John 3:13-21
The Message
13-15 “No one has ever gone up into the presence of God except the One who came down from that Presence, the Son of Man. In the same way that Moses lifted the serpent in the desert so people could have something to see and then believe, it is necessary for the Son of Man to be lifted up—and everyone who looks up to him, trusting and expectant, will gain a real life, eternal life.
16-18 “This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.
19-21 “This is the crisis we’re in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God. Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won’t come near it, fearing a painful exposure. But anyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it is.”
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John 3:13-21
English Standard Version
13 (A)No one has (B)ascended into heaven except (C)he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.[a] 14 And (D)as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man (E)be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes (F)in him (G)may have eternal life.[b]
For God So Loved the World
16 “For (H)God so loved (I)the world,[c] (J)that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not (K)perish but have eternal life. 17 For (L)God did not send his Son into the world (M)to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 (N)Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not (O)believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 (P)And this is the judgment: (Q)the light has come into the world, and (R)people loved the darkness rather than the light because (S)their works were evil. 20 (T)For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, (U)lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever (V)does what is true (W)comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
Read full chapterCopyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
