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)

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)

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)

²⁶ I will give you a new heart^(A) and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone^(B) and give you a heart of flesh.^{(C) 27} And I will put my Spirit^(D) in you and move you to follow my decrees^(E) and be careful to keep my laws.^(F)

¹⁸ The Jews^(A) then responded to him, “What sign^(B) can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?”^(C)

¹⁹ Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”^(D)

²⁰ They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” ²¹ But the temple he had spoken of was his body.^{(E) 22} After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said.^(F) Then they believed the scripture^(G) and the words that Jesus had spoken.

²³ Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival,^(H) many people saw the signs^(I) he was performing and believed^(J) in his name.^{[a] 24} But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. ²⁵ He did not need any testimony about mankind,^(K) for he knew what was in each person.^(L)

The Bronze Snake

⁴ They traveled from Mount Hor^(A) along the route to the Red Sea,^[a](B) to go around Edom.^(C) But the people grew impatient on the way;^{(D) 5} they spoke against God^(E) and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt^(F) to die in the wilderness?^(G) There is no bread! There is no water!^(H) And we detest this miserable food!”^(I)

⁶ Then the Lord sent venomous snakes^(J) among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died.^{(K) 7} The people came to Moses^(L) and said, “We sinned^(M) when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord^(N) will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed^(O) for the people.

⁸ The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole;^(P) anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” ⁹ So Moses made a bronze snake^(Q) and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.^(R)

¹³ No one has ever gone into heaven^(A) except the one who came from heaven^(B)—the Son of Man.^{[a](C) 14} Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness,^(D) so the Son of Man must be lifted up,^{[b](E) 15} that everyone who believes^(F) may have eternal life in him.”^[c](G)

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

¹² Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”^(A)