1 JOHN CHAPTER 3: NOW THERE WAS A MAN OF THE PHARISEES NAMED NICODEMUS, A MEMBER OF THE JEWISH RULING COUNCIL. 2 HE CAME TO JESUS AT NIGHT AND SAID, "RABBI, WE KNOW THAT YOU ARE A TEACHER WHO HAS COMES FROM GOD. FOR NO ONE COULD PERFORM THE MIRACULOUS SIGNS YOU ARE DOING IF GOD WERE NOT WITH HIM. (Jn 9;16,33) 3 IN REPLY JESUS DECLARED, "I TELL YOU THE TRUTH, NO ONE CAN SEE THE KINGDOM OF GOD UNLESS HE IS BORN AGAIN." "OR IS BORN FROM ABOVE." 4"HOW CAN A MAN BE BORN WHEN HE IS OLD?" NICODEMUS ASKED. "SURELY HE CANNOT ENTER A SECOND TIME INTO HIS MOTHERS'S WOMB TO BE BORN!" 5 JESUS ANSWERED, "I TELL YOU THE TRUTH, NO ONE CAN ENTER THE KINGDOM OF GOD UNLESS HE IS BORN OF THE WATER AND THE SPIRIT. 6 FLESH GIVES BIRTH TO FLESH, BUT THE SPIRIT GIVES BIRTH TO THE SPIRIT. 7 YOU SHOULD NOT BE SURPRISED AT MY SAYING, 'YOU 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. (Jn 1:13:Tit3:5) 9 "HOW CAN THIS BE?" NICODEMUS ASKED. 10 "YOU ARE ISRAEL'S TEACHER," SAID JESUS, "AND DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND THESE THINGS? 11 I TELL YOU THE TRUTH, WE SPEAK OF WHAT WE KNOW, AND WE TESTIFY TO WHAT WE HAVE SEEN, BUT STILL YOU PEOPLE DO NOT ACCEPT OUR TESTIMONEY. 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 EXCEPT THE ONE WHO CAME FROM HEAVEN-THE SON OF MAN. 14 JUST AS MOSES LIFTED UP THE SNAKE IN THE DESERT, SO THE SON OF MAN MUST BE LIFTED UP, 15 THAT EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM MAY HAVE ETERNAL LIFE. 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. 16 FOR GOD DID NOT SEND HIS SON INTO THE WORLD TO CONDEMN THE WORLD, BUT TO SAVE THE WORLD THROUGH HIM.