John 3 - ESV Study Bible

3:1 Ruler of the Jews refers to a member of the Jewish governing body called the Sanhedrin.

3:2 Nicodemus comes to Jesus by night, which usually carries a symbolic overtone of spiritual darkness elsewhere in John (9:4; 11:10; 13:30; but not 21:3). Coming from the “teacher of Israel” (3:10), the address Rabbi (meaning “teacher”) denotes respect, especially since it was known that Jesus did not have formal rabbinic training (cf. 7:15). The signs presumably include many miracles performed by Jesus in Jerusalem (cf. 2:23).

3:3–6 This discussion of the need for spiritual rebirth further develops the earlier reference to the “children of God” who are “born of God” (1:12–13; Cf. 8:39–58; 11:51–52). The phrase born of water and the Spirit in 3:5 refers to spiritual birth, which cleanses from sin and brings spiritual transformation and renewal. Water here does not refer to the water of physical birth, nor is it likely that it refers to baptism. The background is probably Ezek. 36:25–27, where God promises, “I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean. … And I will give you a new heart. … And I will put my Spirit within you.” For further discussion of being born again, see 1 John 2:29; 3:9; 4:7; 5:1,4,18. The kingdom of God, a major topic in the other Gospels, is mentioned in John only in 3:3,5 (see the reference to Jesus’ kingdom in John 18:36).

3:7–8 The change from singular to plural in I said to you [singular], “You [plural] must be born again,” probably is meant to include Nicodemus and his fellow Sanhedrin members (cf. “we” in v. 2), but the plural also carries broader application to all people: everyone “must be born again.” Wind and Spirit translate the same Greek and Hebrew words.

3:10 As a prominent teacher (the teacher of Israel), Nicodemus should be able to understand Jesus, since this new life is like the resurrection depicted in Ezekiel 37 and the new heart in Deut. 30:6; Jer. 31:33; and Ezek. 36:26.

3:11–12 Earthly things probably refers to Jesus’ teaching about the new birth, which takes place in a person’s life on earth. If Nicodemus as a teacher cannot even understand this, then Jesus cannot convey deeper truths to him. You is plural (in Gk.) in the second instance in v. 11, and all four times in v. 12.

3:13 Ascended into heaven probably means “entered into the counsels of God in heaven and remained there.” When Jesus descended from heaven it does not mean that in his omnipresent, divine personhood he completely left all fellowship with the Father, but rather that the focus of his activity became his earthly life as one who was now both God and man.

3:14 The reference to the Son of Man being lifted up is the first of three “lifted up” sayings in John’s Gospel (cf. 8:28; 12:32). All three sayings speak of the future “lifting up” of the Son of Man in a typical Johannine double meaning (see notes on 4:10; 8:24; 11:50–51; 19:19; cf. also 3:7–8), so that it refers to both Jesus’ death and his resurrection and exaltation to glory in heaven (cf. Acts 2:33; 5:31). Regarding the serpent in the wilderness, see Num. 21:9; but cf. Isa. 52:13 also.

3:16 Here is the most famous summary of the gospel in the entire Bible. For connects to v. 15 and explains what happened to make it possible that someone can “have eternal life” (v. 15), that is, through believing in Christ. God so loved the world was an astounding statement in that context because the OT and other Jewish writings had spoken only of God’s love for his people Israel. God’s love for “the world” made it possible for “whoever” (v. 15) believes in Christ, not Jews alone, to have eternal life. God’s love for the world was not mere sentiment but led to a specific action: he gave his only Son, which John elsewhere explains as sending him to earth as a man (v. 17) to suffer and die and thereby to bear the penalty for sins (see note on 1 John 2:2; cf. Rom. 3:25). On “only Son,” see note on John 1:14, which contains the same Greek phrase. The purpose of giving his Son was to make God’s great gift of eternal life available to anyone—to whoever believes in him, that is, whoever personally trusts in him (see note on 11:25). Not perish means not perish in eternal judgment, in contrast to having eternal life, the life of abundant joy and immeasurable blessing in the presence of God forever. Those who “believe in” Christ have that “eternal life” and already experience its blessings in this present time, not yet fully, but in some significant measure.

3:17 send his Son. John’s favorite designation of Jesus is that of the Son “sent” by the Father (see also vv. 34–36; 5:19–26; 6:40; 8:35–36; 14:13; 17:1). There was a familiar concept in Jewish life that the messenger is like the sender himself (Mishnah, Berakoth 5.5; cf. John 13:16,20). Jesus is that Sent One par excellence (cf. 9:7), and in 20:21–22 he in turn sends his disciples (see note there). Being sent (in the case of both Jesus and his followers) implies that the commission, charge, and message are issued by the sender rather than originating with the one who is sent. This verse refers to Christ’s first coming. He will return to judge the world at his second coming (5:27–29).

3:18 Those who do not believe and trust in Christ have neither a positive nor a neutral standing before God. They stand condemned already before God for their sins because they have not trusted God’s solution for guilt, the only Son of God. This verse also refutes the assertion that a sincere person following any religion can have eternal life with God (cf. 14:6; Acts 4:12; Rom. 10:13–17; 1 Tim. 2:5–6; regarding OT believers who looked forward to Christ, see John 8:56; Rom. 4:1–24; Heb. 11:13,26).

3:19–21 This elaborates on the prologue’s reference to the world’s darkness and unbelief (1:5, 10–11). See also note on 8:12. The evil of human beings is reflected in their fleeing from the light; at the same time, anything good is the product of God’s work.

3:22 Jesus was baptizing, that is, overseeing his disciples (see 4:2) as they continued administering the baptism of John, which was based on repentance and which symbolized purification from sin (see note on 1:28).

3:24 John had not yet been put in prison alerts readers to the fact that everything that has happened up to this point in John’s Gospel takes place prior to Mark 1:14 (“after John was arrested”).

3:28 The Baptist’s assertion that he has been sent before the Messiah alludes to Mal. 3:1, which is directly applied to the Baptist in Matt. 11:10; Mark 1:2; and Luke 7:27.

3:29 The Baptist’s reference to Jesus as the bridegroom (cf. Matt. 9:15 par.) identifies Jesus as Israel’s long-awaited King and Messiah. In the OT, Israel is frequently depicted as God’s “bride” (e.g., Isa. 62:4–5; Jer. 2:2; Hos. 2:16–20). The Baptist’s role is that of the bridegroom’s friend, who selflessly rejoices with the groom (cf. John 1:6–9,15, 19–36). On Christ as bridegroom, see Eph. 5:25–27; Rev. 19:7–8.

3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease. At this point in salvation history, now that the light has come (1:6–9), the “lamp” has done its work (5:35).

3:32 What he has seen and heard refers to Jesus’ eternal existence in heaven and his infinite knowledge of God’s nature and counsels. No one receives his testimony likely means that very few people (at least to that point) had received it (but some had; see v. 33). See 1:10,11 for similar generalizations.

3:33 sets his seal. See note on 6:27.

3:34 Cf. 1:32–33. See also Rev. 3:1; 5:6. In this context about the Father sending the Son, John is saying that the Father gives to Jesus the Spirit without measure. Others had been and will be empowered by the Spirit to some extent, but Jesus has a measureless anointing from the Spirit.

3:35 The Father … has given all things into his hand indicates supreme authority for the Father in the counsels of the Trinity, and a delegated authority over the whole created universe for the Son, as is indicated also in many other NT passages (1:3; 3:16,17; 5:22; 6:38; 14:16,28; Acts 2:33; 5:31; Rom. 8:29,34; 1 Cor. 8:6; 15:28; Eph. 1:4–5; Heb. 1:2,3,13; 1 Pet. 3:22). Yet at the same time, the Father, Son, and Spirit are fully God in the unity of a single divine being.

3:36 Has eternal life indicates that eternal life is not merely a future expectation but already a present experience. (This is sometimes called John’s “realized eschatology,” where “eschatology” means the events of the end times and the life of the age to come. In John, this kind of life is partially “realized” or partially made the believer’s possession even now in this present age.) The wrath of God remains on him makes clear that unless a person believes in Jesus the Messiah, he or she remains under God’s judgment (cf. vv. 19–21; Rom. 1:18–25).