- 1There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
- 2The 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.
- 3Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
- 4Nicodemus 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?
- 5Jesus 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.
- 6That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
- 7Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
- 8The 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.
- 9Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?
- 10Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?
- 11Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.
- 12If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?
- 13And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
- 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
- 15That 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 whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
- 17For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
- 18 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.
- 19And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
- 20For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
- 21But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
- 22 After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judæa; and there he tarried with them, and baptized.
- 23 And John also was baptizing in Ænon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized.
- 24For John was not yet cast into prison.
- 25 Then there arose a question between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purifying.
- 26And 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.
- 27John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.
- 28Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.
- 29He 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.
- 30He must increase, but I must decrease.
- 31He 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.
- 32And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony.
- 33He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true.
- 34For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.
- 35The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.
- 36He 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.
KING JAMES VERSION
JOHN 3
Read the chapter, follow a linked verse, and continue into related Watchman 33 teaching.
CHAPTER VISUAL
John 3 — Born from Above gathers the chapter’s central movement as Jesus’s identity, authority, mercy, and saving mission are revealed.
About this illustration
The illustration centers jesus and the elderly Nicodemus speak by one oil lamp on a Jerusalem rooftop as dawn begins. Other events and teachings remain in the chapter text rather than being crowded into one scene.
Scripture basis: John 3:1–36King James Version · Standardized 1769 text with Strong’s numbering · Public domain outside the United Kingdom
EXPLORE THE MESSAGE
Related Watchman 33 Resources
Archaeological Evidence
ARCHAEOLOGY EVIDENCEManuscript
6th Century
Papyrus P36: John 3:14–16 in a Greek Witness
P36, PSI III 3 in Florence, consists of two very small sixth-century papyrus fragments preserving John 3:14–18 and 31–35, including the serpent comparison and God's giving love.
John 3:14–18 · John 3:31–32 · John 3:34–35
ARCHAEOLOGY EVIDENCEManuscript
6th Century
Papyrus P63: John 3:14–15 in a Greek Witness
P63, Berlin P. 11914, is a sixth-century Greek–Coptic papyrus oracle booklet whose four pages select John 3:14–18 and 4:9–10 and append numbered Greek interpretations repeated in Coptic.
John 3:14–18 · John 4:9–10
ARCHAEOLOGY EVIDENCEManuscript
3rd Century
Papyrus P80: John 3:34 and an Interpretive Note
P.Barc. 83, now P.Monts.Roca IV 51 and Gregory-Aland P80, is a tiny John 3:34 papyrus with hermeneia; older catalogues date it to the third century, while later palaeographers favor the sixth.
John 3:34
ARCHAEOLOGY EVIDENCEManuscript
Ninth century AD
Uncial 050: A Dispersed Catena Manuscript of John
Uncial 050: A Dispersed Catena Manuscript of John is a separately registered physical witness to the copying and reception of John 3:1–22; John 20:10–17, identified by its own GA number, shelfmark, date, layout, and custodial history.
John 3:1–22 · John 20:10–17
Prophecy Events
PROPHECY EVENTFulfilled
30
Numbers 21:4–9The Bronze Serpent Lifted Up
Those afflicted in the wilderness live when they look toward the bronze serpent Moses raises at God’s command.
Prophetic signbronze serpentlifted uphealingSon of Man
PROPHECY EVENTUnfolding
Ezekiel 36:25–27Cleansed and Given a New Heart and Spirit
Ezekiel promises cleansing, a new heart, and God’s Spirit enabling covenant obedience.
Covenantnew heartSpiritcleansingnew covenant
Sermons
No Looking Back
Pastor Dean Odle uses an old family plow to illustrate Jesus’s warning in Luke 9:62 about following Him without looking back. Beginning with Romans 8 and John 10, he argues that discipleship requires continually hearing Christ’s voice, resisting the flesh, and surrendering self-will. He examines the excuses in Luke 14, shares personal accounts of ministry decisions, correction, and restoration, and turns to 1 John 2 and Proverbs 3 to urge trust in God’s direction. The sermon closes with warnings drawn from Lot’s wife and the parable of the talents, calling listeners to examine their faith, abide in Christ, and move forward in obedient, fruitful service.
Christian LivingSalvation and the GospelHoly Spirit and Spiritual GiftsDoctrine and Discernment
View sermon Legally Blind
Pastor Dean Odle warns that believers can become spiritually blind through pride, passivity, and failure to practice or rightly interpret Scripture. Moving from James 1 and Jesus' confrontations with the Pharisees to Paul's pastoral commands and Christ's rebuke of Laodicea, he urges humility, careful study, prayer, and honest self-examination. Odle applies the warning to disputes over salvation, spiritual gifts, women in ministry, and biblical creation, attributing deception to isolated proof texts and resistance to correction. He closes from 2 Corinthians 5 with the judgment seat of Christ, a call to be reconciled to God, and a prayer for the Holy Spirit to open believers' eyes.
Doctrine and DiscernmentApostasy and DeceptionChristian LivingScripture Alone
View sermon The Reshaping of Christianity
In “The Reshaping of Christianity,” Pastor Dean Odle warns that Christianity can be counterfeited when biblical authority and personal devotion to Jesus Christ are replaced by religious ritual, institutional loyalty, political identity, occult spirituality, or a universalized “Christ” acceptable to every religion. Beginning with Israel’s golden calf in Exodus 31-32, he argues that people may retain the language of worship while fashioning a god from their own culture and imagination. He connects that pattern with Paul’s warning about “another Jesus,” “another spirit,” and “another gospel” in 2 Corinthians 11 and Galatians 1.
Apostasy and DeceptionRoman Catholicism and the PapacyMystery BabylonBible Prophecy
View sermon Showing 1–3 of 6 sermons
Music
Come Honestly
A Scripture-rich gospel appeal to come to Jesus without pretense: confessing sin, trusting His crucifixion and resurrection, receiving salvation by grace through faith, and following Him in repentance and new life.
Legally Blind
A sober prayer for spiritual sight that confronts self-deception, religious pride, shallow Bible reading, and blind leadership—calling believers to receive correction, obey the Word, examine their hearts, and be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ.
Turn, Turn
A direct call to repentance from Galatians 5 and 1 Corinthians 6, naming the works of the flesh without partiality and pointing sinners to the cleansing, freedom, and Spirit-shaped life found in Jesus Christ.
What's His Name
A forceful call to lay down pride, refuse self-glory, and exalt Jesus Christ—the crucified and risen King whose name alone brings salvation.