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11 Amen, amen, I say to you, we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen, but you people do not accept our testimony.(A) 12 If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?(B) 13 No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.(C) 14 And just as Moses lifted up[a] the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,(D) 15 [b]so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”

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Footnotes

  1. 3:14 Lifted up: in Nm 21:9, Moses simply “mounted” a serpent upon a pole. John here substitutes a verb implying glorification. Jesus, exalted to glory at his cross and resurrection, represents healing for all.
  2. 3:15 Eternal life: used here for the first time in John, this term stresses quality of life rather than duration.

11 Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know,(A) and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony.(B) 12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone into heaven(C) except the one who came from heaven(D)—the Son of Man.[a](E) 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness,(F) so the Son of Man must be lifted up,[b](G) 15 that everyone who believes(H) may have eternal life in him.”[c](I)

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Footnotes

  1. John 3:13 Some manuscripts Man, who is in heaven
  2. John 3:14 The Greek for lifted up also means exalted.
  3. John 3:15 Some interpreters end the quotation with verse 21.