Contents

I. Introduction

Our purpose is to render a commentary on the Gospel of John chapter three.

We will follow this format:

Verse of Scripture utilizing the YLT text followed by an NASB mouseover of that verse. Key words in the YLT text will be footnoted with a link to a word study based on the Greek text, and/or a general discussion relative to the given word (we are not biblical Greek or Hebrew scholars, please consider our grammatical constructions with a critical eye).
Commentary We shall be commenting on this passage keeping before us at all times the crucial fact that every jot and every tittle comprising these verses came forth under the inspiration of the blessed Holy Spirit. We pray that He, by His grace, helps us along the way.

II. John Chapter Three Commentary Verses

3:1-8 Testify Unto Us Thou That Comest From God: How Can One Be Born Again?

The reader may wish to read “John Chapter One Commentary” verses 12-13, 26-28, and 29-34 as a preparatory introduction to this section.

YLT TEXT: And there was a man of the Pharisees, Nicodemus his name, a ruler [1] of the Jews, this one came unto him by night, and said to him, `Rabbi [2], we have known that from God thou hast come — a teacher, for no one these signs is able to do that thou dost, if God may not be with him.’ Jesus answered and said to him, `Verily, verily, I say to thee, If any one may not be born from above [3], he is not able to see the reign of God; [4]’ Nicodemus saith unto him, `How is a man able to be born, being old? is he able into the womb of his mother a second time to enter, and to be born?’ Jesus answered, `Verily, verily, I say to thee, If any one may not be born of water, and the Spirit, he is not able to enter into the reign of God; that which hath been born of the flesh is flesh, and that which hath been born of the Spirit is spirit. `Thou mayest not wonder that I said to thee, It behoveth you to be born from above; the Spirit where he willeth doth blow, and his voice thou dost hear, but thou hast not known whence he cometh, and whither he goeth; thus is every one who hath been born of the Spirit.’ Jhn 3:1-8

COMMENTARY: Brother Nicodemus, why did you come to the great Teacher Jesus at night? Were you ashamed of or maybe feared what some of your peers might have thought about such an encounter ( esp. the house of Annas, Annas loyalist power monger Sadducees, and/or jealous-of-Jesus Pharisees)? Did you reckon it a possible stumbling block to your upward mobility in the Sanhedrin per se? Was it because this was the best time to convene with the Teacher—according to His schedule? According to your schedule? Based on the respect that is shown Jesus here by way of address: “…`Rabbi, we have known that from God thou hast come — a teacher, …”, it is likely that Nicodemus came to our Lord at night largely because that was the most convenient time for Jesus to meet with him. It was done to accommodate Jesus’ schedule, out of respect for Jesus, foremost, because it was believed that He was a teacher come from God. Such an appointment would, further, be in keeping with one refined and cultured in the protocol that guides an astute and sensitive diplomat, as Nicodemus surely was owing to his position of state.

Nicodemus had credentials; he earned them. His place in the highest ruling court and governing body in the land demanded that [5]. And much learning, indeed, an extraordinary capacity for learning goes with that sort of thing. This would generally be true of the other members of the Sanhedrin as well. As such, we cannot help but reckon that Nicodemus and some of his peers: “…we have known…” really did believe, based on their peculiar learned observations of Jesus, that He was of God: “…’Rabbi, we have known that from God thou hast come — a teacher….” [6]. This was not an idle declaration by Nicodemus, nor was it entirely motivated by an intent to flatter, but was based on sober reasoning consequential to learned observation (peculiar though it was), as would be expected of one dedicated to learning with an eye to achieving some goal—here specifically the goal being a place in the Sanhedrin. On the heels of Nicodemus’ declaration, the great Teacher Jesus immediately seizes the moment and begins to teach, and thus affirms Nicodemus’ assessment of Himself (of Jesus). He launches laser-like into an authoritative teaching designed to illumine divine reality (that is, to illumine Truth—Truth is singularly God’s reality). He launches into the truth about God, about the things of God, about the nature of God. Jesus elevates rabbi (teacher!) Nicodemus’ mindset here, in effort, it would follow, to elevate his religious worldview from rote and externalism, given expression by a temple and ritual cleanness, to heart-reverence and internalism, given expression by the fear of Jehovah God and its attendant inner purity—and here is outlined the simple mechanics of this radical reform: “…Jesus answered, `Verily, verily, I say to thee, If any one may not be born of water, and the Spirit, he is not able to enter into the reign of God…” And this Reform of necessity leaves Nicodemus completely befuddled: “… Nicodemus saith unto him, `How is a man able to be born, being old? is he able into the womb of his mother a second time to enter, and to be born?’…” What was it about the learned and accredited Nicodemus’ (peculiar) learning that was deficient (confusion evidences deficiency) so as to leave him confused in the face of divine reality (Truth), as put forth here by Jesus? Sanctifying metamorphosis of the human spirit is necessarily wrought only, is necessarily wrought entirely, by Jehovah God (“Be Holy”, “Righteous Faith”). And then only to human beings willing to be changed—that is, to those that appreciate a need to be changed by God; to those that are willing in this way to become subject to Him, to come under His reign and rule. Thus the self-righteous are precluded, for they never see any need for this sort of change—here are the “good” people of the world; good like so: ‘…I’m a pretty good person, I work hard, care for my family, obey the laws of my country, I don’t kill, steal, etc…’ (good for you by the way). Nicodemus would add: ‘I adhere to ritual cleanness, give alms, have cared for widows and orphans betimes…’ (consider Luk 11:41, “Matthew Chapter Twenty-three Commentary”—Matthew chapter twenty-three shows by contrast the sort of spirit that is not born of the Spirit that pervaded Pharisaic Judaism). As a Pharisee, Nicodemus worked pretty hard to be a “good” person (O foolish rabbi Nicodemus, only God can make “good” people—yea, from the inside out, precisely in that order). So Jesus’ radical Reform outlined in these verses ran counter to the rabbinic learning upon which the learned Nicodemus was accredited, and upon which he based his personal merit in the eyes of God. Nicodemus the rabbi was befuddled because he could not appreciate who God is, nor could he appreciate God’s nature, and especially he could not appreciate God’s “good metric” (which is quintessentially Jesus Christ; Nicodemus was speaking to God’s “good metric”) [7]. These things were simply not to be found in rote, nor in pietistic externalism, nor in signs and wonders: “…we have known that from God thou hast come — a teacher, for no one these signs is able to do that thou dost, if God may not be with him …”, nor in the vain cerebral self-satisfactions attending religious wisdom-speak. Nicodemus’ confused response to Jesus’ Reform shows us that probably the last thing on his mind concerning rebirth-reform had anything at all to do with God, but was centered in himself (his learning and understanding thereof, his piety, his strength, his “goodness”, his capacity to “do”—note how these things do not jibe with Luk 18:17), which would be typical in many respects (not all of course) of the Rabbinic Judaism of his day: “… Nicodemus saith unto him, `How is a man able to be born, being old? is he able into the womb of his mother a second time to enter, and to be born?’ …” It is almost as if his earthy (=highly constrained) thoughts telescope forward and he concludes: ‘…must my pietistic scorecard be wiped clean through a carnal rebirth somehow, and then must I try pleasing God all over again, and maybe be more pleasing to God the second (third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh…) time around, thus deserving a place in His kingdom?…’ Jesus’ response at this point is neither yea nor nay, instead, like a Teacher par excellence (= a Rabbi), He leaves Nicodemus’ confusion dangling in his mind, and straightaway He prunes that twisted branch: “…that which hath been born of the flesh is flesh, and that which hath been born of the Spirit is spirit…” Jesus cuts back some of the overgrowth blocking the light, and exposes it as the flesh, and thus provides a new mental toe-hold for Nicodemus by which he might reason anew, about being born anew. The flesh is introduced. Here is a competing birth. Flesh, and spirit. Flesh, over against spirit. Nicodemus (and he stands in place of many), was born of the flesh (for the things of the Spirit confuse such a one-1Cr 2:14), and thus he was not born of the Spirit; and thus he was not born of God (yet). Though the confusion begins to lift, in its place must enter an anxious dread: “…`Verily, verily, I say to thee, If any one may not be born of water, and the Spirit, he is not able to enter into the reign of God…” Born of water and the Spirit. The Greek text has it: “… [MH TIS] GENNHQH EX hUDATOS KAI PNEUMATOS…” Here we likely see the crux of this part of the discourse—it is qualified by Allegiance (Rom 6:16-18, 8:5). The flesh is inclined to be subject unto the flesh—here is misplaced allegiance (Rom 7:14-15), as evidenced by the deeds of the flesh (Gal 5:19-21), to the exclusion of being subject unto God (Job 24:13, Rom 8:7-8). But a Spirit-washed spirit (GENNHQH EX HUDATOS KAI PNEUMATOS) is inclined to be subject unto the Spirit—here is well-placed allegiance (Job 23:12, Psa 40:8, Rom 7:22), as evidenced by the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-25, Eph 5:8-9, “The Beatitudes”), to the exclusion of being subject unto the flesh (Jhn 8:36, Rom 7:24-25, Gal 5:16, 24). Moreover, the flesh seeks to justify the deeds of the flesh, but the spirit, by way of the Spirit, wars against the flesh in that effort (Gal 5:17; consider for example the wine press of conscience and guilt-Psa 32:5, 51:3, 7-12). Sometimes for this reason are birthed elaborate religious systems designed to appease the spirit without compromising the varied satisfactions (allegiances) ever craved by the flesh; religious systems perhaps like the one which Nicodemus represented; perhaps like the one rabbi Nicodemus had opportunity to educate in matters such as Jesus’ Reform here announced to him.

Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, one cannot enter into the kingdom of God (notice that Jesus is actually redundant here in our passage): “…Jesus answered, `Verily, verily, I say to thee, If any one may not be born of water, and the Spirit, he is not able to enter into the reign of God…” [8]. Why is this so? Because entry into the kingdom of God is dictated by the Owner of that Kingdom, foremost (this is axiomatic). And the Owner here says ‘ye must be willingly sanctified to come into My presence, and this by way of My Spirit in communion with a spirit thus willing to be sanctified;’ willing to be subject to God in this way [9]. It follows then that it behooves one to be born from above: “…`Thou mayest not wonder that I said to thee, It behoveth you to be born from above…”, for from thence only may follow Salvation (life eternal in the presence of Jehovah God, which by default is life eternal in His Kingdom). And thus it behooves one to embrace Jesus Christ, for the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit resonates precisely with Jesus’ ministry to humankind (Jhn 1:29-34, 6:63, 14:26, 16:7, Act 4:10-12, “Be Holy,” “Righteous Faith”). The Holy Spirit is the means (Eze 36:25, Mat 3:11-the Holy Spirit working as water and fire, 1Cr 6:11, 2Ti 1:7, Tts 3:5, 1Pe 1:2), and the nature of Jesus Christ is the end goal, of being born from above; of being born again, born anew (for He is the second Adam-1Cr 15:47). To be born from above thus tangibly proceeds with a penitent embrace of Jesus Christ as Savior—here is admittance of sin, and need, and willing subjection to God (Mat 11:28-30).

Wooooooosh… Ever so gentle, like an enveloping, warm summer breeze; ever so still, like a whisper, ever so soft, like the clouds; and way up high. Up high, on the fringes of one’s consciousness, one’s spirit—up, up, up; up on the highest planes of reason, and thought; over by that diffuse threshold that separates the mundane, the material, the Flesh, from heaven, from spirit, from the Spirit. Over there where is heard Jesus’ eternal heartbeat—yea there, right there, are heard the sounds of the Spirit: “… the Spirit where he willeth doth blow, and his voice thou dost hear, but thou hast not known whence he cometh, and whither he goeth; thus is every one who hath been born of the Spirit…”(Jhn 6:44, 12:32—dearest reader, have you ever experienced that drawing, heard the sounds of His calling: “A Letter of Invitation?”).

3:9-13 The Son of Man, Transcendent, Doth Testify

YLT TEXT: Nicodemus answered and said to him, `How are these things able to happen?’ Jesus answered and said to him, `Thou art the teacher of Israel — and these things thou dost not know! `Verily, verily, I say to thee — What we have known we speak, and what we have seen we testify [10], and our testimony ye do not receive [11]; if the earthly things I said to you, and ye do not believe, how, if I shall say to you the heavenly things, will ye believe? and no one hath gone up to the heaven, except he who out of the heaven came down — the Son of Man who is in the heaven. Jhn 3:9-13

COMMENTARY: TAUTA—these things—says Nicodemus. PWS DUNATAI TAUTA GENESQAI: “…`How are these things able to happen?…” Nicodemus is lost here for the same reason he was lost above—Jesus’ radical Reform ran counter to the rabbinic learning upon which the learned Nicodemus was accredited, and upon which he assessed the nature of God, and his (practiced) personal merit in the eyes of God. What we learn here though hones in on the deficiency and reveals it more clearly—Nicodemus had not yet received God’s communique [10], and this because his spirituality was based on a proud religious system: “…`Thou art the teacher [rabbi] of Israel — and these things thou dost not know!’…” We think that these words by Jesus are a (gentle?) condemnation by Him of that very system (our Lord’s demeanor in Matthew chapter twenty-three is altogether different “Matthew Chapter Twenty-three Commentary”). Again: “…`Thou art the teacher [rabbi] of Israel — and these things thou dost not know!’…” This religious system was defunct in that it left the most learned in it deficient (totally ignorant is almost the correct way to put it) in the higher (more profound and important) things that concern God, precisely because it was a religious system—no or very little spirit-Spirit profundity to be found in it (there was some though, to be sure), otherwise one so learned in it as Nicodemus would never have been as confused as he is shown to be here. And if the most learned in this system missed the Mark, what are we to say of those whom they taught? No surprise that our God had to step in here and have a talk with one of the “helmsmen” (we do not doubt it even a little bit that our omniscient Lord knew that Nicodemus was the right one of them to talk to in this matter in that particular generation). God doesn’t force humankind to do things His way, but He is concerned to get the ship on the right course, and this by way of enlightening the helmsmen, over and over and over if need be; even so, there are many so-called helmsmen that for various reasons prefer to remain noncompliant: “…`Verily, verily, I say to thee — What we have known we speak, and what we have seen we testify, and our testimony ye do not receive’…” [12].

Did Nicodemus understand Jesus to be the Son of Man before his discourse with Jesus? Did he know that “Son of Man” is how Jesus referred to Himself? We think so, fundamentally because Nicodemus showed himself to be a follower of Jesus, and John 1:50-51 suggests that at least the title per se may have been in use before said discourse with Nicodemus; compare our passage: “…and no one hath gone up to the heaven, except he who out of the heaven came down — the Son of Man who is in the heaven….” (cf. Pro 30:4, Dan 7:13-14). As a follower, we suppose that Nicodemus would have heard Jesus refer to Himself thus many times [13]. Moreover, the Sanhedrin suspected Jesus was a blasphemer (Mat 26:64-65, Luk 5:21-24), and we reckon that Jesus’ reference to Himself as the Son of Man was bandied about in Sanhedrin conversations to that effect, conversations that Nicodemus would have been privy to.

To this point in the discourse, rabbi Nicodemus understands Jesus simply (but not so simply) as one having come from God, a teacher, or as one with whom God’s presence is manifest: “…we have known that from God thou hast come — a teacher, for no one these signs is able to do that thou dost, if God may not be with him.’…” But when Jesus speaks of the transcendent Son of Man here, Himself, as Nicodemus surely must have made the connection, He is claiming to be deity, and that must have sobered Nicodemus, because for the rest of the discourse we hear no more questions from him—the learned Nicodemus of his own volition must have become a believing disciple (not just a curious follower): “…and no one hath gone up to the heaven, except he who out of the heaven came down — the Son of Man who is in the heaven…” We suppose that, face to face with Jesus, eyeball to eyeball with Him, upon hearing this testimony from Jesus, and having followed and observed and been impressed by His signs prior, Nicodemus, of his own volition, was discipled (born again, anew). But…PWS DUNATAI TAUTA GENESQAI; that is, “…How are these things able to happen?…” Thus it happens when one receives the Testimony of the Son of Man (“A Letter of Invitation).

3:14-18 The Son of Man Must Be Lifted Up That Ye, Believing, Might Ever Be Uplifted

YLT TEXT: `And as Moses did lift up the serpent in the wilderness [14], so it behoveth [15] the Son of Man to be lifted up, that every one who is believing in him may not perish, but may have life age-during, for God did so love the world, that His Son — the only begotten — He gave, that every one who is believing in him may not perish, but may have life age-during. For God did not send His Son to the world that he may judge the world, but that the world may be saved through him; he who is believing in him is not judged, but he who is not believing hath been judged already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. Jhn 3:14-18

COMMENTARY: Henceforth in this discourse through verse twenty-one, the Son of Man, Jesus, bears testimony—a Communique. Here He is, the God-man, as the Son of Man, and the Word of God, relating the thoughts and conclusions and intentions of God concerning humankind; namely, its sore need: Release from the debt owed God consequential to Sin (humankind is in fact in bondage to Sin [Rom 7:14-15, 23] and thus ever at odds with God), and provision for this sore need, namely, Redemption (Col 2:11-14), even unto Salvation.

That largely sinful lot that came out of slavery in Egypt and her pagan environs laden with idolatry, by God’s grace and power, had given itself over to idolatry there (idolatry is a piercing heart-sin arrow aimed at the heart of God [Exd 20:3-4]), and they would like to have gone back to Egypt to enjoy a life of ease suffused with their former sins. That sin-pattern (Sin, revisiting Sin…) is endemic to humankind (Rom 3:23) unless an individual is fundamentally changed “from the inside out,” so as to make a break with that pattern. This is a statement of the sort of rebirth that we have considered above. But it is clear that even though rebirth may have been effected in a given individual, and by their own volition, that individual has accrued debt—sin-debt, and that debt must be paid to the One owed that debt. The One to whom all sin-debt is owed is Jehovah God, for there is no Sin apart from breaking His laws, precepts, and statutes (Rom 5:13), and hence no sin-debt. God has very specifically dictated that ‘…the soul that sinneth shall die…’ (one must soberly ask oneself here—how can a soul die? The body yes, but the soul, one’s innermost being? The answer to this question gets at the crux of Jehovah God’s grace in Redemption -Salvation). That (Death), very specifically and unambiguously is the sin-debt owed God by all sinners (Eze 18:4, 20; cf. Rom 6:23, 7:5, 13, but note Eze 33:11). Death is the sin-debt owed Jehovah God, plain and simple, and certainly grievous, for it is an eternal death, suffused with misery, for God is nowhere to be found in the place of the wicked dead (that separation from Jehovah God on the heels of physical death is quintessentially Death [2Th 1:9])—no mindless, unawares sort of “cocooning-type forever sleep” to be found here, for sure (Luk 16:20ff, Rev 2:11, 20:6, 14). Yes, that is the edict. But in our passage is pronounced the possibility for an alternative edict, as one would expect of deity (deity, by very definition, must be fair, righteous). Yet the former edict must stand, for the Word of God is immutable (again, thus it is with deity); an alternative edict is pronounced that satisfies the first, while at the same time sparing the sinner: “…And as Moses did lift up the serpent in the wilderness, so it behoveth the Son of Man to be lifted up, that every one who is believing in him may not perish, but may have life age-during, for God did so love the world, that His Son — the only begotten — He gave, that every one who is believing in him may not perish, but may have life age-during….” (red font added). Now the picture of a serpent on a pole is a biblical picture of Sin itself on that pole [16]. The Son of Man, thus lifted up on a cross signifies the same, and in the context of the New Testament signifies that the crucified Jesus Christ bore the sins of the world while on that cross [17]. And the fact that those snake-bitten in Moses’ day had only to look to the bronze serpent on a pole in simple faith of God’s promise that thus doing they shall live, signifies in the context of the New Testament that the snake-bitten sinner need only look to Jesus, the Son of Man on a cross, in simple faith of God’s promise of eternal Life in His presence through Jesus’ substitutionary death on their behalf (1Jo 2:2, 4:10), to be uplifted unto Salvation in fulfillment of said promise (Fig. 1).

Jehovah God is holy—He cannot overlook Sin—He must judge it (“A Letter of Invitation: Faithful God”). Yet by very definition, God is Love (1Jo 4:8, 16). There is some measure of tension here. Jesus Christ relieves this tension completely: “…for God did so love the world, that His Son — the only begotten — He gave, that every one who is believing in him may not perish, but may have life age-during….” The substitutionary death of Jesus Christ on behalf of sinners relieves said tension, for He paid the sin-debt that accrues to sinners, namely, Death (physical death, and separation from Father God-Mat 27:46-50; here is judgment of Sin; Col 2:13-14). Friend, is this not Love (Rom 5:8)? Amen, this is Love. And again, is this not just? Yea and nay—it is just in that it satisfies divine justice, but it is not just in that One undeserving and innocent (Jesus Christ) was judged and punished unto Death (physical death, separation from Father God) on behalf of the many deserving and guilty (sinful humankind). Notice that God did not send Jesus into the world to judge the world (sinners), He sent Jesus into the world to save the world (sinners) from Death (Judgment), because He loved/s the world (sinners): “…for God did so love the world, that His Son — the only begotten — He gave, that every one who is believing in him may not perish, but may have life age-during….”, and again: “… For God did not send His Son to the world that he may judge the world, but that the world may be saved through him…” (cf. Luk 5:32, 19:10). We may take it that God takes no delight in judging Sin (God is Love), yet He must judge Sin (God is Holy), and so He chose to bear said judgment Himself. And of the sinner He asks only Faith (why did He make it so easy for us to secure Pardon, but made it so hard for Himself toward that end?): “…he who is believing in him is not judged, but he who is not believing hath been judged already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God….” Manifest faith in God (acquiescence, agreement, ascendancy, avowal) is not much to ask of the sinner, by any standard, when one considers the Cost of Sin (“Psalm Twenty-two Commentary: In the Throes of Death: The Crucifixion of Jesus Christ”). Praised be your Name great savior God.

3:19-21 Ye Reborn Bathe in the Light

YLT TEXT: `And this is the judgment, that the light [18] hath come to the world, and men did love the darkness rather than the light, for their works were evil; for every one who is doing wicked things hateth the light, and doth not come unto the light, that his works may not be detected; but he who is doing the truth doth come to the light, that his works may be manifested, that in God they are having been wrought.’ Jhn 3:19-21

COMMENTARY: Here again is the Communique Jesus related above; one can hardly miss it: “… And this is the judgment, that the light hath come to the world, and men did love the darkness rather than the light, for their works were evil…” Compare above: “… What we have known we speak, and what we have seen we testify, and our testimony ye do not receive…” Jesus brought from the throne of God to the threshold of humankind a learned assessment; let us use His word: a Judgment, He brought a learned Judgment; a judgment based on what God knows and has seen and sees concerning humankind, and that is that humankind is wicked, and loves its wickedness (=its wickedness is normative, and standard protocol, in business, and human relations, in the treatment of God, etc.), and would much rather wallow in its wickedness, like pigs in the slop of their pigsty, where the filth that covers one pig is hardly more than what covers another, to the extent that if there gets a little more filth on any of the pigs, so what? rather than to be washed (volitional Spirit-rebirth, in submission to Him); rather than to leave the pigsty, to untether from it; to move where there is no filth, where the disciplines of Spirit-guided discipleship lay waste wickedness; lay waste those much-loved deeds (gods) of the Flesh; where any hint of filth stands out like a condemnatory beacon before God and Man: “…and men did love the darkness rather than the light, for their works were evil; for every one who is doing wicked things hateth the light, and doth not come unto the light, that his works may not be detected’…” But the child of God, one born again, by His Spirit, by default does what God does (for His Spirit is in them), and thus is drawn to the Light, and by this they are known, and God is glorified in them, by the works He has wrought through them, by the Light He has shone through them (Mat 5:14-16). One born anew does what God does; indeed, is constrained by His reality, like a harmonic is constrained by its Fundamental. And such a one, thus doing, exercises Truth, for that which God does, whatever He does, is the stuff of His reality, which is Truth: “…but he who is doing the truth doth come to the light, that his works may be manifested, that in God they are having been wrought.’…”

3:22-30 The Bridegroom Must Increase and I His Friend Must Decrease

YLT TEXT: After these things came Jesus and his disciples to the land of Judea, and there he did tarry with them, and was baptizing; and John was also baptizing in Aenon [19], nigh to Salem [20], because there were many waters there, and they were coming and were being baptized — for John was not yet cast into the prison — there arose then a question [21] from the disciples of John with [some] Jews about purifying, and they came unto John, and said to him, `Rabbi, he who was with thee beyond the Jordan, to whom thou didst testify, lo, this one is baptizing, and all are coming unto him.’ John answered and said, `A man is not able to receive anything, if it may not have been given him from the heaven; ye yourselves do testify to me that I said, I am not the Christ, but, that I am having been sent before him; he who is having the bride is bridegroom, and the friend of the bridegroom, who is standing and hearing him, with joy doth rejoice because of the voice of the bridegroom; this, then, my joy hath been fulfilled. `Him it behoveth to increase, and me to become less; Jhn 3:22-30

COMMENTARY:To a Jewish person of Jesus’ day, baptism was largely connected with proselytizing; notwithstanding, it also had a certain spiritual significance, like rebirth for example. (Daube 106-38). These spiritual significances are probably at the heart of the “question” with which certain Jews engaged John’s (the Baptist) disciples: “…there arose then a question from the disciples of John with [some] Jews about purifying…” This sort of thing is not hard to understand in our day blessed as we are with the benefit of hindsight. As said above, Pharisaic Judaism was motivated in many ways (not all) by rote and externalism, to which ritual cleansing (outward purification) was central. What John the Baptist brought from the portal of heaven, namely, a Baptism of Repentance (here is admittance of Sin, incipient Spirit-rebirth), introduced the kind of Purification that John tried to explicate to his disciples, and they in turn to these Jewish seekers here mentioned. It is the kind of Purification that our Lord tried to explicate to Nicodemus, and that He is trying today through the beloved apostle John to explicate to you and I. It is at the heart of His discourse with Nicodemus, and we have prayerfully sought to plumb this infinitely deep well above [22].

Next follows a perfectly human (mundane) scenario of competition (disciple-bickering), with the interests of God (repentance, rebirth, that is, Baptism) no less, as points of contention. Apparently Jesus had already at this early stage of His ministry attracted quite a crowd, for many were coming to Him to be baptized; we may take it, more than were coming to the Baptist, who, from what we can tell from the Gospel of John (Jhn 1:19-34, “John Chapter One Commentary: Who Art Thou, Why Baptizeth Thou”), was making quite a stir himself, both amongst the common people and the Jewish religious leaders: “…`Rabbi, he who was with thee beyond the Jordan, to whom thou didst testify, lo, this one is baptizing, and all are coming unto him.’…” (red font added). Why apparently did so many more come to Jesus to be baptized, when the Baptist after all had established himself locally as a baptizer long before Jesus’ public ministry began (Jesus’ public ministry began at His baptism by John the Baptist-Mat 3:13-17)? We reckon it was because the Baptist, after baptizing Jesus, under compulsion of the holy Spirit, deferred all the duties of his office to the Master (and so it must be: “….ye yourselves do testify to me that I said, I am not the Christ, but, that I am having been sent before him…”). He, John, pointed disciple and penitent alike to Jesus. No pride in this man; and why? Probably because that was the character of his spirit, one in submission to the Holy Spirit, but also because “he knew that he knew” that Jesus was who He said He was, namely, the very God, the very One for whom John was working: “…John answered and said, `A man is not able to receive anything, if it may not have been given him from the heaven; ye yourselves do testify to me that I said, I am not the Christ, but, that I am having been sent before him; he who is having the bride is bridegroom, and the friend of the bridegroom, who is standing and hearing him, with joy doth rejoice because of the voice of the bridegroom; this, then, my joy hath been fulfilled. `Him it behoveth to increase, and me to become less…” (red font added). Let us all, like the Baptist, be True friends of the Bridegroom, and joyfully put His interests way before our own. What a blessed expression of humility, and friendship and servanthood to His Lord, by John the Baptist.

3:31-36 The Son of Man, Transcendent, doth Testify

YLT TEXT: he who from above is coming is above all; he who is from the earth, from the earth he is, and from the earth he speaketh; he who from the heaven is coming is above all. `And what he hath seen and heard this he doth testify, and his testimony none receiveth; he who is receiving his testimony did seal that God is true; for he whom God sent, the sayings of God he speaketh; for not by measure doth God give [23] the Spirit; the Father doth love the Son, and all things hath given into his hand; he who is believing in the Son, hath life age-during; and he who is not believing the Son, shall not see life, but the wrath of God doth remain upon him.’ Jhn 3:31-36

COMMENTARY: There is in these verses a fair similarity to the text above and Jesus’ discourse with Nicodemus, particularly the Communique mentioned there [10]. Moreover, this text has a very strong ring of authority about it, as also a very intimate familiarity of the relationship between Father God and Jesus, His only-Begotten Son.

As said, there is a fair degree of similarity with the above text, verses 9-13, but we are blessed here with some additional truths:

In effect the text says that to believe God’s Word, is to believe God. To believe His Word is thus an affirmation of faith in God, and the One, Jesus, whom He sent: “…he who is receiving his testimony did seal that God is true; for he whom God sent, the sayings of God he speaketh…”
The Holy Spirit, Himself the key agent of rebirth, a central theme of this chapter, has been given to Jesus without measure: “…for not by measure doth God give the Spirit…” The Greek text has it: hON GAR APESTEILEN hO QEOS TA RHMATA TOU QEOU LALEI OU GAR EK METROU DIDWSIN TO PNEUMA (Aland 27). This means that He in turn is able to impart the Spirit as necessary to effect rebirth (cf. Jhn 14:26, 15:26, 16:7). As said above, rebirth unto Christ-likeness proceeds with a penitent embrace of Jesus Christ.
Father God loves His Son (cf. Jhn 5:20, 15:9, 17:23, 26, Col 1:13-14) : “…the Father doth love the Son…”, and He proves His love by giving Him consummate authority (here is loving trust at the scale of omnipotence, not a light matter): “… and all things hath given into his hand…”
Salvation comes only through Jesus Christ (cf. Act 4:10-12): “…he who is believing in the Son, hath life age-during; and he who is not believing the Son, shall not see life, but the wrath of God doth remain upon him.’…” Apart from Jesus Christ one is left alone to settle the sin-debt issue with God.