John Ch.3
John 3
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John 3
Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
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.”
vs2 Nicodemus seems to have come on behalf of others, who are too afraid of showing any affiliation with Jesus at all. Nicodemus himself comes by night, for fear the turmoil it may cause if he comes during the day; and also, of possibly jeopardizing his own position in the Sanhedrin - and here - right here - is the problem!
3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
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?”
5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’
vs 3-7 It was widely taught amongst the Jews that they as descendants of Abraham were automatically assured a place in Heaven - and that Messiah would come to usher in a New World where they would have “pre-eminence”. Jesus wastes no time in telling Nicodemus (with all his scholarly title and prestige) how far he really is from the Kingdom of God…so far in fact, that he - and all of us - must die to this life and be “born again” to a new one. “again” (Greek anothen) can be also translated “from above.”
Because the flesh (the first birth) cannot fulfill what is required by God.
In our natural birth we are born into sin - which we inherited from Adam and Eve: this is why there must now be a second birth - through the Holy Spirit; (which means we must die to the first life…which we do through the Cross of Christ)
8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
9 Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?”
10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?
vs 8 Presently, Nicodemus only is able to view things through the lens of human reasoning and intellect. (He has not yet died to the old and been “born again” to the new). This is so far beyond Nicodemus’s understanding - and indeed everyone’s - until after Jesus’s resurrection, when everything will become clear! See Luke 24:45-48
11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony.
vs. 11 The “we” Jesus speaks of here, is likely referring to himself, John the Baptist and the OT prophets, whose message, they (the Sanhedrin) have clearly failed to receive: Had they received it and taken it seriously, they would have listened to John the Baptist and would have been ready in their hearts to listen to and receive Jesus Christ.
12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?
13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
vs14 Jesus refers to himself as the Son of Man
(As referenced in Daniel 7:13-14) and as if this wasn’t a clear enough statement to Nicodemus, Jesus drops another bombshell, with the implication that he has both come from and has seen Heaven:
vs. 14-15 And here comes yet another truth bomb…Jesus is comparing himself to the bronze serpent: As the Son of Man, he will be
- Cut off (Daniel 9:26)
- Accursed (Deuteronomy 21:22-24)
And yet as the Son of Man…the Messiah, all who look to Him (just as the rebellious Israelites had to look on the bronze serpent)…all who believe on Him, will not only be saved physically, but will inherit eternal life (a spiritual/heart healing)
For further study on this topic see: http://sarahshalom777.blogspot.com/2020/12/where-is-jesus-3.html
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
vs16 And finally, the most revelatory truth bomb of them all…the Son of man, who must be lifted up…is actually the Son of God! God is here…among us! He has come…just as he promised…Believe! …that you may not perish…For in him - and him alone - is eternal life!
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
vs17Before bringing the inevitable judgment, God will always offer mercy - there are foreshadows of this through Noah’s building of the ark (1Peter3.20) and Israel’s forty year wonderings in the desert (Joshua 2:9-14), but the ultimate fulfillment of this mercy will come through Jesus’s vicarious death on the Cross - the perfect substitutionary sacrifice once and for all.
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
vs 18 “…there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12). There is no other permanent sacrifice - and there is therefore no other way in to the Kingdom of Heaven, except through him (see again the illustration in vs 14-15)
What is this name? It is the summation of every other name of God made known to his people: Yeshua - Jesus: The Lord is Salvation…
19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.
20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.
21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
vs19-21 - see again vs4-5: Just as Israel after sinning against God, were given no option except to look upon the bronze serpent on a pole or else die - this is how it is with Jesus’s crucifixion (see also Zechariah 12:10): Either we step into the Light: we look upon him on the Cross, acknowledging that it is our iniquities that put him there - and be forgiven. Or we refuse - we turn away from the Light and face God’s judgment later. We must face him - no hiding; and we can - through the mercy of the Cross. (See Luke 23:40-43)
22 After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing.
23 John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized
24 (for John had not yet been put in prison).
vs:22-24 In doing this, Jesus is both endorsing John’s baptism of Repentance, and continuing it…thereby showing his disciples and the people, that repentance is key. This goes hand in hand with Matthew 3:2 & 4:17 “repent for the Kingdom is at hand.”
25 Now a discussion arose between some of John's disciples and a Jew over purification.
vs25 Possibly a conflict over John’s one baptism for repentance and the continual purification rituals imposed on the Jews by the Sanhedrin
26 And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.”
27 John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven.
28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’
29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”
vs26-30 John again affirms Jesus’s right to carry on where he (is about to) leave off. It looks at this point, like John is realizing this. John’s disciples may have been excited when they saw everyone coming to the One that John endorsed: or, as seems more likely here, they were feeling somewhat threatened by this; because John himself has to both remind and assure them that this is exactly as it was meant to be. He is not the Christ…he is the one sent before Him; he is not the bridegroom - he is only the bridegroom’s friend.
31 He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all.
32 He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony.
vs31-32 Here, John echoes the words of Jesus to Nicodemus in vs.11. He will at the same time, again declare the deity of Jesus, with such authority and yet humility - just as with ch.1:26-27. John also uses himself as a comparison, saying he is from earth - a fallen man like everyone else: But Jesus is unlike any prophet that has gone before: because he is literally from Heaven.
(This issue of looking up to prophets, in order to hear from the Lord, is a stumbling block that still exists today: see Hebrews 1:1-2)
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus states that, up until this point (before the Sacrifice of the Cross and the New Covenant, where all can know God and dwell with him) there has been none greater than John the Baptist. John was the last prophet from behind the veil of the Old Covenant, to proclaim the coming of the Lord: Now, his ministry too, is winding down, which marks the beginning of something profound and new; although it has been declared since the very beginning (see Genesis 3:15). Here begins the wrapping up of the Old Covenant, to make way for the unveiling of its fulfillment: The New Covenant.
33 Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true.
vs.33 To believe the words of Jesus is to believe the Word of God Himself (see ch.1:1)
34 For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure.
35 The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand.
34-36 Again a sudden and incredible unveiling of a threefold Godhead- like a braid of three cords - but so much more omniscient…such height, depth, length and breadth we find to this mystery: A Father, a Son and a Spirit. And they are One; they are Love; they are Life (and they are also Righteous Judgment.) See also ch.14:5-10
He is the Lord our God - who could ever fathom Him - and how? If we could, surely we would be “god” just as he is.
vs.36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
Here is the final testimony from the Lord’s final herald; The testimony that seals and finalizes everything that has been spoken before: “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12) This is the testimony of the Gospel of Christ!
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