03:01 .. now there was a man of the Pharisees .. named Nicodemus .. a ruler of the Jews 03:02 .. this man came to Jesus 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 03:03 .. Jesus answered and said to him . . . truly truly I say to you . . . unless one is born again .. he cannot see the kingdom of God 03:04 .. Nicodemus said to him . . . how can a man be born when he is old .. He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born .. can he 03:05 .. Jesus answered . . . truly truly I say to you . . . unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God 03:06 .. that which is born of the flesh is flesh .. and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit 03:07 .. do not be amazed that I said to you .. you must be born again 03:08 .. the wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it .. but do not know where it comes from and where it is going .. ......... so is everyone who is born of the Spirit 03:09 .. Nicodemus said to him . . . how can these things be 03:10 .. Jesus answered and said to him . . . are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things
03:11 .. truly .. truly .. I say to you .. we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen .. and you do not accept our testimony 03:12 .. If I told you earthly things and you do not believe .. how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things 03:13 .. no one has ascended into heaven .. but he who descended from heaven . . . the Son of Man 03:14 .. as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness .. even so must the Son of Man be lifted up 03:15 .. so that whoever believes will in him have eternal life 03:16 .. for God so loved the world .. that he gave his only begotten Son .. that whoever believes in him shall not perish .. but have eternal life 03:17 .. for God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world .. but that the world might be saved through him 03:18 .. he who believes in him is not judged .. he who does not believe has been judged already .. ......... because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God 03:19 .. this is the judgment .. that the light has come into the world .. and men loved the darkness rather than the light .. for their deeds were evil 03:20 .. for everyone who does evil hates the Light .. and does not come to the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed 03:21 .. but he who practices the truth comes to the light .. so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God
.................. John’s last testimony
03:22 .. after these things Jesus and his disciples came into the land of Judea .. and there he was spending time with them and baptizing 03:23 .. John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim .. because there was much water there .. and people were coming and were being baptized 03:24 .. for John had not yet been thrown into prison 03:25 .. therefore there rose a discussion on the part of John’s disciples with a Jew about purification 03:26 .. and they came to John and said to him . . . Rabbi .. he who was with you beyond the Jordan .. to whom you have testified .. ......... behold .. he is baptizing and all are coming to him 03:27 .. John answered and said . . . a man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven 03:28 .. you yourselves are my witnesses that I said .. I am not the Christ .. but .. I have been sent head of him 03:29 .. he who has the bride is the bridegroom .. but the friend of the bridegroom .. who stands and hears him .. ......... rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice .. so this joy of mine has been made full 03:30 .. he must increase .. but I must decrease 03:31 .. he who comes from above is above all .. he who is of the earth is from the earth and speaks of the earth .. he who comes from heaven is above all 03:32 .. what he has seen and heard .. of that he testifies .. and no one receives his testimony 03:33 .. he who has received his testimony has set his seal to this .. that God is true 03:34 .. for he whom God has sent speaks the words of God .. for he gives the Spirit without measure 03:35 .. the father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand 03:36 .. he who believes in the Son has eternal life .. but he who does not obey the Son will not see life .. but the wrath of God abides on him
Since the natural man .. however gifted .. moral .. or refined .. is absolutely blind to spiritual truth and impotent to enter the kingdom . . . a new birth through Christ as the channel and the Holy Spirit as the power is an absolute necessity . . . heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people .. the only gateway to it is Jesus . . . . the bitten Israelite was healed by simply looking to the brazen serpent .. not by looking at his wound .. although he must of course be conscious of his condition . . . one look healed the bite .. so one look of faith to Jesus saves .. It is not the way we look .. but the object we look at that heals