CLARITY EDITION · OLD TESTAMENT
John 3
Chapter 3 of 21
Chapter Overview
What happens in John 3
Nicodemus, a Pharisee and ruler, comes to Jesus at night and learns about the necessity of being born again through water and the Spirit. This conversation contains the famous declaration of God's love in John 3:16. The chapter concludes with John the Baptist's final testimony about Jesus' supremacy.
Scripture
John 3
Jesus and Nicodemus: Born Again
Study note
Nicodemus, a respected Pharisee, comes to Jesus under cover of night acknowledging him as a teacher from God. Jesus redirects the conversation to the radical requirement of being born again -- born of water and the Spirit -- to enter God's kingdom. Using the analogy of Moses lifting up the serpent in the wilderness, Jesus points to his own crucifixion as the means of salvation. This leads to the gospel's most celebrated verse: God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son so that whoever trusts in him would not perish but have eternal life.
1 Among the Pharisees, there was an important Jewish leader named Nicodemus. There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
2 One night he came to talk with Jesus. "Rabbi," he said, "we can tell that God sent you to teach us. Nobody could do the amazing miracles you do unless God was working through him." The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
3 Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a person is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4 Nicodemus was confused. "How can someone be born when they are already grown up?" he asked. "You cannot climb back inside your mother and be born a second time!" Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
5 Jesus said, "Truly, no one can enter God's kingdom without being born through water and through the Spirit." Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6 A human body gives birth to a human body. But God's Spirit gives birth to a new spiritual life. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Do not be surprised when I tell you that you need to be born all over again. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
8 Think about the wind -- it blows wherever it wants. You can hear it blowing, but you have no idea where it started or where it is headed. That is what it is like when someone is born of the Spirit. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
9 "How is any of this even possible?" Nicodemus asked. Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?
10 Jesus said, "You are an important teacher in Israel, and you still do not understand this?" Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?
11 "Let me be straight with you: we talk about things we know about, and we share what we have seen. But you people keep refusing to accept what we say." Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.
12 "I have been telling you about things that happen right here on earth, and you do not believe me. So how would you ever believe me if I started telling you about things in heaven?" If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?
13 "No one has ever gone up to heaven except the one who came down from there -- the Son of man who belongs in heaven." And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
14 "Remember how Moses held up a bronze snake on a pole out in the wilderness? The Son of man has to be lifted up in the same kind of way," And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
15 "so that everyone who puts their faith in him will be rescued and given life that goes on forever." That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 Anyone who trusts in the Son is not facing punishment. But anyone who refuses to trust in him is already under judgment, because they have not put their trust in God's only begotten Son. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19 Here is why judgment is coming. The Light came right into the world. But people chose the darkness instead. They wanted to keep doing bad things. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20 People who are doing wrong things stay far away from the light. They do not want to step into it because then everyone would see what they are doing. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
21 But people who live by the truth happily walk right into the light. They want everyone to see that what they are doing comes from God. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
John the Baptist's Final Testimony
Study note
As Jesus and John the Baptist minister in parallel, a question about purification leads John's disciples to express concern that everyone is going to Jesus instead. John responds with profound humility, declaring 'He must increase, but I must decrease.' He affirms Jesus as the bridegroom and himself as merely the friend of the bridegroom, testifying that the one who comes from above is above all and that whoever believes in the Son has everlasting life.
22 After that conversation, Jesus and his followers headed out into the countryside of Judaea. He spent time there with them and baptized people. After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judæa; and there he tarried with them, and baptized.
23 John was also out baptizing people at Aenon, close to Salim, because there was lots of water there. People kept coming to be baptized. And John also was baptizing in Ænon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized.
24 This was before John had been thrown into prison. For John was not yet cast into prison.
25 Some of John's followers got into a fight with certain Jewish people. They were arguing about washing rites. Then there arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying.
26 John's followers went to him and said, "Rabbi, that man you talked about — the one who was with you on the other side of the Jordan — well, he is baptizing now. And everybody is going to him instead of us!" And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him.
27 John answered, "Nobody can have anything unless God gives it to them from heaven." John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.
28 "You heard me say it yourselves -- I told you clearly that I am not the Christ. I was only sent ahead of him to get things ready." Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.
29 "Think of it like a wedding. The groom is the one who gets the bride. The best man stands there listening and is thrilled to hear the groom's voice. That is exactly how I feel right now -- my happiness is overflowing." He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.
30 "His importance must keep growing while mine shrinks." He must increase, but I must decrease.
31 The one who comes from heaven is above everyone and everything. A person who is from the earth can only talk about earthly things. But the one who comes from heaven is above it all. He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all.
32 He tells people what he has seen and heard in heaven. Yet hardly anyone takes his words seriously. And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony.
33 But whoever does accept what he says is agreeing that God tells the truth. He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true.
34 The one God sent speaks God's very own words. God gives him the Spirit without any limit at all. For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.
35 The Father has deep love for the Son and has placed everything under his control. The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.
36 Anyone who trusts in the Son already has life that lasts forever. But anyone who refuses to obey the Son will never have that life. God's anger stays on that person. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
Key Themes
Themes in John 3
The new birthGod's love for the worldBelief and eternal lifeLight and darknessHumility in ministryThe gift of the Spirit
Prophetic Connections
How this chapter points to Christ
John 3:14-15 Numbers 21:8-9
Jesus compares his coming crucifixion to Moses lifting up the bronze serpent in the wilderness, where looking upon the serpent brought healing -- just as looking to Christ in faith brings eternal life.
Apply This Today
Living John 3
Nicodemus reminds us that even the most religious and educated among us need a spiritual rebirth that comes only through faith in Christ. John 3:16 encapsulates the gospel message: God's initiative of love, the gift of his Son, and the promise of eternal life to all who believe. John the Baptist's willingness to decrease so Christ could increase challenges us to examine our own desire for recognition and to find joy in pointing others to Jesus.
Go Deeper
Study John in Covenant Path
Read every chapter with study aids, bookmarks, and daily reading plans — free in the app.