New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996

John 3

1 There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus. He was one of the Jewish rulers. Reference

Parallel theme

John 19:39

People

Nicodemus

2 He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. We know that God is with you. If he weren't, you couldn't do the miraculous signs you are doing." Reference

Parallel theme

John 5:36 John 12:37 John 7:31 Judges 6:27

References God

John 9:16 Matthew 22:16

References Jesus

Acts 10:38 Acts 2:22 John 1:38

3 Jesus replied, "What I'm about to tell you is true. No one can see God's kingdom without being born again." Reference

Parallel theme

2 Corinthians 5:17 Titus 3:5 1 John 2:29

References God

1 John 3:9 John 1:13 1 John 5:18 2 Corinthians 4:4

References Jesus

1 John 5:1 Galatians 6:15 1 Peter 1:3

4 "How can I be born when I am old?" Nicodemus asked. "I can't go back inside my mother! I can't be born a second time!" Reference

Parallel theme

1 Corinthians 2:14 1 Corinthians 1:18 John 3:3 John 6:53

5 Jesus answered, "What I'm about to tell you is true. No one can enter God's kingdom without being born through water and the Holy Spirit. Reference

Kingdom

John 3:3

Parallel theme

Ephesians 5:26 Mark 16:16

References God

John 1:13

References Jesus

1 Peter 3:21 1 John 5:1

Spirit

Acts 2:38 1 Corinthians 6:11 Matthew 3:11 1 Corinthians 2:12

6 People give birth to people. But the Spirit gives birth to spirit. Reference

Parallel theme

2 Corinthians 5:17 Genesis 6:12 Job 25:4 Job 14:4 1 John 3:9 Romans 7:18 Ephesians 2:3

Spirit

1 Corinthians 6:17 Psalm 51:10 Romans 8:13

7 You should not be surprised when I say, 'You must all be born again.' Reference

Parallel theme

John 3:3 Revelation 21:27 1 Peter 1:22 Hebrews 12:14 Colossians 1:12 Job 15:14 John 3:12

8 "The wind blows where it wants to. You hear the sound it makes. But you can't tell where it comes from or where it is going. It is the same with everyone who is born through the Spirit." Reference

Parallel theme

Acts 2:2 Ezekiel 37:9 1 John 2:29 John 1:13 Psalm 107:25 Psalm 107:29

Spirit

1 Corinthians 2:11 Acts 4:31 1 Corinthians 12:11

9 "How can this be?" Nicodemus asked. Reference

Parallel theme

Isaiah 42:16 John 6:52 John 6:60 Luke 1:34

10 "You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus. "Don't you understand these things? Reference

Parallel theme

Ezekiel 11:19 Matthew 15:14

References Jesus

Matthew 22:29

11 "What I'm about to tell you is true. We speak about what we know. We give witness to what we have seen. But still you people do not accept our witness. Reference

Parallel theme

John 8:38 John 12:49 John 14:24 John 1:18 John 7:16 John 8:14 Isaiah 65:2 2 Corinthians 4:4 Isaiah 50:2 Isaiah 53:1

12 I have spoken to you about earthly things, and you do not believe. So how will you believe if I speak about heavenly things? Reference

Parallel theme

Hebrews 5:11 John 3:8 John 3:5

13 "No one has ever gone into heaven except the One who came from heaven. He is the Son of Man. Reference

Parallel theme

Proverbs 30:4 John 6:38 Acts 2:34 John 1:18 1 Corinthians 15:47 John 13:3 Romans 10:6 John 6:62 John 3:31 John 6:42

14 Moses lifted up the snake in the desert. The Son of Man must be lifted up also. Reference

Parallel theme

John 8:28 Matthew 26:54 Acts 2:23 Psalm 22:16 Luke 24:20

References Moses

2 Kings 18:4

15 Then everyone who believes in him can live with God forever. Reference

Eternal Life

1 John 5:20

Faith

John 3:16 John 3:36 John 6:40 John 20:31 1 John 5:1 John 1:12 John 6:47

Parallel theme

Hebrews 7:25 Isaiah 45:22

16 "God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son. Anyone who believes in him will not die but will have eternal life. Reference

Eternal Life

John 10:28

Faith

John 3:15 John 6:40 John 3:36

Love

Romans 5:8 1 John 4:19 2 Thessalonians 2:16

Parallel theme

Romans 8:32

References God

Romans 5:10 John 1:29

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

Parallel theme

John 6:57 John 6:40 John 20:21 1 John 2:2 John 5:45 John 11:42

References God

John 6:29 John 17:3

Salvation

1 John 4:14 Luke 19:10

18 Anyone who believes in him is not judged. But anyone who does not believe is judged already. He has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. Reference

Faith

1 John 5:10 Mark 16:16 John 5:24 John 3:36 Romans 5:1 John 20:31

Parallel theme

Romans 8:1

References God

1 John 5:12 1 John 4:9 Romans 8:34

19 "Here is the judgment. Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light. They loved darkness because what they did was evil. Reference

Light

John 8:12 John 1:4

Love

John 12:43

Parallel theme

2 Thessalonians 2:12 Romans 2:8 Romans 1:32 John 5:44 2 Peter 3:3 Luke 12:47

20 "Everyone who does evil things hates the light. They will not come into the light. They are afraid that what they do will be seen. Reference

Evil

John 7:7 1 Kings 22:8

Light

Proverbs 4:18

Parallel theme

Proverbs 1:29 Psalm 50:17

21 But anyone who lives by the truth comes into the light. He does this so that it will be easy to see that what he has done is with God's help." Reference

Light

Psalm 119:105

Parallel theme

Psalm 119:80 John 5:39 Galatians 6:8 Colossians 1:29 John 1:47 Hosea 14:8

References God

3 John 1:11

Truth

1 John 1:6 Ephesians 5:9

22 After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the countryside of Judea. There he spent some time with them. And he baptized people there. Reference

Baptism

John 3:26

📍 Judean

23 John was also baptizing. He was at Aenon near Salim, where there was plenty of water. People were coming all the time to be baptized. Reference

Baptism

Luke 3:7

📍 Locations

📍 Aenon 📍 Salim

24 That was before John was put in prison. Reference

References John

Matthew 4:12 Matthew 14:3 Mark 6:17

25 Some of John's disciples and a certain Jew began to argue. They argued about special washings to make people "clean." Reference

Parallel theme

John 2:6 Hebrews 6:2 Matthew 3:11 Hebrews 9:23 Hebrews 9:10 1 Peter 3:21 Mark 7:8

26 They came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan River is baptizing people. He is the one you gave witness about. Everyone is going to him." Reference

Parallel theme

John 12:19 Isaiah 45:23 John 11:48

Witness

John 1:7 John 1:15

27 John replied, "A person can receive only what God gives him from heaven. Reference

Parallel theme

James 1:17 1 Corinthians 4:7 1 Corinthians 15:10 Matthew 25:15 Amos 7:15 Jeremiah 17:16 Jeremiah 1:5 Numbers 17:5 Mark 13:34

References John

Matthew 21:25

28 You yourselves are witnesses that I said, 'I am not the Christ. I was sent ahead of him.' Reference

Parallel theme

John 1:23 Malachi 3:1 Matthew 3:3

References Christ

John 1:20

29 The bride belongs to the groom. The friend who helps the groom waits and listens for him. He is full of joy when he hears the groom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. Reference

Parallel theme

Isaiah 54:5 Hosea 2:19 Matthew 9:15 Ezekiel 16:8 Revelation 21:9 John 16:24 Philippians 2:2 1 John 1:4 2 Corinthians 11:2 Luke 15:6

30 He must become more important. I must become less important. Reference

Parallel theme

Colossians 1:18 Isaiah 9:7 1 Corinthians 3:5 Revelation 11:15

31 "The One who comes from above is above everything. The one who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks like someone from the earth. The One who comes from heaven is above everything. Reference

Parallel theme

John 8:23 Matthew 28:18 Romans 9:5 John 6:33 1 John 4:5 John 6:51 Revelation 19:16 John 1:27 1 Peter 3:22 Hebrews 9:1

32 He gives witness to what he has seen and heard. But no one accepts what he says. Reference

Parallel theme

John 1:11 John 15:15

Witness

John 3:11

33 Anyone who has accepted it has said, 'Yes. God is truthful.' Reference

Parallel theme

2 Corinthians 1:22

References God

Hebrews 6:17 John 6:27

Truth

Ephesians 1:13 2 Corinthians 1:18

34 The One whom God has sent speaks God's words. God gives the Holy Spirit without limit. Reference

Parallel theme

John 5:26 Colossians 1:19 John 7:16 John 1:16

References God

Colossians 2:9

Spirit

Acts 10:38 John 15:26 Matthew 12:18 Luke 4:18 Romans 8:2

35 "The Father loves the Son and has put everything into his hands. Reference

Love

John 5:20

Parallel theme

Matthew 28:18 John 5:22 Luke 10:22 Matthew 11:27 John 17:2 Ephesians 1:22 Psalm 2:8 1 Corinthians 15:27 John 13:3

36 Anyone who believes in the Son has eternal life. Anyone who says no to the Son will not have life. God's anger remains on him." Reference

Eternal Life

John 10:28

Faith

John 5:24 John 1:12 Revelation 21:8

Judgment

Ephesians 5:6 1 Thessalonians 5:9 Romans 5:9 1 Thessalonians 1:10

Parallel theme

John 8:51

References God

John 3:3

Chapter Summary

John 3 centers on Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus, the necessity of spiritual rebirth, God's love expressed through the giving of His Son, the contrast between light and darkness, and John the Baptist's humble recognition that Jesus must become greater while his own ministry becomes less.

Nicodemus, a respected Pharisee and Jewish leader, approaches Jesus at night and acknowledges that Jesus must have come from God because of the signs He performs.

Jesus immediately directs the conversation toward a deeper spiritual reality, explaining that no one can see the kingdom of God without being born again or born from above.

Nicodemus initially understands Jesus' words in physical terms, but Jesus explains that natural birth cannot produce the spiritual transformation necessary for life in God's kingdom.

A person must be born through water and the Spirit, because human nature produces physical life while the Spirit produces spiritual life.

Jesus compares the Spirit's work to the wind, whose effects can be clearly experienced even though its movement cannot be controlled or fully understood.

Jesus then explains that He has come from heaven and is uniquely qualified to reveal heavenly truth.

He refers to Moses lifting up the bronze serpent in the wilderness and uses that event to point toward His own future lifting up on the cross.

Just as those who looked at the bronze serpent were healed, those who believe in Jesus will receive eternal life.

The chapter reaches its central declaration in the teaching that God loved the world so deeply that He gave His unique Son so that everyone who believes in Him would not perish but have eternal life.

Jesus explains that God sent His Son into the world not primarily to condemn it but to save it, while also showing that people bring judgment upon themselves when they deliberately reject God's light because they prefer darkness and do not want their actions exposed.

The second half of the chapter returns to John the Baptist, whose disciples become concerned because Jesus is attracting increasing numbers of people.

John responds with remarkable humility, explaining that a person can receive only what God gives and reminding them that he has never claimed to be the Messiah.

Instead, John describes himself as the friend of the bridegroom, whose joy is fulfilled when the bridegroom arrives.

He then gives one of the clearest statements of his entire ministry: Jesus must become greater, while John must become less.

The chapter closes by contrasting Jesus' heavenly origin and authority with humanity's earthly perspective, emphasizing that Jesus speaks the words of God, that the Father loves the Son and has placed everything into His hands, and that belief in the Son leads to eternal life while rejection leaves a person under judgment.

John 3 therefore brings together some of the Gospel's most important themes: new birth, the Holy Spirit, God's love, salvation, faith, eternal life, judgment, light and darkness, Jesus' heavenly origin, and the humble role of those who point others toward Christ.