Bible In Poetry: Gospel Of St. John (Chapter 3) Poem by Dr John Celes

Nicodemus, a Pharisee,
A ruler of the Jews, one night,
Came and said to Jesus, ‘Rabbi,
We know, You are a Teacher great,
Who’as come from God and does these signs,
For without God’s help, none can do.’

And Jesus answered him, ‘Amen,
I say, none can see God’s kingdom
Without being born from above.’
But Nicodemus queried Him,
‘How can one grown be born again?
He can’t reenter mother’s womb.’

So, Jesus said, ‘Amen, I say,
None can enter God’s kingdom sans
Being of water, spirit born.
What’s born of flesh is flesh alone
What’s born of spirit is spirit! ’
Be not amazed for I told you,
‘You must be born from above first.’

‘The wind does blow to where it wills,
And you can hear the sound, it makes,
Yet, you know not from where it comes,
Or none predicts to where it goes.
’Tis so with all from spirit born! ’

Nicodemus then queried, ‘How? ’
Then Jesus answered him and said,
‘Teacher of Israel, you don’t know? ’
‘Amen, Amen, I say to you,
We speak of what we seem to know;
We testify what we have seen;
Yet, people do not accept it.’

‘If you can’t believe earthly things,
How can you believe heave’nly ones? ’
To heaven none have gone except
The Son of Man who has come down.’

Like how Moses lifted serpent,
Lifted up, must be Son of Man,
For believers’ Eternal life.

For, God so loved the world, He gave
His one Son; He who believes Him
Shall perish not but have Eternal Life.

God’s Son wasn’t sent to condemn world,
But that the world be saved through Him.
One who believes Him, will not be condemned,
One who doesn’t, has been condemned already
Because he didn’t believe God’s only Son.

When light had come into the world,
Yet, people chose darkness to light,
Because their works were evil ones.
The wicked hate the divine light
And do not wish to come to it
So that their works might get exposed.
Who lives in truth comes to the light,
So that his works for God be seen.

Then Jesus went with disciples
To baptize in Judea town.
John was baptizing in Aenon,
As water plenty was there found.

A Jew and John’s disciples fought
About ceremonial washings;
They came to John and said to him,
‘One who with you was in Jordan
Is baptizing here all who come.

John said, ‘None can receive a thing
Except what’s given from heaven.
You know I’m not the Messiah,
But I was sent just before Him.’

‘Who has the bride is the bridegroom;
The best-man hears his voice with joy;
This joy of mine is now complete.
He must increase; I must decrease.
One from above is above all;
The earthly one speaks things of earth;
The heavenly one is above all.

He testifies what He has heard and seen;
His testimony, no one accepts still!
He who does, agrees God is trustworthy.
The one God sent, speaks God’s own words.

He does not ration spirit’s gift;
The Father loves the Son so much;
He has given all things to Him.
Whoev’r believes Son, has eternal life;
Whoev’r Son disobeys, will not see life.
The wrath of God remains on him!