Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks

2 Two days later there was a wedding in the town of Cana in the country of Galilee. Jesus' mother was there.

² Jesus and his disciples were also asked to the wedding.

³ The people needed more wine. Then Jesus' mother said to him, `They have no wine.'

⁴ Jesus said, `Woman, why are you telling me about it? It is not yet the time for me to do something.'

⁵ His mother said to the servants, `Do all that he tells you to do.'

⁶ Six very large water pots made of stone were standing there. The pots were there because the Jews had a certain law about washing themselves.

⁷ Jesus said, `Fill the pots with water.' So they filled them to the very top.

⁸ Jesus said, `Now take some out. Carry it to the one in charge of the feast.' They did what he said.

⁹ The man in charge of the feast tasted the water that was now turned into wine. He did not know where it came from, but the servants who drew the water knew. When the man had tasted it, he called the man who was being married.

¹⁰ He said, `Other people give the good wine at the beginning of the feast. When people have had all they want, then they give the wine which is not so good. But you have kept the good wine until now.'

¹¹ This was the first big work that Jesus did. It was in Cana in Galilee. He showed that he was great. And his disciples believed in him.

¹² After this he went to the town called Capernaum. His mother, his brothers, and his disciples also went with him. They stayed there for a few days.

¹³ The time for the Passover Feast of the Jews was near. So Jesus went to Jerusalem.

¹⁴ In the temple he found people buying and selling things. They were selling cows, sheep, and doves. Others were sitting at tables changing money for the people.

¹⁵ Jesus tied some pieces of cord together to make a whip. Then he drove out all the people who were buying and selling in the temple. And he drove out the sheep and the cows. He threw down the tables of the money changers and their money.

¹⁶ He said to the people who sold doves, `Take these things out of here. Do not make my Father's house into a market place.'

¹⁷ His disciples remembered that God's word says, `My love for your house is like a fire burning in me.'

¹⁸ The leaders of the Jews said to Jesus, `Who gave you the right to do this? What big work will prove it to us?'

¹⁹ Jesus answered them, `Break down this temple and in three days I will raise it up.'

²⁰ The Jewish leaders said, `It took forty-six years to build this temple. Do you say you will raise it in three days?'

²¹ But Jesus was talking about the temple which was his body.

²² After Jesus died and had been raised from death, the disciples remembered that he had said this to them. Then they believed what the holy writings say. They also believed what Jesus had said to them.

²³ Many people believed in Jesus' name when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast. They believed in him because they saw the big works he did.

²⁴ But Jesus would not trust himself to them.

²⁵ He knew what all people are like. He did not need anyone to tell him about any person, because he knew what was in a person's heart.

3 There was a man named Nicodemus. He was a Pharisee, a ruler and leader of the Jews.

² One night Nicodemus came to Jesus. He said, `Master, we know you are a teacher sent by God. We know this because no person could do the big works you are doing if God did not help him.'

³ Jesus said, `I tell you the truth. No person can see God's kingdom if he is not born again.'

⁴ Nicodemus said, `How can a man be born when he is old? Can he go inside of his mother again and be born?'

⁵ Jesus said, `I tell you the truth. This new birth is by water and by the Spirit. No person can enter God's kingdom if he has not been born that way.

⁶ That which is born of a person is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

⁷ You must not be surprised when I say, "You must be born again."

⁸ The wind blows where it wants to blow. You can hear the sound of it. But you do not know where it comes from, and you do not know where it goes. It is the same way with everyone who is born of the Spirit.'

⁹ Nicodemus asked Jesus, `How can such things be?

¹⁰ Jesus answered, `Are you a teacher of the people of Israel and you do not know this?

¹¹ I tell you the truth. We know what we are talking about. We talk about the things we have seen. But you will not believe what we tell you.

¹² You do not believe what I have told you about things on earth. So how will you believe if I tell you about things in heaven?

¹³ No one has ever gone up to heaven - only the One who came down from heaven. That One is the Son of Man who is in heaven.

¹⁴ Moses lifted up a snake on a piece of wood in the desert. So the Son of Man must be lifted up.

¹⁵ Then everyone who believes in him will not die, but will live for ever.

¹⁶ `God loved the world so very, very much that he gave his only Son. Because he did that, everyone who believes in him will not lose his life, but will live for ever.

¹⁷ God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world. He sent him to save the world.

¹⁸ `Everyone who believes in the Son will not be judged. But everyone who does not believe in him is judged already, because he does not believe in the name of God's only Son.

¹⁹ Light came into the world. But people wanted to be in the dark because they did wrong things. They did not want the light. That is why they are judged.

²⁰ Everyone who does wrong things hates light. He does not come to the light because he is afraid people will see what he does and will say it is bad.

²¹ But everyone who does what is right comes to the light. He wants people to see that God helps him to do what is right.'

²² After this, Jesus and his disciples came into the country of Judea. Jesus stayed there with them and baptized people.

²³ John was also baptizing people in the river at Aenon, near the town of Salim. There was much water. People came to him and were baptized.

²⁴ This was before John was put in prison.

²⁵ John's disciples and the leaders of the Jews were talking about how to be clean, the way God wants us to be clean.

²⁶ They came to John and said, `Teacher, there was a man with you on the other side of the Jordan River. You were telling people about him. Now he himself is baptizing and all the people are going to him.'

²⁷ John answered, `A man cannot get anything unless God in heaven gives it to him.

²⁸ You yourselves heard what I said. I am not the Christ but I have been sent ahead of the Christ.

²⁹ The wife belongs to the man who has married her. The man's best friend may stand and listen. And when he hears what that man says, he is very glad for him. So what I hear makes me very glad in the same way.

³⁰ He must become more and more great, but I must become less and less great.

³¹ `The one who comes from heaven is greater than all other people. The one who is of the earth talks about things on earth. So the one who comes from heaven is greater than all.

³² He tells what he has seen and heard, but no one wants to believe what he says.

³³ If a person believes what the one from heaven says, then he also says God is true.

³⁴ The one God sent speaks the words of God. God does not give him the Spirit little by little, but he gives the Spirit in full.

³⁵ The Father loves his Son and has put everything in his hand.

³⁶ He who believes in the Son will live for ever. He who does not believe in the Son will not live. God will be very angry with him for ever.'