This is the story of Nicodemus.
One day Jesus was in Jerusalem around the time of the Passover and had been teaching all day. When it was evening, he went out to the place where he was staying. When it was dark, a man came to see him. His name was Nicodemus. He was one of the rulers of the Jews. Nicodemus said, “Teacher, we know that you have come from God for no one could do the things you are doing unless God were with him.”
Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
Now Nicodemus was confused. He said, “How can a man be born again when he is old? Can he enter into his mother’s belly a second time and come out again?”
Jesus answered, “Truly, truly I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. The one who is born of flesh is flesh, but the one who is born of the Spirit is spirit. You must be born again.”
Nicodemus was still confused. He said, “How can this be?”
So Jesus reminded him of a story in the history of Israel, when Moses was leading them through the wilderness? Israel had disobeyed God and God sent many snakes into the camp. They were biting many people and the bite was like fire. Many were getting sick and even dying. Then Israel cried out to God, “Help us!” and God told Moses what to do. He said, “Make a snake out of metal and put it on a tall pole. Then set the pole up in the middle of the camp. If any one is bitten by a snake, he only has to look at the snake-on-the-pole, and he will not die.”
Then Jesus said to Nicodemus, “In just the same way that Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so also the Son of Man must be lifted up that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”
“Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.
This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.” And that is the end of the story.