John 3:16-21 NRSVue

¹⁶“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

¹⁷“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world but in order that the world might be saved through him. ¹⁸Those who believe in him are not condemned, but those who do not believe are condemned already because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. ¹⁹And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. ²⁰For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. ²¹But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.”^,

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Some thoughts on this scripture

Reflection
Jesus has been speaking metaphorically and Nicodemus understood him literally. Now, Jesus speaks literally. How do you think Nicodemus, who fades away, managed to understand? Do you have sympathy for Nicodemus? If so why? What questions would you put to Nicodemus? Have you questions for Jesus? It is well to remember that the Jews stresses natural birth, one becomes a Jew by having a Jewish mother. However, Jesus stresses spiritual rebirth that occurs in accepting and following Him. There is no such person as a ‘born Christian’.