22 After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He was spending time with them and baptizing. 23 And John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there; and people were coming and were being baptized— 24 for John had not yet been thrown into prison.
25 Therefore there arose a debate between John’s disciples and a Jew about purification. 26 And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have borne witness, behold, He is baptizing and all are coming to Him.” 27 John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven. 28 You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent ahead of Him.’ 29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. So this joy of mine has been made full. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
31 “He who comes from above is above all, he who is of the earth is from the earth and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. 32 What He has seen and heard, of that He bears witness; and no one receives His witness. 33 He who has received His witness has set his seal to this, that God is true. 34 For He whom God has sent speaks 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. 36 He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” John 3: 22-36 LSB
John 3: 22-36 John The Baptist Right Before Prison
V. 22 After these things - After Jesus' meeting with John the Baptist where He drops the bomb of "Being Born Again" or born from above, basically declaring justification by faith to a man who had been trying to find his justification through the works of the law. The essence being that the law condemns you if you think it's the way, faith applied by the Holy Spirit opens a man's eyes to his actual place in comparison to the law. The law instructs by the Spirit, it shows a man the worthless nature of his own righteousness, causes him to beg like Job, for a Mediator. It realizes that outward ritualism is no good measure against a Holy, Holy, Holy God Who looks past outward expressions, dress, whitewash, straight into the heart, to the very thoughts of man.
Then Job answered and said,
2 “In truth I know that this is so;
But how can a man be in the right before God?
3 If one desired to contend with Him,
He could not answer Him once in a thousand times.
4 Wise in heart and mighty in power,
Who has stiffened his neck against Him and been at peace?
5 God is the One who removes the mountains, they know not how,
When He overturns them in His anger;
6 The One who shakes the earth out of its place,
And its pillars tremble;
7 The One who says for the sun not to shine,
And sets a seal upon the stars;
8 Who alone stretches out the heavens,
And tramples down the waves of the sea;
9 Who makes the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades,
And the chambers of the south;
10 Who does great things, unsearchable,
And wondrous works, innumerable.
11 Were He to sweep by me, I would not see Him;
Were He to move past me, I would not perceive Him.
12 Were He to snatch away, who could turn Him back?
Who could say to Him, ‘What are You doing?’
13 “God will not turn back His anger;
Beneath Him crouch the helpers of Rahab.
14 How then can I answer Him,
And choose my words before Him?
15 For though I were right, I could not answer;
I would have to plead for the grace of my judge.
16 If I called and He answered me,
I could not believe that He was giving ear to my voice.
17 For He bruises me with a tempest
And multiplies my wounds without cause.
18 He will not allow me to get my breath,
But saturates me with bitterness.
19 If it is a matter of power, behold, He is the mighty one!
And if it is a matter of justice, who can make Him testify?
20 Though I am righteous, my mouth will condemn me;
Though I am blameless, He will declare me perverse.
21 I am blameless;
I do not know my soul;
I reject my life.
22 It is all one; therefore I say,
‘He consumes the blameless and the wicked.’
23 If the scourge puts to death suddenly,
He mocks the despair of the innocent.
24 The earth is given into the hand of the wicked;
He covers the faces of its judges.
If it is not He, then who is it?
25 “Now my days are swifter than a runner;
They flee away; they do not see good.
26 They sweep by like reed boats,
Like an eagle that swoops on its food.
27 Though I say, ‘I will forget my musing,
I will forsake my sad countenance and be cheerful,’
28 I am afraid of all my pains;
I know that You will not acquit me.
29 I am accounted wicked;
Why then should I toil in vain?
30 If I should wash myself with snow
And cleanse my hands with lye,
31 Yet You would plunge me into the pit,
And my own clothes would abhor me.
32 For He is not a man as I am that I may answer Him,
That we may go to court for judgment together.
33 There is no adjudicator between us,
Who may lay his hand upon us both.
34 Let Him remove His rod from me,
And let not dread of Him terrify me.
35 Then I would speak and not fear Him;
But I am not like that in myself. Job 9 LSB
V.24 For John had not yet been thrown into prison - That is coming soon, John the Baptist had a great ministry, preaching and baptizing people unto repentance. He was considered a prophet by many, even King Herod would listen to him preach on occasion, but he was no respecter of persons, and he will call out Herod for his sinful, incestuous life. It is the wife of Herod who will be most offended by a subject of her kingdom pointing out her wrong doing. To be a prophet of God is to say what God says, and that will always fly in the face of what cultural has, in it's own wisdom, decided to esteem as right or wrong. He will go to jail for saying what God says; for this he will lose his head.
MacArthur explains why John inserts this verse in his account - The statement informs readers that this incident took place between Jesus’ temptation (Mt 4:1ff+, Lk 4:1ff) and John’s imprisonment, a period of time about which the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) are silent. The Synoptics begin their account of Jesus’ public ministry in Galilee after John is already in prison (Matt. 4:12+; Mark 1:14). The Gospel of John supplements them by recording these earlier events from Jesus’ ministry (ED: SEE UNSHADED AREA TO LEFT SIDE OF CHART BELOW), events that were simultaneous with John the Baptist’s ministry in Samaria. The apostle John clarifies the timing here so that his readers will not be confused. (See John 1-11 MacArthur New Testament Commentary)
If you are still somewhat confused (as I was), below is a chart to help visualize the record of Jesus' ministry in Judea which is not found in the Synoptic Gospels. There are a couple of points you need to notice. Notice that Mt 4:12+, Mk 1:14+ and Lk 4:14+ each mark the beginning of Jesus' Galilean Ministry, but only Matthew and Mark specifically associate this beginning with John the Baptist's imprisonment. Luke 4:14+ does not say anything about the imprisonment. Luke (and here is where one could be easily confused) actually describes the imprisonment of John the Baptist in Luke 3:19-20+, which is BEFORE his description of Jesus' Baptism and Temptation in the chart below. Here is what you need to understand -- Luke is not giving a chronological description. William Hendriksen agrees that "As is so often the case, Luke’s account here is not chronological....But though not always chronological, Luke’s account is logical. He wishes to bring the story of John’s ministry to a close, in order to write the story of Christ’s ministry. There surely can be no objection to that." (BNTC-Luke) - Precept Austin
| Baptism | Mt 3:13-17+ | Mk 1:9-11+ | Lk 3:21-22+ |
| Temptation | Mt 4:1-11+ | Mk 1:12-13+ | Lk 4:1-13+ |
| Jesus Early Judean Ministry Year of Obscurity TIME GAP | Only described in John 1:19-4:54 No Record in Synoptic Gospels | ||
| Jesus Begins Ministry in Galilee | Mt 4:12+ | Mk 1:14+ | Lk 4:14+ |
…18For John had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife!” 19So Herodias held a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she had been unable, 20because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man. When he heard John’s words, he was greatly perplexed; yet he listened to him gladly.… Mark 6: 18-20
V. 25 Therefore there arose a debate - Without the context coming from John's answer to his disciples it would be difficult to understand this interaction, but it becomes evident in the loyalties that John's disciples show their teacher. Jesus called John the Baptist the greatest born of women. His ministry has been before Israel and their royalty. Israel has not known a prophet like this in 400 years, and he is the last of the OT style prophets, the beautiful best man at the wedding, trying to stay behind the scenes, pushing forward the Groom.
The Greek word for on the part of is the preposition "ek" which indicates the source of the activity as coming out of John's disciples. Stated another way John’s disciples were the instigators. The Jew is not specified as a follower of Jesus or John. The phrase about purification does not refer to purification is general, that is the old Jewish rules and rituals but centers on the issue of baptism (Jesus and John's baptisms). The specify issue that is under dispute is left unstated. Lenski proposes that "All we can gather from the complaint of the Baptist’s disciples in v. 26 is that the Jew maintained the superiority of Jesus’ Baptism over that of the Baptist, which the disciples of the latter refused to admit as it would also involve that men should leave the Baptist and go to Jesus." (Borrow The Interpretation of St. John's Gospel) - Precept Austin
V. 26 Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have borne witness - This Jesus, who you said you point to, His ministry is growing and He is baptizing people not far from here. Instead of coming to you the people are going to Him.
…26“I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands One you do not know. 27He is the One who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.” 28All this happened at Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.… John 1: 26-28
V. 27 A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven - Ministry comes from God, both call and extent. If you are a Christian then whatever title you hold, whatever your vocation, you are a minister, doing your work as unto the Lord. John played his part as the Messenger, the finger pointing to Christ. If you are a parent you are the first mouth from which your children should hear about God, your actions are their first glimpse at the Christian life, what does born again look like compared to the world? If you are an employer, how much do you serve like Christ, what is your witness? Competition is not against others but against the old self. In other words, don't think so highly about yourself, for you did not make yourself nor assign your gifts, do not look down on another's gifts or stations, for if they are obedient to God, do not block the view to Christ, they are more His true ministers then the pastor with the biggest church who thinks it is all about him.
…4No one takes this honor upon himself; he must be called by God, just as Aaron was. 5So also Christ did not take upon Himself the glory of becoming a high priest, but He was called by the One who said to Him: “You are My Son; today I have become Your Father.” 6And in another passage God says: “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”… Hebrews 5: 4-6
…64However, there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray Him.) 65Then Jesus said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to Me unless the Father has granted it to him.” 66From that time on many of His disciples turned back and no longer walked with Him.… John 6: 64-66
…13Now therefore, our God, we give You thanks, and we praise Your glorious name. 14But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? For everything comes from You, and from Your own hand we have given to You. 15For we are foreigners and strangers in Your presence, as were all our forefathers. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope.… 1 Chronicles 29: 13-15
…30John’s baptism—was it from heaven or from men? Answer Me!” 31 They deliberated among themselves what they should answer: “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will ask, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 32But if we say, ‘From men’...” they were afraid of the people, for they all held that John truly was a prophet.… Mark 11: 30-32
V. 28 I am not the Christ but I have been sent ahead of Him - He knew his place, his job to proclaim, prepare the way, that burned and welled up within him. This is so beautiful, and I see so many pastors and Christians today that will not get out of the way like this. John has an immense following, and he is like water in a drought, telling the truth that others won't, but he is deliberate in making sure that you understand, he is not the Savior, but that guy, Jesus, He's the One.
“Comfort, O comfort My people,” says your God.
2 “Speak to the heart of Jerusalem;
And call out to her, that her warfare has been fulfilled,
That her iniquity has been removed,
That she has received from the hand of Yahweh
Double for all her sins.”
3 A voice is calling,
“Prepare the way for Yahweh in the wilderness;
Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.
4 Let every valley be lifted up,
And every mountain and hill be made low;
And let the rough ground become a plain,
And the rugged terrain a broad valley;
5 Then the glory of Yahweh will be revealed,
And all flesh will see it together;
For the mouth of Yahweh has spoken.” Isaiah 40: 1-5
V. 29 He Who has the bride is the Bridegroom - Jesus is the Kinsman Redeemer, the one Who will pay the bride price, and in Isaiah 53 you can see what that cost was.
…4Do not be afraid, for you will not be put to shame; do not be intimidated, for you will not be humiliated. For you will forget the shame of your youth and will remember no more the reproach of your widowhood. 5For your husband is your Maker— the LORD of Hosts is His name— the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; He is called the God of all the earth. 6For the LORD has called you back, like a wife deserted and wounded in spirit, like the rejected wife of one’s youth,” says your God.… Isaiah 54: 4-6
…24Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her 26to sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,… Ephesians 5: 24-26
V. 29b Rejoices greatly because of the Bridegroom's voice - No jealousy here, he knows who he is and who he is not. He knows the Bridegroom most importantly and he loves Him as a best friend.
V. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease - The candle of night gives way to the sun of morning. I watch a comet in my own time, and it has reached the point where one perceives it's light diminishing, and it is a sad thing for me, like it would be for John's disciples, but these shooting stars, these blips on the radar, did not exist without the One through whom life was called. Their ministries were known by Christ before time, and their great honor was that Jesus be glorified. God has invested so much power in His word that the men who realize it stay very close to it, trying not to mess it up in the proclaiming.
14The second woe has passed. Behold, the third woe is coming shortly. 15Then the seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and loud voices called out in heaven: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.” 16And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God,… Revelation 11: 14-16
V. 31 He who comes from above is above all - His origin is eternal and heavenly. He speaks from what He knows, which is above all earthly wisdom.
…5Then the Levites—Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah—said, “Stand up and bless the LORD your God from everlasting to everlasting: Blessed be Your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise. 6You alone are the LORD. You created the heavens, the highest heavens with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to all things, and the host of heaven worships You. 7You are the LORD, the God who chose Abram, who brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and gave him the name Abraham.… Nehemiah 9: 5-7
Craig Evans - Just as Nicodemus must be born “from above” (Jn 3:3), so now John the Baptist becomes a witness to Jesus as one who is “from above” (Jn 3:31) Jesus has descended from heaven (Jn 3:12–13) bringing heavenly gifts of Spirit and rebirth—he is a messenger who reveals what he has seen and heard in heaven’s precincts (Jn 3:31–32). Just as Nicodemus represents Jewish leadership in Jerusalem, so now, John the Baptist is a Jewish prophet. Both men are from “the earth” while Jesus is “from above.” Acts 19:1–7 mentions followers of John the Baptist living in Ephesus who did not believe in Jesus. Later post-apostolic evidence even suggests that such communities continued to exist a few generations later. They were communities which elevated John the Baptist and rejected Jesus’ messiahship. If such a polemic existed in the communities that would read the Fourth Gospel, John 3:22–36 becomes a potent corrective. John the Baptist becomes a premier witness to Jesus dispelling rumors of a rivalry with Jesus and urging his followers to believe in him. The Baptist devalues his own status—as the friend (3:29) compared with the bridegroom—and says explicitly that “he must become greater; I must become less” (Jn 3:30). (The Bible Knowledge Background Commentary) - Precept Austin
V. 32 And no one receives His witness - This is the condemnation that light, Christ has come into the world. He is the fulfillment of the Seed promised in Genesis 3 after the fall. He is the Ram that replaces Isaac on the altar, the threshing floor of Mt. Moriah. He is lifted up on the cross as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness. He is the Lamb without spot, the scarlet thread, the Kinsman Redeemer, the One Who Davide describes as brutally sacrificed in a crucifixion in Psalm 22, a thousand years before it happens, and the faithful Servant of Isaiah, Who is so clearly pictured in the passion of Isaiah 53. He is born in Bethlehem, of the root of Jesse, the Son of David, all the OT points to Him as every preacher and believer should. He is King of kings and Lord of lords, God testifies in a voice from heaven at His baptism, the Spirit descends on Him, and John the Baptist is there to bear witness of God's own testimony about the Son, but they won't receive it. See why you have to be born from above?
…16As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water. Suddenly the heavens were opened, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and resting on Him. 17And a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!” Matthew 3: 16-17
…34While Peter was speaking, a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35And a voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is My Son, whom I have chosen. Listen to Him!” 36After the voice had spoken, only Jesus was present with them. The disciples kept this to themselves, and in those days they did not tell anyone what they had seen.… Luke 9: 34-36
1Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 2He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no stately form or majesty to attract us, no beauty that we should desire Him. 3He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. Like one from whom men hide their faces, He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.… Isaiah 53: 1-3
V. 33 That God is true - The ones who believed what John 3:16 said, That God loved, that He gave His Son, that Jesus is the Son, the Messiah, the Savior, the fulfillment of God's Word, the Word become flesh, those are the ones sealed in Him. They have been born again. They believed what God said about His Son.
…21Now it is God who establishes both us and you in Christ. He anointed us, 22 placed His seal on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a pledge of what is to come. 23I call God as my witness that it was in order to spare you that I did not return to Corinth.… 2 Corinthians 1: 21-23
V. 34 For He gives the Spirit without measure - Infinite.
He gives the Spirit without measure - The subject He is God the Father giving the Spirit to His Son and underscoring the intimate interconnectedness of the Father and the Son.
THOUGHT - "This brings out the full humanity of Jesus. As a man, He had to rely constantly on the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of truth (John 14:17; 15:26), which enabled Him to speak the true words of God. In this, He modeled for us how we are to live in dependence on God’s Spirit." (Steven Cole). (See also The Holy Spirit-Walking Like Jesus Walked!)
Leon Morris - There is perfect communion between them, and no limit to the gift. His perfect endowment with the Spirit guarantees the truth of his words. (Borrow The Gospel according to John)
MacArthur adds that "Since “in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form” (Col. 2:9+), there were no limits to the Spirit’s power working through Him." (See John Commentary)
What does it mean that the Father gave the Son the Spirit without measure? Not in a small degree, but fully, completely. The literal Greek reads "for not by measure does he give the Spirit" which was an ancient idiomatic way to describe something with a limit. And so we read in Leviticus Rabbah 15:2 "The Holy Spirit rested on the prophets by measure." That is to say the prophets had a "limit"! But John contrasts Jesus, by stating that the Spirit rests upon Him without measure (or without limit as in NIV, NLT). And so Guzik explains that "Jesus is a uniquely reliable revelation, because He has the Holy Spirit without measure, in contrast to the previous prophets." The Old Testament prophets were anointed with the Holy Spirit only when they were speaking for God, but Jesus always had the Spirit. - Precept Austin
V. 35 The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand - We are a gift from the Father to the Son.
MacArthur - This last point explicitly states what the first four imply. Because of His love for the Son (cf. Jn 5:20; Jn 15:9; Jn 17:23, 26; Matt. 3:17), the Father has given Him supreme authority over all things on earth and in heaven (Matt. 11:27; 28:18; 1 Cor. 15:27; Eph. 1:22; Phil. 2:9–11; Heb. 1:2; 1 Peter 3:22). That supremacy is a clear indicator of the Son’s deity. (See John Commentary)
As Carson says "Even the unfolding of redemptive history finds its ultimate source in the loving relationships in the Godhead." (Borrow The Gospel according to John) - Precept Austin
V. 36a He who believes in the Son has eternal life - This is the way God provided to be made right with Him, through His Son. He accepts the Son and so accepts you in the Son.
V. 36b But he who does not obey the Son will not see life - What has been the command to obey throughout here? Believe. Believe what? Believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, the Savior of the World. We obey what is Lord in our life, if Jesus is Lord then it will show in our obedience to Him.
…8Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from what He suffered. 9And having been made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him 10and was designated by God as high priest in the order of Melchizedek.… Hebrews 5: 8-10
…8But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: 9that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved.… Romans 10: 8-10
14If you ask Me for anything in My name, I will do it. 15If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. 16And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever—… John 14: 14-16
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