who were born, not of blood [natural conception], nor of the will of the flesh [physical impulse], nor of the will of man [that of a natural father], but of God [that is, a divine and supernatural birth—they are born of God—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified].

They asked him, “Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”

I did not recognize Him [as the Messiah], but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this One is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’

Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, “Here is an Israelite indeed [a true descendant of Jacob], in whom there is no guile nor deceit nor duplicity!”

The wind blows where it wishes and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it is coming from and where it is going; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Jesus replied, “You are the [great and well-known] teacher of Israel, and yet you do not know nor understand these things [from Scripture]?

Now John was also baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was an abundance of water there; and people were coming and were being baptized—

So He arrived at a Samaritan town called Sychar, near the tract of land that Jacob gave to his son Joseph;

The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not get thirsty nor [have to continually] come all the way here to draw.”

Jesus replied, “Woman, believe Me, a time is coming [when God’s kingdom comes] when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.

Now in Jerusalem, near the Sheep Gate, there is a pool, which is called in Hebrew (Jewish Aramaic) Bethesda, having five porticoes (alcoves, colonnades).

[Now some] other small boats from Tiberias had come in near the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks.

So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor His disciples were there, they boarded the small boats themselves and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus.

Now the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles (Booths) was approaching.

Some Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, “Are we also blind?”

But the hired man [who merely serves for wages], who is neither the shepherd nor the owner of the sheep, when he sees the wolf coming, deserts the flock and runs away; and the wolf snatches the sheep and scatters them.

Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away;

Nor do you understand that it is expedient and politically advantageous for you that one man die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish.”

And many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek.

So Jesus, seeing His mother, and the disciple whom He loved (esteemed) standing near, said to His mother, “[Dear] woman, look, [here is] your son!”

Therefore, because of the Jewish day of Preparation, and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.