On Sundays, we're making our way through the Gospel of John, and we've come now to chapter

3. I'm going to read the first 18 verses, and this is what it says. John 3, verse 1. There was a man

of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him,

Rabbi, we know that you were a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him. And Jesus answered and said to him, most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus said to him, how can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's

womb and be born? Jesus answered, most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the

spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of

the spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, you must be

born again. The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes

from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the spirit. Nicodemus answered and said to him,

how can these things be? And Jesus answered and said to him, are you the teacher of Israel and do

not know these things? Most assuredly, I say to you, we speak what we know and testify what we have

seen and you do not receive our witness. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe,

how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended to heaven, but he who came down from

heaven, that is, the son of man who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the servant in the wilderness,

even so must the son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have

eternal life. 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 did not send his son into the

world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. And he who believes in him

is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned

already because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten son of God. Let's pray.

Lord, it's good to be in your house, and as we open up your word today, we pray that we would

have an understanding of what all this means when you say what you did to Nicodemus because, Lord, you're still saying it to us today.

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