Inspire Faith - Flipbook - Page 6
JOHN 3
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He drove out the sheep and cattle, scattered the money changers’ coins over
the floor, and turned over their tables. 16 Then, going over to the people who
sold doves, he told them, “Get these things out of here. Stop turning my
Father’s house into a marketplace!”
17 Then his disciples remembered this prophecy from the Scriptures: “Pas
sion for God’s house will consume me.”*
18 But the Jewish leaders demanded, “What are you doing? If God gave you
authority to do this, show us a miraculous sign to prove it.”
19 “All right,” Jesus replied. “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will
raise it up.”
20 “What!” they exclaimed. “It has taken fortysix years to build this
Temple, and you can rebuild it in three days?” 21 But when Jesus said “this
temple,” he meant his own body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his
disciples remembered he had said this, and they believed both the Scriptures
and what Jesus had said.
Jesus and Nicodemus
23 Because of the miraculous signs Jesus did in Jerusalem at the Passover cel
ebration, many began to trust in him. 24 But Jesus didn’t trust them, because
he knew all about people. 25 No one needed to tell him about human nature,
for he knew what was in each person’s heart.
3
There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a
Pharisee. 2 After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,”
he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs
are evidence that God is with you.”
3 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again,* you cannot
see the Kingdom of God.”
4 “What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go
back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”
5 Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God with
out being born of water and the Spirit.* 6 Humans can reproduce only human
life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.* 7 So don’t be surprised
when I say, ‘You* must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it wants.
Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it
is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.”
9 “How are these things possible?” Nicodemus asked.
10 Jesus replied, “You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t
understand these things? 11 I assure you, we tell you what we know and have
seen, and yet you won’t believe our testimony. 12 But if you don’t believe me
when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you
about heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But
the Son of Man* has come down from heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the
bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted
up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.*
16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave* his one and only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
2:17 Or “Concern for God’s house will be my undoing.” Ps 69:9. 3:3 Or born from above; also in 3:7.
3:5 Or and spirit. The Greek word for Spirit can also be translated wind; see 3:8. 3:6 Greek what
is born of the Spirit is spirit. 3:7 The Greek word for you is plural; also in 3:12. 3:13 Some man
uscripts add who lives in heaven. “Son of Man” is a title Jesus used for himself. 3:15 Or everyone
who believes will have eternal life in him. 3:16 Or For God loved the world so much that he gave.
