John 3:13
What does John 3:13 mean?
A plain-English look at John 3:13 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What John 3:13 means
Jesus reveals His unique identity as the "Son of man" who both descended from heaven and remains present in heaven. This verse powerfully declares His pre-existence, divine origin, and omnipresence, emphasizing that He alone possesses firsthand knowledge of heavenly things because He is from there. No mere human has ascended to heaven to gain such wisdom; only the one who came down from heaven can truly reveal its truths. This is a profound statement of His divinity.
John 3:13 in context
John 3 — You Must Be Born Again
By night a Pharisee named Nicodemus comes to Jesus, half-confessing him as a teacher sent from God. Jesus cuts past the compliment: 'except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.' Religion will not do; reformation will not do; only a new birth by water and the Spirit. The chapter rises to the most-quoted verse in the Bible — 'For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son' — and ends with John the Baptist's last public testimony: 'He must increase, but I must decrease.'
- New birth
- The Spirit
- God's love for the world
- Faith and life
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000And no one hath ascended into heaven, but he that descended out of heaven, even the Son of man, who is in heaven.
KJV
King James Version · 1611And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901And no one hath ascended into heaven, but he that descended out of heaven, even the Son of man, who is in heaven.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949And no one has ever gone up to heaven but he who came down from heaven, the Son of man.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862and no one hath gone up to the heaven, except he who out of the heaven came down--the Son of Man who is in the heaven.
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752And no man hath ascended into heaven, but he that descended from heaven, the Son of man who is in heaven.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890And no one has gone up into heaven, save he who came down out of heaven, the Son of man who is in heaven.
Context
Following the discussion about earthly versus heavenly things, Jesus reveals a profound truth about His own identity and origin. This verse declares His unique position as the Son of Man who descended from heaven, emphasizing His divine authority and firsthand knowledge of God's realm. This statement sets the stage for understanding His subsequent teaching about His mission on earth and the means of salvation, revealing why He alone can speak of these heavenly realities.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Mark 16:19
So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken unto them, was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.
- John 6:62
What then if ye should behold the Son of man ascending where he was before?
- Acts 20:28
Take heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit hath made you bishops, to feed the church of the Lord which he purchased with his own blood.
- John 3:31
He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is of the earth, and of the earth he speaketh: he that cometh from heaven is above all.
- John 17:5
And now, Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
- John 16:28
I came out from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go unto the Father.
Sermon ideas from John 3:13
Angles a pastor or small-group leader might preach or teach from this passage, drawn from the chapter's main themes.
What John 3:13 teaches us about new birth
What John 3:13 teaches us about the spirit
What John 3:13 teaches us about god's love for the world
What John 3:13 teaches us about faith and life
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