Jesus and Nicodemus

1But there was a man from among the Pharisees, his name Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; 2he came to him by night, and said to him, Rabbi, we know that thou art come a teacher from God, for none can do these signs that thou doest unless God be with him. 3Jesus answered and said to him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except any one be born anew he cannot see the kingdom of God.

4Nicodemus says to him, How can a man be born being old? can he enter a second time into the womb of his mother and be born? 5Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except any one be born of water and of Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7Do not wonder that I said to thee, It is needful that ye should be born anew. 8The wind blows where it will, and thou hearest its voice, but knowest not whence it comes and where it goes: thus is every one that is born of the Spirit.

9Nicodemus answered and said to him, How can these things be? 10Jesus answered and said to him, Thou art the teacher of Israel and knowest not these things! 11Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that which we know, and we bear witness of that which we have seen, and ye receive not our witness. 12If I have said the earthly things to you, and ye believe not, how, if I say the heavenly things to you, will ye believe? 13And no one has gone up into heaven, save he who came down out of heaven, the Son of man who is in heaven. 14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, thus must the Son of man be lifted up, 15that every one who believes on him may [not perish, but] have life eternal.

For God So Loved

(Genesis 22:1-10; Romans 5:6-11)

16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believes on him may not perish, but have life eternal. 17For God has not sent his Son into the world that he may judge the world, but that the world may be saved through him. 18He that believes on him is not judged: but he that believes not has been already judged, because he has not believed on the name of the only-begotten Son of God. 19And this is the judgment, that light is come into the world, and men have loved darkness rather than light; for their works were evil. 20For every one that does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light that his works may not be shewn as they are; 21but he that practises the truth comes to the light, that his works may be manifested that they have been wrought in God.

John's Testimony Concerning Jesus

22After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he abode with them and baptised. 23And John also was baptising in Aenon, near Salim, because there was a great deal of water there; and they came to [him] and were baptised: 24for John was not yet cast into prison.

25There was therefore a reasoning of the disciples of John with a Jew about purification. 26And they came to John and said to him, Rabbi, he who was with thee beyond the Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, he baptises, and all come to him. 27John answered and said, A man can receive nothing unless it be given him out of heaven. 28Ye yourselves bear me witness that I said, I am not the Christ, but, that I am sent before him. 29He that has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices in heart because of the voice of the bridegroom: this my joy then is fulfilled. 30He must increase, but I must decrease.

31He who comes from above is above all. He who has his origin in the earth is of the earth, and speaks [as] of the earth. He who comes out of heaven is above all, 32[and] what he has seen and has heard, this he testifies; and no one receives his testimony. 33He that has received his testimony has set to his seal that God is true; 34for he whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives not the Spirit by measure. 35The Father loves the Son, and has given all things [to be] in his hand. 36He that believes on the Son has life eternal, and he that is not subject to the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides upon him.