King James Bible
"If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?"
Jesus refers to His teachings using familiar earthly metaphors like birth and wind (verses 3-8). These tangible illustrations were meant to help Nicodemus grasp spiritual truths through observable phenomena. Despite using accessible examples, Jesus notes Nicodemus's struggle to accept even these basic spiritual concepts. This highlights the religious leader's difficulty moving beyond his traditional understanding. Jesus employs a rhetorical question emphasizing that if earthly analogies prove too challenging, deeper heavenly mysteries—like His divine origin and redemptive mission—will be even more incomprehensible. This progression from simple to complex teaching exposes the need for spiritual receptivity.