Jesus Heals a Lame Man
After this there was a festival of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool, called in Hebrew Beth-zatha, which has five porticoes. 3 In these lay many invalids--blind, lame, and paralyzed. 4 5 One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, "Do you want to be made well?"
7 The sick man answered him, "Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me."
8 Jesus said to him, "Stand up, take your mat and walk."
9 At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk. Now that day was a Sabbath. 10 So the Jews said to the man who had been cured, "It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your mat."
11 But he answered them, "The man who made me well said to me, 'Take up your mat and walk.'"
12 They asked him, "Who is the man who said to you, 'Take it up and walk'?"
13 Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had disappeared in the crowd that was there. 14 Later Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, "See, you have been made well! Do not sin any more, so that nothing worse happens to you." 15 The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.
16 Therefore the Jews started persecuting Jesus, because he was doing such things on the Sabbath. 17 But Jesus answered them, "My Father is still working, and I also am working." 18 For this reason the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because he was not only breaking the Sabbath, but was also calling God his own Father, thereby making himself equal to God.
19 Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise. 20 The Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing; and he will show him greater works than these, so that you will be astonished. 21 Indeed, just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whomever he wishes. 22 The Father judges no one but has given all judgment to the Son, 23 so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Anyone who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.
24 Very truly, I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life, and does not come under judgment, but has passed from death to life.
25 "Very truly, I tell you, the hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26 For just as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself; 27 and he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. 28 Do not be astonished at this; for the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and will come out--those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. 30 "I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just, because I seek to do not my own will but the will of him who sent me.
Witness to Jesus
31 "If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true. 32 There is another who testifies on my behalf, and I know that his testimony to me is true. 33 You sent messengers to John, and he testified to the truth. 34 Not that I accept such human testimony, but I say these things so that you may be saved. 35 He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. 36 But I have a testimony greater than John's. The works that the Father has given me to complete, the very works that I am doing, testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me. 37 And the Father who sent me has himself testified on my behalf. You have never heard his voice or seen his form, 38 and you do not have his word abiding in you, because you do not believe him whom he has sent.
39 "You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that testify on my behalf. 40 Yet you refuse to come to me to have life.
41 I do not accept glory from human beings. 42 But I know that you do not have the love of God in you. 43 I have come in my Father's name, and you do not accept me; if another comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44 How can you believe when you accept glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the one who alone is God? 45 Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; your accuser is Moses, on whom you have set your hope. 46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. 47 But if you do not believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?"
Monday, June 7, 2010
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Weekend Reflection
Hey gang,
I am really excited about how the blog is going and I appreciate reading your comments. I know that a lot of the guys who are a part of the blog are on the men's retreat. So I wanted to take the weekend to read and reflect on these first few chapters. (Sorry ladies, I realize that this is more to help the guys). We will resume with chapter 5 on Monday morning.
I also would really love to hear some feedback on what you think about the blog. I know that there are some things that we can do better, so please post your thoughts on what you like and what you would want changed.
I pray that God continues to bless us as we participate in reading His Word together.
-Andy
I am really excited about how the blog is going and I appreciate reading your comments. I know that a lot of the guys who are a part of the blog are on the men's retreat. So I wanted to take the weekend to read and reflect on these first few chapters. (Sorry ladies, I realize that this is more to help the guys). We will resume with chapter 5 on Monday morning.
I also would really love to hear some feedback on what you think about the blog. I know that there are some things that we can do better, so please post your thoughts on what you like and what you would want changed.
I pray that God continues to bless us as we participate in reading His Word together.
-Andy
Friday, June 4, 2010
John 4
Jesus and the Samaritan Woman
Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard, "Jesus is making and baptizing more disciples than John" 2 --although it was not Jesus himself but his disciples who baptized-- 3 he left Judea and started back to Galilee.
4 But he had to go through Samaria. 5 So he came to a Samaritan city called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired out by his journey, was sitting by the well. It was about noon. 7 A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink." 8 (His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.)
9 The Samaritan woman said to him, "How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?" (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.)
10 Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water."
11 The woman said to him, "Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? 12 Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us the well, and with his sons and his flocks drank from it?"
13 Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life."
15 The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water, so that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water."
16 Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come back."
17 The woman answered him, "I have no husband."
Jesus said to her, "You are right in saying, 'I have no husband'; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true!"
19 The woman said to him, "Sir, I see that you are a prophet. 20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem."
21 Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."
25 The woman said to him, "I know that Messiah is coming" (who is called Christ). "When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us."
26 Jesus said to her, "I am he, the one who is speaking to you." 27 Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that he was speaking with a woman, but no one said, "What do you want?" or, "Why are you speaking with her?" 28 Then the woman left her water jar and went back to the city. She said to the people, 29 "Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?" 30 They left the city and were on their way to him.
31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, "Rabbi, eat something."
32 But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you do not know about."
33 So the disciples said to one another, "Surely no one has brought him something to eat?"
34 Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work. 35 Do you not say, 'Four months more, then comes the harvest'? But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting. 36 The reaper is already receiving wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. 37 For here the saying holds true, 'One sows and another reaps.' 38 I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor."
Many Samaritans Believe
39 Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I have ever done." 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. 41 And many more believed because of his word. 42 They said to the woman, "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Savior of the world."
Jesus heals an Official’s Son
43 When the two days were over, he went from that place to Galilee 44 (for Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in the prophet's own country). 45 When he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, since they had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the festival; for they too had gone to the festival.
46 Then he came again to Cana in Galilee where he had changed the water into wine. Now there was a royal official whose son lay ill in Capernaum. 47 When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.
48 Then Jesus said to him, "Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe."
49 The official said to him, "Sir, come down before my little boy dies."
50 Jesus said to him, "Go; your son will live." The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started on his way.
51 As he was going down, his slaves met him and told him that his child was alive. 52 So he asked them the hour when he began to recover, and they said to him, "Yesterday at one in the afternoon the fever left him." 53 The father realized that this was the hour when Jesus had said to him, "Your son will live." So he himself believed, along with his whole household. 54 Now this was the second sign that Jesus did after coming from Judea to Galilee.
Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard, "Jesus is making and baptizing more disciples than John" 2 --although it was not Jesus himself but his disciples who baptized-- 3 he left Judea and started back to Galilee.
4 But he had to go through Samaria. 5 So he came to a Samaritan city called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired out by his journey, was sitting by the well. It was about noon. 7 A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink." 8 (His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.)
9 The Samaritan woman said to him, "How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?" (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.)
10 Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water."
11 The woman said to him, "Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? 12 Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us the well, and with his sons and his flocks drank from it?"
13 Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life."
15 The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water, so that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water."
16 Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come back."
17 The woman answered him, "I have no husband."
Jesus said to her, "You are right in saying, 'I have no husband'; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true!"
19 The woman said to him, "Sir, I see that you are a prophet. 20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem."
21 Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."
25 The woman said to him, "I know that Messiah is coming" (who is called Christ). "When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us."
26 Jesus said to her, "I am he, the one who is speaking to you." 27 Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that he was speaking with a woman, but no one said, "What do you want?" or, "Why are you speaking with her?" 28 Then the woman left her water jar and went back to the city. She said to the people, 29 "Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?" 30 They left the city and were on their way to him.
31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, "Rabbi, eat something."
32 But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you do not know about."
33 So the disciples said to one another, "Surely no one has brought him something to eat?"
34 Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work. 35 Do you not say, 'Four months more, then comes the harvest'? But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting. 36 The reaper is already receiving wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. 37 For here the saying holds true, 'One sows and another reaps.' 38 I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor."
Many Samaritans Believe
39 Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I have ever done." 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. 41 And many more believed because of his word. 42 They said to the woman, "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Savior of the world."
Jesus heals an Official’s Son
43 When the two days were over, he went from that place to Galilee 44 (for Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in the prophet's own country). 45 When he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, since they had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the festival; for they too had gone to the festival.
46 Then he came again to Cana in Galilee where he had changed the water into wine. Now there was a royal official whose son lay ill in Capernaum. 47 When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.
48 Then Jesus said to him, "Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe."
49 The official said to him, "Sir, come down before my little boy dies."
50 Jesus said to him, "Go; your son will live." The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started on his way.
51 As he was going down, his slaves met him and told him that his child was alive. 52 So he asked them the hour when he began to recover, and they said to him, "Yesterday at one in the afternoon the fever left him." 53 The father realized that this was the hour when Jesus had said to him, "Your son will live." So he himself believed, along with his whole household. 54 Now this was the second sign that Jesus did after coming from Judea to Galilee.
John 3- Andy's thoughts
Born Again
In this section, we see that Jesus elaborates on a few very important spiritual truths. There was a Jewish religious leader named Nicodemus who comes to Jesus to learn more about the truth. I think that the preceding verses of chapter 2 set the context. The end of chapter 2 says that Jesus knew what was in a man (anthropos). The beginning of this chapter opens with, there was a man (anthropos) of the Pharisees named Nicodemus. (the NRSV loses this wording)
I think that the point of this story is to show that Jesus knows what is in the heart of all people. John uses this story to illustrate Jesus’ knowledge of one person in particular. Nicodemus had come to Jesus at night. This might be a practical statement meaning that he was afraid to be seen with Jesus.
As a prominent Jewish teacher, Nicodemus may have been afraid of what the other Jews would have thought of him if he was seen with Jesus. There may also be some symbolic significance to the use of the word “night.” Throughout this gospel, there is an ongoing contrast between light and dark, night and day.
Jesus picks up on his fears and speaks very bluntly with him. He also uses language that a competent teacher of the Law should have known. Yet Jesus discussion of the Spirit and new birth seem incomprehensible to Nicodemus. As a prominent Jew, Nicodemus probably had a sense that he had a right standing with God simply because he was born a Jew.
Jesus teaches that Jewish birth is not what makes one right with God. Jesus says that one must be born again in order to be right with God. I think that the phrase “born again” has a lot of baggage in our culture today. I don’t think that baggage should prompt us to abandon its usage however. It is a rich biblical phrase that is ripe with meaning.
In part it is a reference to the story of Ezekiel 36:26-27 “I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.” In order for us to be in a right relationship with God, we need God to give us his Holy Spirit. Our ethnicity or family heritage is insufficient for having a right relationship with God.
What does it mean to be born again? It means to have God’s Holy Spirit enter into us and regenerate our dead spirits. It means having God breathe into us the breath of life (the Greek word for “spirit” [pneuma] is the same as the word for “breath” or “wind”).
Lifted Up
Before we read the most famous verse in the New Testament- John 3:16, we should note the context in which it is found. Jesus says that just as Moses lifted the serpent in the wilderness, so must Son of Man be lifted up. What does this mean?
In Numbers 21, the Israelites are sinning against God while in the wilderness. God instructs Moses to make a bronze snake and put it on a pole. The people were being bitten by real, poisonous snakes and they were dying. God tells Moses that if the people will just look at the snake that Moses lifts up on the pole, they will not die but live. This miraculous salvation in the midst of judgment is the context for John 3:16.
Jesus would be “lifted up” (a reference to being put on the cross). All who were feeling the poison of their sin and the judgment they deserved could look to Jesus and be saved. The word “so” in verse 16 is “outos” and is best understood as “thus” or “in this way.”For God “in this way” loved the world- that He gave his Son to be the means of salvation for all who believe.
It is not for nothing that this verse is so often quoted by believers. It is a great short summary of the gospel. God has a particular way of loving the world. He gives himself for us. He calls us to believe in Jesus.
The rest of this section resumes the imagery of light and darkness. “God’s light came into the world but men (anthropos) loved darkness more than the light.” God calls us to come into the light of the world- Jesus. To do this, we must leave behind our love of the darkness- the perceived freedom to do as we please even if it is evil.
Jared and Kim- you point out the words of John the Baptist “he must become greater and I must become less.” These are good words for us to dwell on. It is not that we become worthless for in fact, if God has given himself for us, then we gain immeasurable worth. No, it is that we seek to build the name of Jesus more than we build our own name. This is what it means to be a disciple. We seek to build Jesus’ Kingdom and not our own.
Application:
• What is the attraction of the darkness that draws us to hide away from God and his community?
• What can we hope to expect by living in the light?
In this section, we see that Jesus elaborates on a few very important spiritual truths. There was a Jewish religious leader named Nicodemus who comes to Jesus to learn more about the truth. I think that the preceding verses of chapter 2 set the context. The end of chapter 2 says that Jesus knew what was in a man (anthropos). The beginning of this chapter opens with, there was a man (anthropos) of the Pharisees named Nicodemus. (the NRSV loses this wording)
I think that the point of this story is to show that Jesus knows what is in the heart of all people. John uses this story to illustrate Jesus’ knowledge of one person in particular. Nicodemus had come to Jesus at night. This might be a practical statement meaning that he was afraid to be seen with Jesus.
As a prominent Jewish teacher, Nicodemus may have been afraid of what the other Jews would have thought of him if he was seen with Jesus. There may also be some symbolic significance to the use of the word “night.” Throughout this gospel, there is an ongoing contrast between light and dark, night and day.
Jesus picks up on his fears and speaks very bluntly with him. He also uses language that a competent teacher of the Law should have known. Yet Jesus discussion of the Spirit and new birth seem incomprehensible to Nicodemus. As a prominent Jew, Nicodemus probably had a sense that he had a right standing with God simply because he was born a Jew.
Jesus teaches that Jewish birth is not what makes one right with God. Jesus says that one must be born again in order to be right with God. I think that the phrase “born again” has a lot of baggage in our culture today. I don’t think that baggage should prompt us to abandon its usage however. It is a rich biblical phrase that is ripe with meaning.
In part it is a reference to the story of Ezekiel 36:26-27 “I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.” In order for us to be in a right relationship with God, we need God to give us his Holy Spirit. Our ethnicity or family heritage is insufficient for having a right relationship with God.
What does it mean to be born again? It means to have God’s Holy Spirit enter into us and regenerate our dead spirits. It means having God breathe into us the breath of life (the Greek word for “spirit” [pneuma] is the same as the word for “breath” or “wind”).
Lifted Up
Before we read the most famous verse in the New Testament- John 3:16, we should note the context in which it is found. Jesus says that just as Moses lifted the serpent in the wilderness, so must Son of Man be lifted up. What does this mean?
In Numbers 21, the Israelites are sinning against God while in the wilderness. God instructs Moses to make a bronze snake and put it on a pole. The people were being bitten by real, poisonous snakes and they were dying. God tells Moses that if the people will just look at the snake that Moses lifts up on the pole, they will not die but live. This miraculous salvation in the midst of judgment is the context for John 3:16.
Jesus would be “lifted up” (a reference to being put on the cross). All who were feeling the poison of their sin and the judgment they deserved could look to Jesus and be saved. The word “so” in verse 16 is “outos” and is best understood as “thus” or “in this way.”For God “in this way” loved the world- that He gave his Son to be the means of salvation for all who believe.
It is not for nothing that this verse is so often quoted by believers. It is a great short summary of the gospel. God has a particular way of loving the world. He gives himself for us. He calls us to believe in Jesus.
The rest of this section resumes the imagery of light and darkness. “God’s light came into the world but men (anthropos) loved darkness more than the light.” God calls us to come into the light of the world- Jesus. To do this, we must leave behind our love of the darkness- the perceived freedom to do as we please even if it is evil.
Jared and Kim- you point out the words of John the Baptist “he must become greater and I must become less.” These are good words for us to dwell on. It is not that we become worthless for in fact, if God has given himself for us, then we gain immeasurable worth. No, it is that we seek to build the name of Jesus more than we build our own name. This is what it means to be a disciple. We seek to build Jesus’ Kingdom and not our own.
Application:
• What is the attraction of the darkness that draws us to hide away from God and his community?
• What can we hope to expect by living in the light?
Thursday, June 3, 2010
John 3
Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. 2 He came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God."
3 Jesus answered him, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above."
4 Nicodemus said to him, "How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?"
5 Jesus answered, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. 6 What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not be astonished that I said to you, 'You must be born from above.' 8 The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."
9 Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?"
10 Jesus answered him, "Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? 11 "Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. 17 "Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
18 Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. 20 For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. 21 But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God."
John the Baptist Exalts Jesus
22 After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he spent some time there with them and baptized.
23 John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim because water was abundant there; and people kept coming and were being baptized 24 --John, of course, had not yet been thrown into prison. 25 Now a discussion about purification arose between John's disciples and a Jew. 26 They came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you testified, here he is baptizing, and all are going to him."
27 John answered, "No one can receive anything except what has been given from heaven. 28 You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, 'I am not the Messiah, but I have been sent ahead of him.' 29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. For this reason my joy has been fulfilled. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease."
31 The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly things. The one who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He testifies to what he has seen and heard, yet no one accepts his testimony. 33 Whoever has accepted his testimony has certified this, that God is true. 34 He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. 35 The Father loves the Son and has placed all things in his hands. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but must endure God's wrath.
3 Jesus answered him, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above."
4 Nicodemus said to him, "How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?"
5 Jesus answered, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. 6 What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not be astonished that I said to you, 'You must be born from above.' 8 The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."
9 Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?"
10 Jesus answered him, "Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? 11 "Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. 17 "Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
18 Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. 20 For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. 21 But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God."
John the Baptist Exalts Jesus
22 After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he spent some time there with them and baptized.
23 John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim because water was abundant there; and people kept coming and were being baptized 24 --John, of course, had not yet been thrown into prison. 25 Now a discussion about purification arose between John's disciples and a Jew. 26 They came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you testified, here he is baptizing, and all are going to him."
27 John answered, "No one can receive anything except what has been given from heaven. 28 You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, 'I am not the Messiah, but I have been sent ahead of him.' 29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. For this reason my joy has been fulfilled. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease."
31 The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly things. The one who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He testifies to what he has seen and heard, yet no one accepts his testimony. 33 Whoever has accepted his testimony has certified this, that God is true. 34 He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. 35 The Father loves the Son and has placed all things in his hands. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but must endure God's wrath.
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