John 3:20-32

²⁰All those who do evil hate the light and don't come into the light, because they don't want their actions to be exposed.

²¹But those who do good come into the light, so that what God accomplishes in them can be revealed.”

²²After this Jesus and his disciples went into Judea and spent some time with the people, baptizing them.

²³John was also baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water there and people kept coming to be baptized.

²⁴(This was before John was imprisoned.)

²⁵An argument developed between John's disciples and a Jew over ceremonial purification.

²⁶They went to John and told him, “Rabbi, the man you were with on the other side of the Jordan River, the one you testified in support of—see, now he's baptizing, and everyone is going to him!”

²⁷“No one receives anything unless they're given it from heaven,” John replied.

²⁸“You yourselves can testify that I declared, ‘I'm not the Messiah. I've been sent to prepare his way.’

²⁹The bridegroom is the one who has the bride! The best man waits, listening for the bridegroom, and is so happy when he hears the bridegroom's voice—in the same way my happiness is now complete.

³⁰He must become more important, and I must become less important.”

³¹He who comes from above is greater than all; he who comes from the earth belongs to the earth and talks about earthly things. He who comes from heaven is greater than all.

³²He gives evidence about what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts what he has to say.