Frameworks:
John's Gospel, chapter 3
(The
objective of these ‘Frameworks' is to provide an easy-to-read
layout of the text in order then to use these individual verses
for verse-by-verse study or meditation. To focus each
verse we have also added in in italic a description of what is
happening)
(Additional
Note: As this chapter starts to increasingly use Old Testament
references, the new reader is encouraged to read the notes at
the beginning of the page covering Chapter 2)
CHAPTER
3
v.1-15
Jesus Teaches Nicodemus
v.16-21
John's Commentary (1)
v.22-30
John the Baptist Testifies Again About Jesus
v.31-36
John's Commentary (2)
v.1-15
Jesus Teaches Nicodemus
v.
1 (introducing Nicodemus)
Now there was a Pharisee, a man named
Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council.
v.
2 (he came at night, accepting
Jesus as a teacher) He came
to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher
who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you
are doing if God were not with him.”
v.
3 (Jesus says one need to
be born again to see the kingdom) Jesus
replied, “Very truly I tell
you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
v.
4 (Nicodemus questions how
this can be) “ How can someone
be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot
enter a second time into their mother's womb to be born!”
v.
5 (born of water and the Spirit)
Jesus answered, “Very
truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they
are born of water and the Spirit.
v.
6 (each gives birth to its
own kind) Flesh gives birth
to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.
v.
7 (Jesus says you shouldn't
be surprised) You should not
be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.'
v.
8 (consider the wind – so
it is with the Spirit) The wind
blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot
tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone
born of the Spirit.”
v.
9 (Nicodemus questions this)
“How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.
v.
10 (but you're a teacher)
“You are Israel's teacher,”
said Jesus, “and do you not
understand these things?
v.
11 (Jesus speaks of what he
knows (from heaven) yet is not believed) Very
truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to
what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony.
v.
12 (these are earthly things,
how about heavenly ones?) I
have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how
then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?
v.
13 (only the Son of Man has
come from heaven) No one has
ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the
Son of Man.
v.
14,15 (remember Moses' snake,
so it must be with me) Just
as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of
Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have
eternal life in him.”
v.16-21
John's Commentary (1)
v.
16 (God's love for us demonstrated
by Jesus coming) For God so
loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever
believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
v.
17 (Jesus came to save not
to condemn) For God did not
send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save
the world through him.
v.
18 (believers aren't condemned,
only unbelievers) Whoever believes
in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned
already because they have not believed in the name of God's one
and only Son.
v.
19 (Jesus the light came but
sinful mankind preferred darkness) This
is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved
darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.
v.
20 (evil hates the light and
hides from it) Everyone who
does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for
fear that their deeds will be exposed.
v.21
(the righteous come to the light) But
whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may
be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the
sight of God.
(Note:
in this chapter it is sometimes difficult to know when the writer
John is quoting John the Baptist and when he had added his own
commentary. We have followed those translators who have indicated
the divisions by the presence or absence of quotation marks –
see end of v.15 & 30)
v.22-30
John the Baptist Testifies Again About Jesus
v.
22 (Jesus teaches and baptises
in the countryside) After this,
Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside,
where he spent some time with them, and baptized.
v.
23 (John was still baptizing)
Now John also was baptizing at Aenon
near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were
coming and being baptized.
v.
24 (This
was before John was put in prison.)
v.
25 (an argument arises)
An argument developed between some
of John's disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial
washing.
v.
26 (they ask John about Jesus)
They came to John and said to him,
“Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the
one you testified about—look, he is baptizing, and everyone is
going to him.”
v.
27 (John declares all ministry
comes from heaven) To this John
replied, “A person can receive only what is given them from heaven.
v.
28 (he had said before he
wasn't the Messiah) You yourselves
can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead
of him.'
v.
29 (he uses the picture of
the bridegroom – he's just his friend) The
bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom
waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the
bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.
v.
30 (Jesus must become more
and he less) He must become
greater; I must become less.”
v.31-36
John's Commentary (2)
v.
31 (earthly ministries speak
of earth, those from heaven about heaven) The
one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the
earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth.
The one who comes from heaven is above all.
v.
32 (Jesus testified about
heaven but no one believed) He
testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his
testimony.
v.
33 (believers know it is true)
Whoever has accepted it has certified
that God is truthful.
v.
34 (he who comes from God
brings God's words) For the
one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the
Spirit without limit.
v.
35 (because the Father loved
Jesus He had given him all he had) The
Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands.
v.
36 (belief in Jesus bring
eternal life, unbelievers incur God's wrath) Whoever
believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the
Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on them.