy 1:15; 1 Timothy 2:5,6; 1 John 2:2; 1 John 3:5; 1 John 4:14
  • 31. John 5:24
  • 32. John 1:18; 1 John 4:9
  • 33. S John 1:4; John 8:12
  • 34. Psalms 52:3; John 7:7
  • 35. Ephesians 5:11,13

Footnotes 7

  • [a]. The Greek for "again" also means "from above" ; also in verse 7.
  • [b]. Or "but spirit"
  • [c]. The Greek is plural.
  • [d]. The Greek for "Spirit" is the same as that for "wind" .
  • [e]. Some manuscripts "Man, who is in heaven"
  • [f]. The Greek for "lifted up" also means "exalted" .
  • [g]. Some interpreters end the quotation with verse 21.
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