John 3:35,36 The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand

"The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.  He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."

 

The main elements of these two verses find strong correlation to the declaration and instructions of the second Psalm.  Here the Son is presented as the heir of God; and the inhabitants of earth are cautioned to honor and trust in the Son so that they might not come under His wrath.

 

"I will declare the decree:

The Lord has said to Me,

"You are My Son,

Today I have begotten You.

Ask of Me, and I will give You

The nations for Your inheritance,

And the ends of the earth for Your possession.

You shall break them with a rod of iron;

You shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel.'"

Now therefore, be wise, O kings;

Be instructed, you judges of the earth.

Serve the Lord with fear,

And rejoice with trembling.

Kiss the Son, lest He be angry,

And you perish in the way,

When His wrath is kindled but a little.

Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him. - Psalms 2:7-12

 

 

(35) The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.  The love of the Father for the Son was spoken from heaven in the words, "This is My Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased."  It should be noted that the Father has always loved the Son.  When the second Psalm speaks of "today" it refers to that day on which the Son was conceived by Mary so that He might enter the world.  But the Father and Son have existed forever.  The Son has always been the object of the Father's favor and affection; and the Son has always honored and pleased the Father.  Thus, even before the creation of heaven and earth, "God is love." - 1st John 4:8,16

 

The good news of the Gospel is that Jesus stepped into to our place and received the punishment for our sin upon the cross, so that we might enter into to the love of God, as His adopted children.  This is a great and glorious mystery - described briefly by the following verses: 

•  As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. - John 15:9
• Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! -1st John 3:1
• Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.  O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me.  And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” - John 17:24-26
• The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs - heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. - Romans 8:16,17  But also note: Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. - Roman 8:9b

 (36a) He who believes in the Son has everlasting life   Eternal life is a blessing afforded by faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  God has chosen to exalt His Son, and to reward faith.  "He who" believes has everlasting life.  Everlasting life was lost because of sin.  Those who believe have been ransomed from death by the redemption of Christ's death on the cross. 

 

(36b) and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.  Those who do not believe have not availed themselves of Christ's ransom.  The ransom has, nevertheless, been provided.  He who does not believe has chosen to remain separated and un-reconciled to his Creator.  Failure to receive the love of God which He has manifested through the mission of His Son expresses a hostility in the heart by a desire to remain alienated from God.  Therefore, God's righteous judgment against sin is retained by the unbeliever.

 

God has chosen the way of salvation.  Man must obey the gospel to be saved.  Neither faith in some other savior, nor faith in one's own good deeds, nor faith in the wholesomeness of one's own nature can bring about the forgiveness of sins and the redemption of the soul.  Christ has been offered - and Christ must be received.  And so, faithful to the gospel, Christ's followers through the centuries continue to offer Christ to the world as the only hope for salvation.

 

Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.  Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.  For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. - 2nd Corinthians 5:18-21

John 3:31-34 He who comes from above is above all

He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.  And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony.  He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true.  For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.

(31) He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.  John makes a parallel between the higher spiritual plane from which Jesus entered this world and the right to supervise all lower realms.  The Son's ultimate authority over all created things was not forfeited by His incarnation.  On the other hand, those who have only existed in the material world possess no first hand experience of the things of the spirit, and are therefore unqualified to speak with certainty concerning anything beyond the physical world.

(32) And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony.   Jesus speaks what He knows.  Jesus' declarations concerning: Heaven and Hell, salvation and judgment, righteousness and sin, eternal life and eternal damnation; were not merely speculations which were fitted together to form a cohesive, but theoretical, religious system.  All that Jesus testified to was actually known and experienced by Him as the Son of the Eternal Godhead.  Thus, when He spoke of God He was describing Himself.  When He spoke of Heaven and Earth, He was describing His own creation.  And when He spoke of the principles of life, He was expounding upon principles of His own definition.

When John said that "no one receives His testimony" he was pointing out that none of the Jewish religious leaders had received the testimony of Jesus at the onset of His ministry.

(33) He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true.  John, however, had received His testimony.  God's Word had prophesied that He would send His Christ.  So when John the Baptist testified that Jesus was the Christ, he was also certifying that God keeps His promises.  Only the true God is omniscient and outside of time - knowing the end from the beginning.

 

Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel,
And his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts:
"I am the First and I am the Last;
Besides Me there is no God.

And who can proclaim as I do?
Then let him declare it and set it in order for Me,
Since I appointed the ancient people.
And the things that are coming and shall come,
Let them show these to them.

Do not fear, nor be afraid;
Have I not told you from that time, and declared it?
You are My witnesses.
Is there a God besides Me?
Indeed there is no other Rock;I know not one." - Isaiah 44:6-8

(34) For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.  John reiterates that Christ speaks the words of God; and now insists that Jesus' knowledge is not a limited knowledge, but a full knowledge.  Furthermore, John accredits Christ's ability to speak on the Father's behalf to fullness of the Holy Spirit resting upon the Son.  Isaiah prophesied that the Spirit would be given to Christ without measure.

 

There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse,
And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.

The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him,
The Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
The Spirit of counsel and might,
The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.

His delight is in the fear of the Lord,
And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes,
Nor decide by the hearing of His ears;

But with righteousness He shall judge the poor,
And decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth,
And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.

Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins,
And faithfulness the belt of His waist. - Isaiah 11:1-5

 

Here we must contemplate the mystery of Jesus Christ as the God-man.  The Scriptures affirm that Jesus was both fully God, and fully man.  The incarnation of God was documented in John 1:14, and is also expressly stated in 1st Timothy 3:16, and in the Book of Colossians as "the fullness of the Godhead bodily."  Although the word "Trinity" is not used in the Bible, the Son was constantly in prayer with the Father, and constantly acting and speaking according to the Father's instructions.  On the other hand, the Son of Man was endued with, and empowered by, the Holy Spirit; which was represented by the dove at Jesus' baptism.  God's intent to represent Himself to mankind as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is manifested in the Old and New Testaments.

 

Another wonderful mystery should also be observed by John's statement that, "God does not give the Spirit by measure."  John might have said that "God did give"; or that "God does not give the Spirit to His Son by measure."  But John states, "God does not give;" making the statement general so as to be applicable to all instances in which God gives His Spirit.  The importance of this observation lies in the fact that God has sent His Holy Spirit to those who believe in Jesus.  Jesus said when "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."

 

Similarly, Jesus said "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." - Acts 1:8  Jesus also said; "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father." - John 14:12  Jesus made it clear that the Holy Spirit would be sent to those who believed in Him after He had ascended to the Father.

 

Thus, the Holy Spirit has come to give the Christian knowledge of God's truth, boldness to be witnesses, and the power to work the kind of miracles which Jesus performed.  And the Holy Spirit is not given by measure - but in His fullness.  So what could cause the Christian to feel less than fully endued with knowledge, boldness, and power?  It is certainly not due to any limitation set by God.  The explanation is found in the example of Christ Himself.  He was, without controversy, fully endued with the Holy Spirit.  And yet, at one point in time His works were limited by the unbelief of the people.

 

Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that He departed from there.  When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, "Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works?  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? Where then did this Man get all these things?"  So they were offended at Him.  But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house."  Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief. - Matthew 13:53-58

 

We must conclude that any apparent limitation upon the Spirit's operation in the life of Jesus' followers does not proceed from God's restriction, but rather, from unbelief on the part of the believer.  "God does not give the Spirit by measure."  "The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."  But the 'one-to-another' gifts of the Spirit have been given, and the ministers of Christ's Church have been appointed, so that the weak might be made strong, and ultimately emulate Christ in knowledge, boldness, and power.

 

And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. - Ephesians 4:11-13

John 3:22-25 Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim

After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized.  Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there. And they came and were baptized.  For John had not yet been thrown into prison.  Then there arose a dispute between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purification."



Aenon near Salim

(22)  After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized.  Jerusalem, where Jesus was speaking to Nicodemus, was the last location we were given by John before Jesus came into the land of Judea.  However, since Jerusalem resides within Judea we can presume that Jesus had returned to the area of Galilee before traveling south again along the west bank of the Jordan into Judea.  John clarifies in Chapter Four that Jesus' disciples actually performed the baptisms, stating; "though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples."  We recall that Andrew and John were at first disciples of John the Baptist; and because Jesus had not yet been glorified and the Holy Spirit had not yet been sent, it is reasonable to conclude that the disciples were continuing to administer a baptism unto repentance.

Part of the Madaba Map showing Ænon

(23) Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there. And they came and were baptized.  Aenon near Salim is identified by the ancient Byzantine mosaic map on the west side of the Jordan - across the river from Bethabara.  The valley descending from Mt. Ebal toward the Jordan Valley contains a number of springs so that new rains would supply the west bank of the Jordan.  Whereas the same rains would need to replenish the lake before spilling out into the Jordan; therefore resulting in times when Aenon would contain more adequate water than the Jordan River itself.







(24)  For John had not yet been thrown into prison.  In the early days of Jesus' ministry, John the Baptist was still baptizing.  But by the time that Jesus' miracles had come to the attention of Herod, John had already been imprisoned and put to death. (Mark 6:14-16)

(25)  Then there arose a dispute between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purification.  Baptism was a traditional ritual of purification long before the time John the Baptist's ministry of repentance.  A thorough discussion of water baptism's origins and significance can be found at the Jewish Encyclopedia website.  Presented below is an excerpt pertinent to our Bible text, including a the link to the webpage.  The page covers all aspects of the historic applications of water baptism and should be read in its entirety.

 

Excerpt: [According to rabbinical teachings, which dominated even during the existence of the Temple (Pes. viii. 8), Baptism, next to circumcision and sacrifice, was an absolutely necessary condition to be fulfilled by a proselyte to Judaism (Yeb. 46b, 47b; Ker. 9a; 'Ab. Zarah 57a; Shab. 135a; Yer. Kid. iii. 14, 64d). Circumcision, however, was much more important, and, like baptism, was called a "seal" (Schlatter, "Die Kirche Jerusalems," 1898, p. 70). But as circumcision was discarded by Christianity, and the sacrifices had ceased, Baptism remained the sole condition for initiation into religious life. The next ceremony, adopted shortly after the others, was the imposition of hands, which, it is known, was the usage of the Jews at the ordination of a rabbi. Anointing with oil, which at first also accompanied the act of Baptism, and was analogous to the anointment of priests among the Jews, was not a necessary condition.] - ref:
 http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/2456-baptism

 

Because John's baptism was neither an initiation into Judaism nor into Christianity, it would have represented a type of purification.  By claiming to be Isaiah's "one crying in the wilderness" who would prepare the way for the Lord, the Baptist was effectively preparing the hearts of the people by the purification which comes through the repentance of sins.  The Jews who were discussing purification with John's disciples were likely trying to ascertain what was causing the people to go out to John rather than drawing closer to God at the temple, or through the disciplines of the Pharisees.  They wanted to understand the work that God was doing through John without participating themselves.  They were spectators and critics of John's baptism, but refused to repent and experience their own purification.  These disputers resemble those critics of Christianity who tinker from time to time with the identity and mission of Jesus, but who are not yet moved to repent and believe unto salvation.  As Paul wrote to Timothy, they are "always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." - 2 Timothy 3:7

 

Jordan River near Aenon

Naaman the leper was told by Elisha's servant, "Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean."  Naaman objected, "Are not the Abanah and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel?  Could I not wash in them and be clean?" - 2nd Kings 5

 

Archaeologists have uncovered many of the Jewish purification pools (Mikvahs) from the time of Christ.  These were strategically located so that rain water could run into them naturally, without being carried.  Like the uncut stones that God prescribed to be used in building the Jewish altars, the purification waters were to come straight from God without being tainted by the efforts of human hands.  But like the waters of the Jordan, the mikvah waters would not be considered to be clean water.  Because it was necessary to place the mikvahs in low places so that the waters could flow into them naturally, this also meant that the earth from the ground would end up trapped in these pools.

 

 

The purification performed by John the Baptist in the Jordan and the traditional purification of the Jews in their mikvahs did not accomplish their cleansing by the translucence of the water, but by the fact that the water was sanctified by God.  This observation provides a wonderful illustration of the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus.  The power of Christ's blood to wash away the stain of sin is not based on the opacity of the blood, but on its perfect holiness.

 

We read from the Book of Hebrews Chapter Fourteen; "according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission."  And comparing the Old Testament purification by blood to the new covenant in Christ's blood, the writer of Hebrews declares; "For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?"

John 3:19-21 But he who does the truth comes to the light

"And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.  But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."

(19)  "And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil."  In the previous verses Jesus explained that the sin-infected fallen descendants of Adam are bound to perish due to God's righteous judgment of sin; so that unless a person is redeemed from God's wrath by believing in Jesus, they remain under condemnation.  John has already stated in the final verses of Chapter Two that Jesus knows the hearts of men.  Therefore, in verses nineteen through twenty-one, Jesus reveals the true reason why some people might choose to perish.  Again we are reminded of God's words spoken through Isaiah:

 

"Come now, and let us reason together,"
Says the Lord,
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool.

If you are willing and obedient,
You shall eat the good of the land;

But if you refuse and rebel,
You shall be devoured by the sword";
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken. - Isaiah 1:18-20

 

The great love of Christ which compelled Him to offer Himself up as a sacrifice for our sins also compelled Him to plead with us through reason so that we would not be ignorant of our own self-destructive tendencies.

 

Just as Adam ran to hide himself and his sin from the sight of God, so fallen man also attempts to conceal his sin by abiding in the darkness.  Whereas, we should naturally be uncomfortable with darkness.  Children are instinctively afraid of the dark.  Darkness presents the dangers of disorientation and restricted vision, thus eliminating the effectiveness of one of our most important physical senses.  Darkness makes life hazardous, perilous, and frightening.  Nevertheless, the darkness appeals to those who have something to hide.

 

Compare Jesus, who is the light of this world and who did everything openly, with those who went out at night to arrest Him.  Then Jesus said to the chief priests, captains of the temple, and the elders who had come to Him, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs?  When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize Me.  But this is your hour, and the power of darkness." - Luke 22:52,53

 

(20)  "For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed."  The wording of this statement from the original Greek manuscripts is critical to understanding what verse twenty is saying, and what it is not saying.  The English translation presents the dilemma that; since all have sinned, and sinners hate and avoid the light; then logically no one will avail themselves of salvation.  But Jesus worded this statement with great precision.  The word used here for "evil" is "phaulos" (φαῦλος), which means worthless or bad.  This is not the same word "poneros" (πονηρὸς) used in verse nineteen, and which is generally used for wickedness and evil in New Testament.

 

Together with the word "practicing" we derive the meaning of "practicing evil" as a regular and habitual lifestyle of worthless behavior based on bad choices made with a heedless attitude.  It is the sinner's determination to continue to remain in the darkness and aloof from his Creator which breeds hatred for the light.  The "practicing" sinner does not wish to be bothered with the discomfort of dealing with sin.  Therefore he or she despises the light and refuses to come into the light.

 

What makes the difference between a lost sinner and a saved sinner?  It is the mysterious work of God in the heart that brings about the willingness and courage to repent and walk toward the light; then we - like Jonah - will forsake what is worthless to gain the mercies of God.

 

"When my soul fainted within me,
I remembered the Lord;
And my prayer went up to You,
Into Your holy temple.

Those who regard worthless idols
Forsake their own Mercy." - Jonah 2:7,8

 

(21)  "But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."  We "do the truth" when we stop protecting our sinful self from the blessed light of God's love, which He has manifested through the cross of Christ.  "Doing the truth" means being open and honest with God.  As David said in his psalm of repentance, "You desire truth in the inward parts."  Once we have come to the light through faith in Jesus, our deeds may be clearly seen without any apprehension, because they have been done according to God's will, under His authority, and by His power.

 

Psalms 51 provides a beautiful example of confession and repentance.  You may want to pray according to this psalm as you consider Jesus' sacrifice on the cross.  Christ's blood has purchased salvation for everyone who will repent and believe in Him.

 

Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions.

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.

For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me.

Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight -
That You may be found just when You speak.

And blameless when You judge.

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me.

Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts,
And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken may rejoice.

Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities.

Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.

Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You.

Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.

O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.

For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise. - Psalms 51:1-17

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 3:14,15 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