WEBVTT 00:00:01.000 --> 00:00:03.700 Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're 00:00:03.700 --> 00:00:05.740 taking this journey together to read the Bible 00:00:05.740 --> 00:00:08.900 in a year. Today's reading is from the Gospel 00:00:08.900 --> 00:00:12.919 of John, Chapter 3. There was a man of the Pharisees 00:00:12.919 --> 00:00:16.420 named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man 00:00:16.420 --> 00:00:18.839 came to Jesus by night and said to him, Rabbi, 00:00:19.059 --> 00:00:21.879 we know that you are a teacher come from God, 00:00:22.039 --> 00:00:24.859 for no one can do these signs that you do unless 00:00:24.859 --> 00:00:27.859 God is with him. Jesus answered and said to him, 00:00:28.000 --> 00:00:31.399 Most assuredly, I say to you, Unless one is born 00:00:31.399 --> 00:00:34.579 again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus 00:00:34.579 --> 00:00:37.219 said to him, How can a man be born when he is 00:00:37.219 --> 00:00:39.939 old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's 00:00:39.939 --> 00:00:43.380 womb and be born? Jesus answered, Most assuredly 00:00:43.380 --> 00:00:46.380 I say to you, Unless one is born of water and 00:00:46.380 --> 00:00:48.920 the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 00:00:49.240 --> 00:00:51.899 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and 00:00:51.899 --> 00:00:54.539 that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit. Do 00:00:54.539 --> 00:00:57.119 not marvel that I said to you, You must be born 00:00:57.119 --> 00:01:00.840 again. The wind blows where it wishes, and you 00:01:00.840 --> 00:01:03.740 hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it 00:01:03.740 --> 00:01:06.659 comes from and where it goes. So is everyone 00:01:06.659 --> 00:01:09.340 who is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered 00:01:09.340 --> 00:01:12.599 and said to him, How can these things be? Jesus 00:01:12.599 --> 00:01:14.900 answered and said to him, Are you the teacher 00:01:14.900 --> 00:01:17.959 of Israel and do not know these things? Most 00:01:17.959 --> 00:01:20.799 assuredly I say to you, we speak what we know 00:01:20.799 --> 00:01:23.939 and testify what we have seen. and you do not 00:01:23.939 --> 00:01:26.760 receive our witness. If I have told you earthly 00:01:26.760 --> 00:01:30.159 things and you do not believe, how will you believe 00:01:30.159 --> 00:01:33.879 if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended 00:01:33.879 --> 00:01:37.019 to heaven but he who came down from heaven, that 00:01:37.019 --> 00:01:40.400 is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. And as Moses 00:01:40.400 --> 00:01:43.140 lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even 00:01:43.140 --> 00:01:46.620 so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever 00:01:46.620 --> 00:01:49.719 believes in him should not perish but have eternal 00:01:49.719 --> 00:01:52.900 life. For God so loved the world that He gave 00:01:52.900 --> 00:01:55.180 His only begotten Son, that whoever believes 00:01:55.180 --> 00:01:57.599 in Him should not perish but have everlasting 00:01:57.599 --> 00:02:01.079 life. For God did not send His Son into the world 00:02:01.079 --> 00:02:03.900 to condemn the world, but that the world through 00:02:03.900 --> 00:02:07.420 Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is 00:02:07.420 --> 00:02:10.180 not condemned, but he who does not believe is 00:02:10.180 --> 00:02:12.680 condemned already, because he has not believed 00:02:12.680 --> 00:02:14.960 in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 00:02:15.360 --> 00:02:17.900 And this is the condemnation, that the light 00:02:17.900 --> 00:02:20.800 has come into the world, and men love darkness 00:02:20.800 --> 00:02:24.060 rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 00:02:24.240 --> 00:02:27.439 For everyone practicing evil hates the light, 00:02:27.580 --> 00:02:30.319 and does not come to the light, lest his deeds 00:02:30.319 --> 00:02:33.360 should be exposed. But he who does the truth 00:02:33.360 --> 00:02:36.659 comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly 00:02:36.659 --> 00:02:40.620 seen, that they have been done in God. After 00:02:40.620 --> 00:02:43.500 these things, Jesus and his disciples came into 00:02:43.500 --> 00:02:45.879 the land of Judea, and there he remained with 00:02:45.879 --> 00:02:48.680 them and baptized. Now John also was baptizing 00:02:48.680 --> 00:02:51.939 in Anon near Salim, because there was much water 00:02:51.939 --> 00:02:54.819 there. And they came and were baptized, for John 00:02:54.819 --> 00:02:58.080 had not yet been thrown into prison. Then there 00:02:58.080 --> 00:03:00.439 arose a dispute between some of John's disciples 00:03:00.439 --> 00:03:03.460 and the Jews about purification. And they came 00:03:03.460 --> 00:03:06.740 to John and said to him, Rabbi, he who was with 00:03:06.740 --> 00:03:09.050 you beyond the Jordan, To whom you have testified, 00:03:09.330 --> 00:03:12.669 behold, he is baptizing, and all are coming to 00:03:12.669 --> 00:03:15.569 him. John answered and said, A man can receive 00:03:15.569 --> 00:03:17.610 nothing unless it has been given to him from 00:03:17.610 --> 00:03:20.750 heaven. You yourselves bear me witness that I 00:03:20.750 --> 00:03:23.889 said, I am not the Christ, but I have been sent 00:03:23.889 --> 00:03:27.289 before him. He who has the bride is the bridegroom, 00:03:27.409 --> 00:03:30.069 but the friend of the bridegroom who stands and 00:03:30.069 --> 00:03:33.530 hears him rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's 00:03:33.530 --> 00:03:36.669 voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. 00:03:37.259 --> 00:03:40.620 He must increase, but I must decrease. He who 00:03:40.620 --> 00:03:43.639 comes from above is above all. He who is of the 00:03:43.639 --> 00:03:46.479 earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He 00:03:46.479 --> 00:03:49.300 who comes from heaven is above all. And what 00:03:49.300 --> 00:03:52.879 he has seen and heard, that he testifies. And 00:03:52.879 --> 00:03:55.879 no one receives his testimony. He who has received 00:03:55.879 --> 00:03:59.139 his testimony has certified that God is true. 00:03:59.400 --> 00:04:02.939 For he whom God has sent speaks the words of 00:04:02.939 --> 00:04:05.759 God. For God does not give the spirit by measure. 00:04:06.199 --> 00:04:09.180 The Father loves the Son and has given all things 00:04:09.180 --> 00:04:12.599 into his hand. He who believes in the Son has 00:04:12.599 --> 00:04:15.159 everlasting life, and he who does not believe 00:04:15.159 --> 00:04:18.000 the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of 00:04:18.000 --> 00:04:26.399 God abides on him. I hope you enjoyed today's 00:04:26.399 --> 00:04:28.579 reading as much as I did, and I look forward 00:04:28.579 --> 00:04:30.639 to seeing you again tomorrow to continue on our 00:04:30.639 --> 00:04:32.740 journey. God bless you and have a great day.