Jesus Teaches Nicodemus

3 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus^(A) who was a member of the Jewish ruling council.^{(B) 2} He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi,^(C) we know^(D) that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs^(E) you are doing if God were not with him.”^(F)

³ Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.^[a]”^(G)

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.^{(H) 6} Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit^[b] gives birth to spirit.^{(I) 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](J)

¹⁴ The Word became flesh^(A) and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory,^(B) the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace^(C) and truth.^(D)

⁵¹ I am the living bread^(A) that came down from heaven.^(B) Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”^(C)

⁵² Then the Jews^(D) began to argue sharply among themselves,^(E) “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”

⁵³ Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh^(F) of the Son of Man^(G) and drink his blood,^(H) you have no life in you. ⁵⁴ Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.^{(I) 55} For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. ⁵⁶ Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them.^(J)

⁶³ The Spirit gives life;^(A) the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit^[a] and life.

⁵ Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires;^(A) but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.^{(B) 6} The mind governed by the flesh is death,^(C) but the mind governed by the Spirit is life^(D) and peace. ⁷ The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God;^(E) it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. ⁸ Those who are in the realm of the flesh^(F) cannot please God.

⁹ You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh^(G) but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you.^(H) And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ,^(I) they do not belong to Christ.

²⁴ “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me^(A) has eternal life^(B) and will not be judged^(C) but has crossed over from death to life.^(D)

Made Alive in Christ

2 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,^(A)

⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions^(A)—it is by grace you have been saved.^(B)

⁹ “How can this be?”^(A) Nicodemus asked.

¹⁰ “You are Israel’s teacher,”^(B) said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? ¹¹ Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know,^(C) and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony.^{(D) 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^(E) except the one who came from heaven^(F)—the Son of Man.^{[a](G) 14} Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness,^(H) so the Son of Man must be lifted up,^{[b](I) 15} that everyone who believes^(J) may have eternal life in him.”^[c](K)

¹⁶ For God so loved^(L) the world that he gave^(M) his one and only Son,^(N) that whoever believes^(O) in him shall not perish but have eternal life.^{(P) 17} For God did not send his Son into the world^(Q) to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.^(R)