John 3:17,18 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world

"For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.  He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

(17)  "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."  Some have suggested that Jesus was attempting to correct the Pharisaic tradition (possibly held by Nicodemus) that the Jewish Messiah would come to overthrow the Gentile world at large.  Other commentators have pointed out that the Greek word for condemn, by itself, carries the more neutral meaning of "to separate," or "to judge."  However, we find that other Bible verses expressly state that Jesus had come for judgment; and that, in the future, He will judge the living and the dead, and separate the good from the wicked.

The word "condemn" used in the English translation to convey the negative connotation of judgment is appropriate when verse seventeen is subjected to the context of the eighteenth verse.  Condemnation is the default judgment against the fallen world in its unregenerate state.  So it would not be necessary for God to send His Son for the purpose of condemnation, since condemnation had already been justified and pronounced by God due to man's rebellion.  The necessary work of the Son's mission was therefore, that the world through Him might be saved.  In His mercy, God sent His Son into the world to reverse the damage caused by sin and to stay the impending penalty of death.

And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. - Ephesians 2:1-7

 

 

(18a)  "He who believes in Him is not condemned;"  The one who believes in the Son of God is not condemned.  The believer stands presently acquitted of sin and death.  "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life." - John 5:24  No future tribunal awaits the believer.  God has ordained that fallen man might lay hold of the pardon purchased by Christ's redeeming sacrifice through the act of believing in Jesus.

 

For what does the Scripture say?  "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness."  Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.  But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin." - Romans 4:3-8

(18b)  "but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."  Except for the forgiveness availed by trusting in Christ, man's condemnation for sin is certain.  For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.  Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. - Ephesians 5:5,6

 

Because those who remain unrepentant and reject Christ are condemned already, God has not completely delayed sin's destructive forces until the final judgment.  Turning away from God in this life has resulted in man's deprivation of God's integrity; including His attributes of love, kindness, and truthfulness.

 

And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them. - Romans 1:28-32

 

God's Word and Christ's Church are not being hostile toward humanity when they bring sin and its destructive effects to the attention of society.  Sin is already condemned and the corruption of sin is already evident.  The Ten Commandments are not meant to offend, but to guide us Christ.  Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. - Galatians 3:24

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

(16)  For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,   God's love and concern for mankind motivated Him to send His only begotten Son into this material world.  John's first epistle tells us that "God is love."  John further explains that man's highest concept of love in its best expression is too meager to be compared with God's love toward us. "In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." - 1st John 4:10

Man's pitiful and helpless state moved God with such compassion that the Son was compelled to lay aside His glory and to put on the fleshly shroud of humanity.  Let us review the Apostle Paul's account of Christ's incarnation.

 

Though he was God,

he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.

Instead, he gave up his divine privileges,

he took the humble position of a slave

and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,

he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
and gave him the name above all other names,

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father. - Philippians 2:6-11 NLT

 

God has revealed the story of His love throughout the pages of the Bible.  The love experienced by the Father was symbolized by Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac on Mount Moriah.   By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, "In Isaac your seed shall be called," concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense. - Hebrews 11:17-19

 

And God's determination to intercede on the behalf  of man in his helpless condition is illustrated by Isaiah 59:

 

For our transgressions are multiplied before You,
And our sins testify against us;
For our transgressions are with us,
And as for our iniquities, we know them:

In transgressing and lying against the Lord,
And departing from our God,
Speaking oppression and revolt,
Conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.

Justice is turned back,
And righteousness stands afar off;
For truth is fallen in the street,
And equity cannot enter.

So truth fails,
And he who departs from evil makes himself a prey.

Then the Lord saw it, and it displeased Him
That there was no justice.

He saw that there was no man,
And wondered that there was no intercessor;
Therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him;
And His own righteousness, it sustained Him.

For He put on righteousness as a breastplate,
And a helmet of salvation on His head;
He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing,
And was clad with zeal as a cloak. - Isaiah 59:12-17
  

The fulfillment of God's zeal is also recorded by Isaiah:

 

For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. - Isaiah 9:6

 

The writer of the Book of Hebrews records the Son's resolve to offer His body as a sacrifice for our sins:

 

Therefore, when He came into the world, He said:

"Sacrifice and offering You did not desire,
But a body You have prepared for Me.

In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin
You had no pleasure.

Then I said, 'Behold, I have come -
In the volume of the book it is written of Me -
To do Your will, O God.'" - Hebrews 10:5-7

 

The Crucifixion - Fra Angelico

 

That whoever believes in Him  The love of God has sent the Lamb of God to rescue man from sin and death.  For it pleased the Father that in Him[Jesus] all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. - Colossians 1:19,20  God has done everything so that man can be reconciled to his Maker.  However, not every man desires to be rescued.  Some are determined to remain alienated from God.  Often in their defiance they argue that God has no right to judge sinners since He gave man freewill and allowed sin as a choice.

 

They fail to observe that, at a great price, God has provided complete restoration and reconciliation through Christ; in essence placing every man in the position of Adam - to choose obedience and life, or independence and death.  Everyone must make his, or her, own choice.  When Jesus was born, Simeon told Mary, "Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."  And the thoughts of the heart are revealed by our response to the Savior.  Wouldn't everyone want to believe their Creator loves them enough to save them from their own destruction?

 

Should not perish  The Greek word, "perish", is ἀπόληται (apolētai).  A more accurate rendering of the Greek would be, "should not be being destroyed."  "Being destroyed" describes an ongoing process.  Jesus described Hell as a place where "their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched."  Sin causes corruption.  So those who choose eternal disobedience will experience eternal corruption.  The Bible is clear that Hell exists as the final  place of judgment for Satan and his fallen angels.  God "desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." - 1st Timothy 2:4

 

But have everlasting life  Life implies thriving, growing, learning, and maturing.   Eternal life, is life with God. And God is good.  And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ.  This is the true God and eternal life. - 1st John 5:20

 

The words of Moses to the Children of Israel as they entered the Promised Land are also applicable to the choice between Heaven and Hell.  "I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess.  I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them." - Deuteronomy 30:18-20

John 3:14,15 As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.

Jesus had previously employed the physical examples of wind and childbirth during His discussion with Nicodemus.  Throughout His ministry, Jesus typically taught by using parables; that is, examples from everyday life that "go beyond" their literal meaning in order to represent spiritual principles.  Jesus also taught using illustrations from the lives of actual, but unnamed, individuals who were usually described as "a certain man."  But now in answer to Nicodemus' question, "How can these things be?" Jesus makes an analogy from an historical event from the Old Testament. 

(14)  And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up  As the teacher of Israel, Nicodemus would have been familiar with every detail of this event.  And because Jesus presented this story as an analogy, each element of the story must be examined.

And the people spoke against God and against Moses: "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?  For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread."  So the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died.  Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, "We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord that He take away the serpents from us."  So Moses prayed for the people.

Then the Lord said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live."  So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived. - Numbers 21:5-9

Let us first consider why the bronze serpent was necessary.  The people's hearts had turned against God.  They accused God of evil by insinuating that He intended to harm them by leading them up out of Egypt.  Whereas in fact, God had miraculously provided mana for them to eat; and they had not yet become dehydrated.  But they only supposed that God would not be capable of providing water for them in the desert.  The people berated the leadership of Moses and accused God, as it were, to His face.

 

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. - Galatians 6:7  But God, in His mercy, did not destroy the entire family of Israel.  He did, however, send chastening in the form of the serpents, according to His word; "But I will correct you in justice, and will not let you go altogether unpunished." - Jeremiah 30:11d  God's purpose in chastening brought about the proper response from the people.  They confessed, "We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you."

 

The people asked Moses to pray that God would take away the serpents.  But God had a different solution in mind; a remedy that would become symbolic of Christ's salvation from sin on the cross.  Jesus said, "Even so must the Son of Man be lifted up," because no other provision for sin will ever be given by which we might be completely and eternally forgiven.

 

(15)  that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  "And it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live."  Jesus said that whoever believes in Him will not perish, indicating that mankind has already been "bitten."  Therefore, man is already dying.  Romans 6:23 states, the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Mankind was cut off from the tree of life as a result of sin.  Man was made in the image and likeness of God, but his immortality was forfeited when Adam disobeyed God.  To use an imperfect illustration; because of the defect of inherited sin, we were born into this world like an amphibious creature that will never get out of the water.  Without Christ we will perish.

 

And just like the Children of Israel in the wilderness, what man but Job has not voiced his own antagonism toward God.  "God, why am I here?"  "Where was God when I needed Him?"  "If God is good, _______?"  The people were angry with God, but they repented. The chastening of the serpents caused the people to realize that holding a grudge against one's Maker is unwise.  But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, "Why have you made me like this?" - Romans 9:20

 

Even though the Children of Israel had repented, they still had to go and look at the bronze serpent to be healed.  This healing process made no logical sense.  The people had to trust that Moses had truly been instructed by God; and that God had ordained the bronze serpent as a healing agent.  The healing was supernatural, but it was real - and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.

 

Now let us consider the cross.  Jesus said, "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself."  This He said, signifying by what death He would die. - John 12:32,33  All people are compelled to consider the innocent Lamb of God who was crucified for the sins of others.  But just like the bronze serpent in the desert, only the people who realize they are dying will come to the cross in repentance.  People have a stigma about admitting that they are sinners.  Yet the Bible says that we have all sinned; and that, If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. - 1st John 1:8

 

Because God is righteous, His judgment against the disobedience of Adam still stands; "but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." - Genesis 2:17  Just like in the story of bronze serpent, instead of retracting His judgment, God has made a life giving provision for those who repent and are ready to express their faith and obedience - by coming to the cross; That whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.

 

The Jews in the wilderness could have tried to find their own way to be healed instead of looking at the bronze serpent.  They might have promised God that they would do better.  Or they might have tried to do more good things for other people.  It is good to be good.  But none of those other attempts to be healed would have honored God and His servant Moses.  The Apostle Paul wrote to the people who thought they could obtain eternal life by keeping the law; "I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain." - Galatians 2:21  God has honored Christ's sacrifice on the cross.

 

In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. - 1st John 4:9

John 3:10-13 We speak what We know and testify what We have seen

 Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?  Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness.  If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?  No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven."

(10)  Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?"   Jesus does not ask if Nicodemus is "a" teacher but instead uses the definite article, "the" teacher of Israel.  As a Pharisee and a member on the Sanhedrin, Nicodemus would have been a highly respected authority on the Jewish religion.  Jesus has submitted as fact that to see and to enter the kingdom of God requires being born again of the Spirit.  Jesus points out by means of His question, "do [you] not know these things?," that even the advanced education of the Pharisees was critically, even tragically, flawed in overlooking the necessity of spiritual rebirth.

(11)  "Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness."  Jesus informed Nicodemus that His knowledge of spiritual realities came directly from the mouth of God.  When Jesus used the plural, "We", He was speaking on behalf of the Godhead.  So that we might not be tempted to consider the plural pronoun to be a transcription error, let us take this opportunity to marvel at the veracity of the ancient textual witnesses.



P52

The oldest known existing text of the Gospel of John is Ryland's papyrus fragment P52.  This manuscript has been dated by most scholars between 90 to 130 A.D., making it likely that this was one of the first copies from John's original text.  The writing on both sides agrees with the writing of later full texts.  The Hadriadic script style indicates that it was probably written around Ephesus; which also happens to be the base of John's ministry, from which he was exiled to the nearby island of Patmos.  P52 was found in North Africa where the Christian Church was thriving in the second century.

P75 - (dated 175-225 A.D.) and P66 - (dated by Christian experts between 100-150 A.D.) also preserve the earliest texts of the Gospels.  P66 is written in the typical text of the manuscripts produced in Alexandria.  It is important to grasp that these early manuscripts where being distributed into the hands of the elders who had been appointed directly by the Apostles themselves, or the very next generation.  These precious books were often bound containing all four gospels, or the complete works of Paul.  They irrefutably deny the scoffers who have suggested that the New Testament writings were merely Christian mythology composed by the Church in the third and fourth centuries.

Papyrus 66

What is germane to our text, John 3:11, is that all of these texts agree.  And not only that; they agree with the more recent texts from which the Geneva Bible and KJV were translated.  Presented below is a section containing John 3:11 from the codex Sinaiticus printed around 330 - 360 A.D.  The left side is a photocopy of the text in uncial (Greek all-caps).  The middle column is the Greek minuscule, with a rough word-for-word English translation on the right.



John 3:11 from Codex Sinaiticus ~ 330 A.D. with Gr minuscule and English





Seeing the text with our own eyes is helpful in comprehending the words which Nicodemus heard from Jesus.  Colossians 2 states that in Jesus "dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily."  As Jesus spoke in the plural, Nicodemus must have felt the presence and glory of God; in much the same way as when Jesus spoke to the crowd on the night of His betrayal.  The mob sent by the priests said they were seeking Jesus.  And when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground. - John 18:6

 

Now the I AM was speaking to Nicodemus using the plural to make Himself perfectly clear, and perfectly known.  Nicodemus was undoubtedly moved.  And it is noteworthy that Nicodemus asked no more questions.  We could well believe that Nicodemus was changed from then on.  Later when the chief priests and the Pharisees would join forces to arrest Jesus at the Temple, it would be Nicodemus who would stand up and challenge them.  The gospels say that many of the Pharisees came to believe in Jesus, but Nicodemus was the one who would bring a hundred pounds of burial spices and help Joseph of Arimathea carry Jesus' body to the tomb.  The Lord only knows how much of Nicodemus' depth of faith and love was imparted in that moment when the Fullness of the Godhead spoke in His plurality to this special saint.

(12)  "If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?"  The Pharisees distinguished their school of thought from the Sadducees by their understanding of spirits and angels.  Jesus had used the wind and physical birth to represent spiritual truths.  If Nicodemus continued to challenge Jesus about spiritual phenomena which could be related to earthly examples, how would Nicodemus receive as truth heavenly information for which there was no physical equivalent?

 

(13)  "No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven."  Once again Jesus openly declares His deity as God incarnate.  John and the other disciples may have been present during Nicodemus' visit because John makes a similar statement at the beginning of this gospel.  No one has seen God at any time.  The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. - John 1:18  Jesus is the greatest religious authority who has been, or ever will be.  All that is true about life, death, and eternity is found in Christ and in His Word.  Jesus said, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away." - Matthew 24:35

 

Consider the rich reward received by Nicodemus by meeting with Jesus in a quiet place.  And as you seek to know the truth, may the words of Paul's prayer be fulfilled: that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height - to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. - Ephesians 3:16-19

John 3:6-9 You must be born again

"That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'  The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."  Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?"

(6) That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Because of the alienation of man from his Maker, physical birth cannot bring about spiritual life.  Earth and heaven are two separate realms.  Matter and spirit are two distinct substances.  Earth's plants and creatures bear offspring after their own kind.  The notion that fallen mankind could develop such pure spiritual tendencies, and evolve into beings so holy as to be reunited with God is an absurd, but common, myth.  We are born into this world as body, soul, and spirit.  But the spirit of our natural birth is merely a spirit of human nature, which is a fallen, selfish, and sinful nature.  In our natural state we are estranged from the Holy Spirit, and from the life of God.  Corrupted man reflects only dimly the divine attributes of his original condition as the image and likeness of God.

 

The Son of God and the Father have coexisted eternally.  Yet Jesus, the God-man, was conceived by the Holy Spirit so that the Son might enter this world as the child of Mary.  So it is also required that the sons of the flesh who have been given the right to become the children of God through faith in Jesus (John 1:12) be conceived and born by the Holy Spirit.  Even though natural born children begin their lives innocent of outward transgressions, they are nonetheless devoid of the indwelling Holy Spirit, but are fully endowed with a soulish and self-centered spirit.  The fallen spirit can only beget more fallen spirits.  Only the Holy Spirit can impart the indwelling Holy Spirit in fulfillment of the promise; I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. - Ezekiel 36:27

 

(7) Do not marvel that I said to you, "You must be born again."  Jesus commanded Nicodemus, "Do not marvel."  All objections and theoretical arguments concerning man's reconciliation to God must be abandoned.  The words of Christ are to be received as fact.  Both eternal life, and the sacred spiritual genome, have been forfeited through the sin of Adam; and they cannot be restored by any earthly reconstruction process.  They can only be bestowed upon fallen and helpless man as a gift from above.  Thus, Jesus reiterates the ultimatum, "You must be born again."

(8) The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.  Rebirth by the Spirit is an invisible event.  Spiritual rebirth causes no physically detectable changes to the body.  But just as the wind affects its surroundings, salvation should be evidenced by a changed life which bears the fruit of the Spirit and exhibits victory over sin.  The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.  Against such there is no law.  And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. - Galatians 5:22-24  We cannot see the indwelling Spirit, but we can see the beauty and peace of the presence of God which is manifested in the life a born-again believer.

 

But also like the wind, man's salvation is unpredictable.  Jesus said in John Chapter Six, "Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me;" but that, "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him."  A person might be made fit for salvation by education or training, but only the unseen hand of God can actually bestow the gift of eternal life.  So then salvation is not the handiwork of any man, whether they be mentor or student.  For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. - Ephesians 2:8-10

 

(9) Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?"  As a Pharisee and a council member Nicodemus would have been accustomed to a life ruled by strict and orderly methodologies.  Jesus had just described a way of salvation which was beyond man's control.  Nicodemus was confounded by the gospel which reveals God's outreach toward mankind, rather that man's religious  attempts to reach God.  This gospel of Jesus places Almighty God in control.  The contemplation of being reborn from above by the power of God threatened to overturn the self-governing internal system that Nicodemus thought himself to have mastered.

 

Jesus words were undoubtedly spoken with the expectation that Nicodemus would be forced to acknowledge (at least to himself) that he had not yet been born again by the Spirit.  So finding himself at a complete loss to either, account for his own spiritual poverty, or to absorb this new approach to religion, Nicodemus honestly confessed to his ignorance; "How can these things be?"  It is always best when we don't understand God to humble ourselves and honestly admit our human limitations.

 

For thus says the High and Lofty One
Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:
"I dwell in the high and holy place,
With him who has a contrite and humble spirit,
To revive the spirit of the humble,
And to revive the heart of the contrite ones." - Isaiah 57:15

John 3:1-5 Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God

There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.  This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him."  Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."  Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old?  Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?"  Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God."

(1)  There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.  Nicodemus was a Pharisee and was also a member of the Jewish ruling council known as the Sanhedrin.  The Jewish religious party of the Pharisees believed in the books of the Law and the writings of the Prophets.  The Pharisees also believed in the unseen spiritual realm and recognized the existence of angels and life after death.

 

Nicodemus - William Brassey Hole

(2)  This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him."  Here we must reflect back to the previous verses and recall that many people had believed in Jesus because of the miracles He had performed during the Passover.  Nicodemus began this conversation with a somewhat pretentious statement; claiming, "We know that You are a teacher come from God."  Whereas in truth, the Jewish leaders were thus far decidedly skeptical that Jesus was acting as an agent of God.  The fact that Nicodemus came to Jesus privately instead of addressing Him in public at the Temple reveals that Nicodemus sought to form his own opinion of Jesus apart from the consensus of his colleagues.

Nicodemus might have more honestly confessed, "Even though You have been officially rejected by the religious leaders of Jerusalem, the miracles You have performed incline me to believe that You may very well be the Christ."  When Nicodemus stated, "No one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him," he was probably voicing his honest resolve.  But the logic of this statement is flawed by the fact that signs are not reliable proofs of God's handiwork.

 

Pharaoh's magicians were able to replicate several of the miracles performed by Moses.  And later in Jesus' ministry the Jewish rulers would assert that Jesus was casting out demons by the hand of Satan.  The Apostle Paul wrote that in the last days a deceiver would come performing signs and lying wonders:

 

The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.  And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. - 2nd Thessalonians 2:9-12

 

We are, however, given the impression by his opening remarks that Nicodemus had already been persuaded (to the extent that the empirical evidence provided by signs could persuade him) that Jesus was in fact the Christ.  But philosophical and religious beliefs are never fully founded upon physical evidence.  Something more, something higher, was involved in the formation of Nicodemus' bent toward believing that Jesus was the true Son of God.

(3)  Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."   "Verily, Verily, I say to you . . "  Jesus instructs Nicodemus that beyond all doubt and without exception the kingdom of God cannot be detected through the physical senses.  Fallen mortal man is simple incapable of spiritual discernment.  An entirely new creature with a new mode of perception must come into to being in order to recognize the things of God. 

"The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!'  For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you." - Luke 17:20,21  Jesus does not indicate that people are the gods of their own subjective reality; but that the ability to see God's kingdom is not based upon physical sight, but upon spiritual vision.

 

In Paul's words; ". . the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.  And again Paul writes; "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.  But as it is written: 'Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.'  But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit." - Excerpts from 1st Corinthians 2

(4)  Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?"  Nicodemus asked a very reasonable question.  The idea of being born again is a foreign and unnatural concept to the human mind.  How can a person be regenerated and re-formed?  And how similar is spiritual birth to the physical birth process?

(5)  Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.  Being born of water and the Spirit has two traditional interpretations.  In both cases the Spirit obviously refers to being conceived and brought forth by the Holy Spirit.  But what does the water represent?  Based solely on the text, in which Jesus is speaking of the distinction between natural and spiritual birth; the water would intuitively represent the mother's water in the womb which is broken at birth.

 

The second assumption regarding the water is that Jesus was meaning the water of Baptism.  Although nearly all of the verses in the New Testament which mention salvation are associated with personal faith, belief, and trust in Jesus; several verses associate salvation with baptism.  But then in order to distinguish between natural and spiritual birth, verse five would need to read; unless one is [RE-]born of water and the Spirit . . ;" because the water in this case would refer to the second birth.

 

Without dispute, the critical concept that Jesus is conveying is that both, the ability to identify the true Kingdom of God, and the ability to enter His Kingdom, require the supernatural work of His Holy Spirit.  Salvation is not naturally achieved.  It is not possible for natural-born man to "figure God out."  Faith is required.  But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. - Hebrews 11:6  The good news is, that God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. - Romans 12:3c

John 2:23-25 Many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name

Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name.  But Jesus would not entrust himself to them for he knew all people.  He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.

(23)  Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name.  Although Jesus had not provided the religious leaders at the Temple with a sign in response their demand; Jesus had, nevertheless, performed noteworthy miracles among the people during the Feast of Passover.  John does not provide us with a description of these signs, but it is reasonable to assume they were similar to the miracles which Jesus performed throughout the rest of His ministry; such as, opening the eyes of the blind and the ears of the deaf, giving speech to the dumb, casting out demons, healing the lame, strengthening the weak, and curing all manner of diseases.  These were the very signs which the Scriptures said the Christ would perform.

Say to those who are fearful-hearted,
"Be strong, do not fear!
Behold, your God will come with vengeance,
With the recompense of God;
He will come and save you."

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
Then the lame shall leap like a deer,
And the tongue of the dumb sing. - Isaiah 35:4-6a
 

Many of the people who had gathered in Jerusalem for the feast recognized these signs as evidence that Jesus was their Messiah.

(24)  But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for He knew all people.   Jesus was not ready to rely on the loyalty of everyone who might be so easily persuaded that He was the king of Israel.  The miracles that Jesus performed were not meant to prove His authority.   These signs were genuine acts of compassion by the Lord, who was grieved over the destructive works of the Devil, and over the damage caused by sin.  If Jesus had been determined to take the world by force, He could have called fire down from heaven and threatened every soul with condemnation.  But God blessed man with freewill for the purpose of giving every person the choice of loving, honoring, and obeying Him; or else rejecting Him, rebelling, and going their own way.

 

Jesus knew all people.  He knew that some people would profess their allegiance, and then quickly turn away.  This truth is best represented in the Master's own words.

The Parable of the Sower - and its explanation:

Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: "Behold, a sower went out to sow.  And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them.  Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth.  But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away.  And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them.  But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" - Matthew 13:3-9

"Therefore hear the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart.  This is he who received seed by the wayside.  But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.  Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.  But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty." -  Matthew 13:18-23

(25)  He did not need any testimony about mankind, for He knew what was in each person.  Jesus is Lord, the Son of the Godhead.  He understands human nature both as the Creator, and as a man.  Jesus is the Word.  And the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.  And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. - Hebrews 4:12,13

Jesus knew what was in each person.  It is we, who do not know ourselves.  Jeremiah 17:9 tells us; "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; Who can know it?"  The Lord knows.  But how then can we ever hope to become that good soil which hears the word and understands it?  Jesus said, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it."

 

This means surrendering our lives to Christ the King, who gave His life so that we could be forgiven and have new life in Him.  It means forsaking what we have reasoned to be true, for what the Bible says is true.  And the Bible says, we honor the Father by honoring the Son.

 

"If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also."

"If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor." - John 12:26

 

 

John 2:18-22 Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up

So the Jews answered and said to Him, "What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."  Then the Jews said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?"  But He was speaking of the temple of His body.  Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.

(18) So the Jews answered and said to Him, "What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?"   The religious leaders objected as Jesus was chasing the merchants out of the Temple.  The fact that neither the Jews nor the Roman authorities sought to arrest Jesus for cleansing the Temple indicates that Herod's Temple had become more of a public attraction than a dedicated house of God.  The Jews' inquiry also suggests that they may have, themselves, held some private concerns about the spiritual integrity of operating a bustling bazaar within the courts of the Temple.

Within the structure of the Jewish religious system, only a confirmed prophet would be considered to hold authority equal to, or higher than, the priesthood.  The priestly offices were filled by qualified men who were descendants of Aaron.  But according to precedent established by Jewish tradition, a prophet would only be accepted as a prophet after he had been validated by a supernatural act of God.  The Jews expected that anyone qualified to challenge their authority would need to perform a miracle similar to the miracles of Elijah and Elisha; such as, calling fire down from heaven.

(19)  Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."  Jesus did not offer the sign of a prophet, because He was not just another prophet - He was the Christ.  Jesus promised to perform the most physically impossible feat of all time.  Not merely a resuscitation of His body; but a complete regeneration of His body into a glorified body - a resurrection to an eternal and immortal body.  Jesus knew before He started His ministry that, as the Lamb of God, He would be required to lay down His life as a sacrifice.

 

Jesus pronounced in the tenth chapter of this gospel; "Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again.   No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself.  I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father." - John 10:17,18  This command from the Father was both personally imparted to Jesus; and it was stated in the Scriptures in the last verses of Isaiah 53, as well as in the Psalms:

 

Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will rest in hope.
For You will not leave my soul in Sheol,
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.
You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. - Psalms 16:9-11 

 

Herod's Temple

(20)  Then the Jews said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?"  At the beginning of Jesus' ministry, the Jewish leaders would not have believed that Jesus would gain such popularity among the people.   Neither would they have been willing to admit that such jealousy would rise up within them that they would seek to destroy Jesus - the living Temple of God.  But His hour had not yet come.  Therefore no more details were provided by Jesus.  Thus, leaving His hearers with an unexplained riddle.

 

(21) But He was speaking of the temple of His body.  From the time of His childhood visit to the Jerusalem Temple, Jesus must have contemplated the fact that His own human body was the real earthly housing of the presence of God, rather than Herod's stately stone monument.  Although the Tabernacle and the Temple were once the appointed dwelling places for God's Name, Emanuel had now come.  God tabernacled with men - as the man Jesus of Nazareth in a Temple of flesh.

 

(22)  Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.  From the beginning of His ministry Jesus forewarned the Disciples that He would be betrayed, beaten, and put to death; and, that He would rise again the third day.  But Jesus allowed them to miss the connection between His role as the Lamb of God and His upcoming crucifixion.  Many have supposed that the Disciples must have been too simple to grasp what Jesus was saying.  And the Disciples admit in their own gospels that they were afraid to ask Him about these things.

 

But God, in His great mercy, would not let the Disciples realize beforehand that Jesus would be dying on the cross for their own sins (and for ours).  Peter would hardly allow Jesus to wash his feet on the night of His betrayal.  How unthinkable would it have been for Peter to let Jesus die for his sins.  What if God had permitted Peter and the others to understand, as they gazed up at the cross, that Jesus was actually suffering and dying in their place?  Had she known the true meaning of the cross at the time, we can imagine that Mary Magdalene (who had been completely possessed before she was set free by the Savior) might have attempted to tear the cross down with her bear hands rather than see her beloved Rabbi suffer on her behalf.

 

But, in fact, the salvation being wrought by the cross was kept hidden from the understanding of helpless mankind - until after the fact.  Jesus went to the cross alone, forsaken by all.  And He alone knew the purpose of His passion.  That is; until the Holy Spirit was sent so that the sinners Jesus died for might lay hold of the true message of the cross - the message of salvation.  Thus He told the Disciples on the eve before the cross:

 

I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.  However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.  He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. - John 16:12-14  The Holy Spirit did indeed come and has declared to us the redemption from sin and the victory over death which were completed by Christ on the cross.  This truth is the good news of the gospels and the declaration of the entire New Testament.

O What a wonderful Savior!  May we be filled with the knowledge of that great salvation for which our Lord Jesus suffered and died!

John 2:12-17 Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise

After this He went down to Capernaum, He, His mother, His brothers, and His disciples; and they did not stay there many days.  Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.  And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business.  When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers' money and overturned the tables.  And He said to those who sold doves, "Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!"  Then His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up."

(12) After this He went down to Capernaum, He, His mother, His brothers, and His disciples; and they did not stay there many days.  Jesus, His family, and His disciples traveled from the hill country of western Galilee down to Capernaum on the northern edge of the Sea of Galilee.  Jesus' brothers were not recorded to have attending the wedding in Cana.  But they may have joined Jesus in order to travel as a family to the upcoming Passover in Jerusalem.  The road to Capernaum would have been the most expedient route from the area of Nazareth and Cana in order to avoid traveling through Samaria on the way to Jerusalem.

The Bible makes no assertions supporting the tradition that Mary was a perpetual virgin, but it does speak openly regarding the siblings of Jesus.  John makes reference to His brothers again in the seventh chapter of his gospel.  And Matthew recorded the following dialog when Jesus visited His hometown of Nazareth: Is this not the carpenter’s son?  Is not His mother called Mary?  And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas?  And His sisters, are they not all with us? - Matthew 13:55,56  Among the brothers listed by Mathew are the two accredited with writing the epistles of James and Jude, respectively.

In the Gospel of John, and all other New Testament occurrences, the word for used for the brothers of Jesus is the Greek word "adelphoi."  The brothers and sisters are not once denoted in any of the ancient texts as merely cousins or relatives (Gr.- syngeneis).  Some have suggested that the gospels intended to indicate "cousins" by the use of "adelphoi."  But this would be as improper as translating philadelphia as "cousinly-love" rather than "brotherly-love."  The sisters are not mentioned by John most likely due to the fact that only the men were required to attend the Passover.

These brothers and sisters could have been no more than half-siblings, because Jesus Himself was conceived by the Holy Spirit; God being His Father.  Either Joseph was previously married, (leaving Mary's ongoing virginity as a possibility), or else Mary continued to bear children after Jesus was born.  We simply have no Biblical evidence of Mary's lifelong abstinence.  But we would have difficulty explaining why John would been appointed to care for Mary, if indeed Joseph had children older than Jesus who would have been the rightful supporters of Mary in her elderly years.  The conclusion that Mary bore children by Joseph after the virgin birth of Jesus is the most graceful explanation for the brothers and sisters of Jesus.  This theory also appropriately expresses Mary's humanity, and her humility as the wife of Joseph.

(13) Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.  From Capernaum the sojourners would have followed the Jordan Valley to Jericho, and then hiked the Jericho Road, a narrow winding trail that climbs through the mountains up to Jerusalem.  John's mention of their brief return to the lake seems only to be included so that we would know that Jesus' brothers had joined in the pilgrimage; and, so that we might be informed that they had not traveled through Samaria on this trip to Jerusalem.

(14) And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business.  The outer courtyard area of the Temple, known as the Treasury or the Court of the Women, had become a regular exchange for trading money for sacrificial animals and produce.  This practice was perfectly in keeping with the law prescribed by Moses.

And you shall eat before the Lord your God, in the place where He chooses to make His name abide, the tithe of your grain and your new wine and your oil, of the firstborn of your herds and your flocks, that you may learn to fear the Lord your God always.  But if the journey is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry the tithe, or if the place where the Lord your God chooses to put His name is too far from you, when the Lord your God has blessed you, then you shall exchange it for money, take the money in your hand, and go to the place which the Lord your God chooses.  And you shall spend that money for whatever your heart desires: for oxen or sheep, for wine or similar drink, for whatever your heart desires; you shall eat there before the Lord your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your household. - Deuteronomy 14:23-26

(15) When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables.  Moses did not, however, stipulate that the exchange of money for goods should take place within the Temple itself.  Jesus did not condemn their activity, but desired that they carry out their business outside the Temple.  Thus, He drove them all out of the temple.  Jesus was determined to enforce the proper distinction between the mundane activity of business and the sacred activity of worship.

Ezekiel likewise rebuked the spiritually blind religious leaders of Israel; stating, "Her priests have violated My law and profaned My holy things; they have not distinguished between the holy and unholy, nor have they made known the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they have hidden their eyes from My Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them." - Ezekiel 22:26

 

(16) And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away!  Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!”  In reference to merchandise in the house of God, Jesus may have been contemplating how He would set His house in order, in fulfillment of the last words from the prophet Zechariah. 

 

In that day "HOLINESS TO THE LORD" shall be engraved on the bells of the horses.  The pots in the Lord’s house shall be like the bowls before the altar.  Yes, every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holiness to the Lord of hosts.  Everyone who sacrifices shall come and take them and cook in them.  In that day there shall no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts. - Zechariah 14:20,21

 

That day, which Zechariah addressed will be the day when Messiah will have established His worldwide kingdom.  In that day people will come from distant lands to worship at the Temple.  The spirit of worship will be so pervasive in that day that the sacred inscription worn on the forehead by the high priests will even be imprinted on the bells of the horses.  Likewise, all the pots in Judah will be considered just as holy as the vessels set apart for use at the altar.

 

Also, in that day of Messiah's reign, there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts.  The Canaanites were so associated with trade that this verse is commonly translated as, "there shall no longer be a merchant in the house of the Lord of hosts."  It can be no coincidence that Jesus began and ended His first ministry on earth with the cleansing of the Temple.  This first cleansing focused on the presence of mercantilism; the second cleansing emphasized the lack of prayerfulness.  But both of these cleansings have a direct association with the coming of Christ and the gathering of the nations to worship in Jerusalem. 

(17) Then His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up."  The cleansing of the Temple by Jesus during His first ministry was a precursor to that time when "the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of God as the waters cover the sea."  You may be assured that in that day (of Christ's second coming) there shall no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts.  Christ, in His zeal at His first coming, had merely portended that future day when He will rule the earth with a rod of iron according to the Second Psalm.  Some have suggested that using a whip seems contrary to the nature of Christ.  But when we consider that Jesus is the King of kings, who has been given authority over heaven and earth, we can appreciate the gentle gesture of using a makeshift light-duty whip to accomplish this purification of the Temple.

 

Jesus apparently did not explain what He was about to do when He entered the Temple.  Nor did He offer an explanation to His disciples after the fact.  The Disciples may have been shocked by Jesus' behavior, but the Spirit brought to mind that which was written in the Scriptures.  We also need to be familiar with all sixty-six books of the Bible.  How else will we remember what has been written when we are surprised or perplexed by the Lord's work in our lives?

 

The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
Moreover by them Your servant is warned,
And in keeping them there is great reward. - Psalms 19:7-11