The Gospel Of John Chapter 3:22-36
John 3:22 ‘After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He was spending time with them and baptizing.’ ‘After these things’-The Passover in Jerusalem and His interview with Nicodemus. This is another indication that John is placing these events in chronological order.
‘came into the land of Judea’-Jerusalem was the capital of the province of Judea. Evidently Jesus and His disciples are traveling and working in the sections of Judea which are some distance from Jerusalem.
‘He was spending time with them’-‘There the Lord tarried, perhaps as long as from April to December, since the Passover was held in April, and he referred to “four months until the harvest” in John 4:35.’ (Woods p. 69)
‘and baptizing’Points To Note: 1. From John 4:2 we learn that Jesus wasn’t personally baptizing anyone, rather His disciples were doing the baptizing. 2. The baptism that they were administering was the same type that John and his disciples were, that is, a baptism of repentance and preparation. The baptism of the Great Commission, would only become of force after Jesus had died (Mark 16:16). ‘The baptism instituted and commanded by Jesus at His ascension (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16) was not a carry-over of John’s baptism. John’s baptism was not valid after Pentecost (Acts 2:37-38; 19:1-7).’ (Butler p. 117) 3. ‘we get the impression of an unhurried period during which Jesus and His followers got to know each other better.’ (Morris p. 237) 4. That Jesus and His disciples continued the baptism proclaimed by John shouldn’t surprise us, for at the first Jesus preached the same message that John had been preaching (Matthew 3:2; 4:17). 5. John is also giving us some information not found in the other Gospels, that is, the ministries of John and Jesus did overlap, in fact, in this area John and Jesus in a sense worked side by side 6. The reader should note that the above passages we are studying happened prior to such passages as Mark 1:14 and Matthew 4:17. The following chart is helpful in seeing the differences between John’s baptism and the baptism of the Great Commission: John’s Baptism
Baptism Of The Great Commission
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Preceded by repentance
In addition to repentance, demanded faith in Jesus as the Son of God.
On the general authority of God.
Into the name of the Father, Son and H.S.
Temporary, preparing people for the Messiah
Permanent, remaining until the end of time
For the Jewish people
Universal, for all nations
Prepared one for the Kingdom
The entrance into the Kingdom (John 3:5)
Sins forgiven in view of what would be done on the cross
Sins forgiven because of what had been done on the cross, in addition put one into a relationship where one has access to the blood of Christ through prayer and repentance (1 John 1:8-10).
Prepared one to accept Christ
Makes one a Christian
In addition, the baptism of John did not put one into Christ (Galatians 3:26-27), it did not make one a member in the body of Christ/the Church (1 Cor. 12:13; Acts 2:47), and neither was it connected with the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38).
John 3:23 ‘And John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there; and they were coming and were being baptized.’ ‘John also was baptizing’-From the question raised in 3:26, and especially the statement ‘beyond the Jordan’, infers that John is now working on the west side of the River. For the event referred to had taken place on the eastern side (John 1:28).
‘Aenon’-(EE none) ‘Salim’-(SAY lim)-The location of this site is uncertain, but Hendriksen notes, ‘Aenon (probably from the Aramaic, meaning fountains) near Salim ….Though its exact location is in doubt, the view that its site was near the juncture of Samaria, Perea, and Decapolis, about eight miles south of Scythopolis, fits all the circumstances and is supported by Eusebius and Jerome. Here there is a group of seven springs. Not far to the north lies Galilee. Hence, this place was centrally located, within easy reach for people of four provinces.’ (p. 147)
‘because there was much water there’-the word ‘because’ makes it clear that John selected this site because baptizing people requires ‘much’ water. 1. We already know that the Greek words translated baptize, baptizing, and baptism, mean immersion. Any good Greek lexicon will testify to this fact. 2. In addition, God has made it equally clear 2
in the text of Scripture that baptism means immersion. Sprinkling or pouring wouldn’t require ‘much water’. 3. Other texts make the same point (Romans 6:1-4; Acts 8:36-38; 22:16). 4. In order to get around the clear meaning of the above verse, some have argued that John chose a location with an abundance of water that the multitudes might have sufficient drinking water. Rather, the whole emphasis of the verse (and context) is not upon drinking, but upon baptizing.
‘and they were coming and were being baptized’-the imperfect tense of the verbs in the verse, suggest that John was carrying on his work here for some time. From these verses and the verses in the Gospels, we find that John baptized at different places. He worked on the east side of the Jordan (John 1:28). And near Salim (probably farther north close to Galilee), and it appears that he also was baptizing at various places along the Jordan River (Luke 3:3).
John 3:24 ‘For John had not yet been thrown into prison.’ The writer tells us nothing else about the imprisonment of John of the Baptist or the events which led up to his arrest. ‘Apparently he regarded this as so well known that he had no need to do other than simply mention it.’ (Morris p. 238) Here is one of those places in the Gospel of John where is seems very evident that more information isn’t given because the writer assumes that people already had read the other Gospels. For information about John’s arrest, imprisonment and death, see (Matt. 14:1-12; Mark 6:1429 and Luke 3:19).
John 3:25 ‘There arose therefore a discussion on the part of John’s disciples with a Jew about purification.’ ‘with a Jew about purification’Some say that the ‘Jew’ in the above verse had been baptized by Jesus and was arguing that the baptism of Jesus was better than the baptism of John. But Jesus and John were preaching the same thing, the word ‘Jew’ in the Gospel of John is often used to refer to the enemies of Jesus, and the word ‘purification’ seems to point to someone who was neither a follower of John or Jesus. Woods may be right when he notes, ‘He, as did many others, having noted that both Jesus and John baptized, assumed that this act was comparable to the purification rites of the Jews, which involved dipping in water, and undoubtedly his question was with reference to this. Also, he must have asked about the relative position of Jesus and John. Apparently, John’s disciples were themselves confused by the fact that Jesus and his disciples were also baptizing and inasmuch as they appeared to be preaching and baptizing more than John they felt that John’s reputation was in danger of being impaired.’ (p. 71)
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John 3:26 ‘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.”’ “He who was with you beyond the Jordan”-John 1:28-37. Even though John had made it clear that he was inferior to the One coming after him, these disciples seemed unwilling to admit that John was inferior.
“He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him”-‘The people are leaving you and listening to him whom you baptized and introduced to the world.’ (Woods p. 71) ‘John’s disciples believe that John has behaved generously in bearing his witness to Jesus. They find it intolerable that Jesus should then act in independence, so to speak, and gather more disciples than His illustrious predecessor.’ (Morris p. 239)
John’s Response John 3:27 ‘John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing, unless it has been given him from heaven.”’ “A man can receive nothing, unless it has been given him from heaven” The ‘man’ in this statement is John. For Jesus is God and whatever He possesses He possesses by Divine right. By the grace of God, John was the forerunner, and that is all that John would ever be. Unfortunately, many people refuse to accept the above truth. Elders can never be more than shepherds of the local flock (1 Peter 5:2), the words of preachers are not greater than Scripture, men cannot give up their role as head of the home with impunity and neither can women assume it. Point To Note: The real greatness of John the Baptist is seen in his attitude. In John we find a wonderful blend of uncompromising preaching (Mark 6:17-18; Luke 3:7ff), and tremendous humility. We need to take a lesson from the life of John. We too must learn to preach the truth, but remain humble while we are contending for the faith. Barclay notes, ‘One thing is certain---this passage shows us the loveliness of the humility of John the Baptist. It was clear that men were leaving John for Jesus. John’s disciples were worried about it. They did not like to see their master take a back seat and a second place. They did not like to see him abandoned while the crowds flocked out to hear and see this new teacher. In answer to their complaints, it would have been very easy for John to feel injured, neglected and unjustifiably forgotten. Sometimes a friend’s sympathy can be the worst possible thing for us. It can make us feel sorry for ourselves and encourage us to think that we have not had a fair deal. But John had a mind above that…He told them that he had never expected anything else….that he was merely sent as the herald, the announcer, the forerunner and the preparer for the greater one who was to come. It would ease life a great deal if more people were prepared to play the second part and the subordinate role…It would save us a lot of resentment and heartbreak if we realized that there are
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certain things which are not for us….To do a secondary task for God makes that task a great task….Any task done for God is necessarily a great work.’ (p. 133)
John 3:28 “You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ’, but, ‘I have been sent before Him.’” “You yourselves bear me witness, that I said”-John is reminding them that they shouldn’t be having this problem—they had already heard for themselves. He had never claimed to be anything other than a mere forerunner (John 1:23-26). ‘John is able to appeal to what was well known about his preaching…”You”, John is saying, “have the answer already if you will only think of the significance of what you have already heard. He had spoken on this subject before and had explicitly disclaimed being the Christ. They should have remembered that….He wants there to be no doubt about his disclaimer.’ (Morris p. 240) But elevating men above Jesus isn’t merely a problem confined to the first century.
John 3:29 “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. And so this joy of mine has been made full.” “He who has the bride is the bridegroom”-that is, Jesus is the bridegroom. The bride are those who would become the people of God, not only among Israel but also among the Gentiles. John isn’t upset that he is losing followers, because those people never really belonged to him. In the same way, a congregation doesn’t belong to the preacher (it isn’t his church) or the elders, or any member, but it belongs to Christ (Ephesians 5:23f).
“but the friend of the bridegroom”-John defines himself as the friend of the bridegroom. Like the friend who rejoices, ‘so this joy of mine has been made full’. Barclay notes, ‘The friend of the bridegroom…had a unique place at a Jewish wedding. He acted as the liaison between the bride and the bridegroom; he arranged the wedding; he took out the invitations; he presided at the wedding feast. He brought the bride and the bridegroom together. And he had one special duty. It was his duty to guard the bridal chamber and to let no false lover in. He would only open the door when in the dark he heard the bridegroom’s voice and recognized it. When he heard the bridegroom’s voice he was glad and he let him in, and he went away rejoicing…He did not grudge the bridegroom and bride. He knew that his only task had been to bring bride and bridegroom together. And when that task was done he willingly and gladly faded out of the centre of the picture.’ (pp. 134-135) And John had accomplished that task. He had prepared the people, and now the people were flocking to Jesus.
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“And so this joy of mine has been made full.”-How many of us can rejoice while fading into the background? ‘He gladly and happily saw his work drawing to a close as that of Jesus began to flourish…Only the truly great in spirit are willing to be eclipsed as was John.’ (Woods p. 72) Here is true and great character. To be willing to walk away from the applause and immense popularity when our time is up and to rejoice when others preaching the truth are being very successful. Someone has noted, ‘Account no man a happy man, until he has died a happy man.’ John was fading into the background, just as God’s eternal purpose was finding its fulfillment. Imagine fading out of the limelight just as great things are happening, just as everything that the prophets had predicted is coming into reality.
John 3:30 “He must increase, but I must decrease.” “He must increase”-‘He must grow greater, but I must grow less’ (Wey) ‘The servant, however, must of necessity decrease. It is never the part of the servant to displace the Master. Which is something that must be learned in every age.’ (Morris p. 242)
John 3:31 “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.” “He who comes from above is above all”-At this point there is some discussion concerning who is speaking in verses 3:31-36. Are these the words of John the Baptist to his disciples? Or, are these the comments of the writer? In the final analysis, they are the Words of God. But I personally see no reason to have John the Baptist’s speech end in 3:30. Especially in light of the fact that those disciples of his which do not accept Jesus, are rebelling against God (3:36).
“He who comes from above”-that is, Jesus (John 1:14). Another reference to the pre-existence of Jesus.
“is above all”-above all men, including John the Baptist (John 1:27). “he who is of the earth is from the earth”-which includes all men, even men like John the Baptist. The disciples of John wanted to elevate John, but John can only contrast himself with Jesus.
“and speaks of the earth”-John did speak by inspiration, but apart from such guidance, apart from God’s revelation, he was just as blind as any other man. In contrast, Jesus is only speaking what He was seen and heard in heaven (3:32). Various writers also note that even spirit-inspired mortals lapsed into doubt or hypocrisy (Matthew 11:2-3; Galatians 2:11-14).
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John 3:32 “What He has seen and heard, of that He bears witness; and no man receives His witness.” “What He has seen and heard, of that He bears witness”-Jesus is Divine, when He speaks about spiritual truths, He speaks as an eyewitness. ‘Jesus “has seen” all there is to be seen in heaven and can testify accordingly.’ (Lenski p. 287) (John 1:18; 3:11, 13, 31; 15:15). Point To Note: Much of life can be boiled down to, ‘who do I trust?’ We are all confronted with many views of reality. Which one is correct? John makes it clear that Jesus speaks simply what is said in heaven. The fact that He is God, makes it clear that Jesus isn’t giving secondhand information, rather, when Jesus speaks, we are getting it from “the source”. We are hearing the Word of God from God Himself. So, here is the choice that we all have. I can either take God’s Word for it---or I can put my trust in what fallible and finite people say.
“and no man receives His witness”-the phrase “no man” isn’t to be taken literally, as the next verse demonstrates. Compare with 3:11. ‘This may be an hyperbole to indicate that in comparison with the vast multitudes which rejected Christianity in John’s time those who did were so few in number as to be said there was none.’ (Woods p. 73) John’s disciples were in danger of falling into the above category!
John 3:33 “He who has received His witness has set his seal to this, that God is true.” “He who has received His witness”-that is, the person who has accepted what Jesus said, and what He said about Himself, that He is the Son of God.
“has set his seal to this, that God is true”-‘In the ancient world, if a man wished to give his full approval to a document, such as a will or an agreement or a constitution, he affixed his seal to the foot of it. The seal was the sign that he agreed with this and regarded it as legal and binding and true. So when a man accepts the message of Jesus, he affirms and agrees and attests that he believes that what God says is true.’ (Barclay p. 136) Thus, to believe what Jesus said, is to believe in the Father. One cannot separate belief in God, from faith in Jesus. It is not possible to believe in God, without believing in Christ. John is stressing to his disciples, that if they fail to follow Jesus, they are in effect calling God a liar (1 John 5:10).
John 3:34 “For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for He gives the Spirit without measure.”
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“For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God”-It seems to me that John is still speaking about Jesus in this verse. His disciples should believe what Jesus says, because Jesus speaks the words of God. While John was also sent from God (1:6; 3:28) in nearly every other case in this Gospel, it is Jesus Who is described as being sent from God (3:17; 5:36,38; 6:29,57; 7:29; 8:42; 9:7; 10:36; 11:42; 17:3,8,18,21,23,25; 20:21).
“for He gives the Spirit without measure”-‘the phrase means: not in narrow or insufficient measure.’ (Lenski p. 292) ‘God does not give the Spirit sparingly’ (Mon).
“He”-In this section John is elevating Christ, thus the ‘He’ would most naturally refer to Jesus. In this Gospel it is said that the Spirit is given by the Father (14:26), and it is also said that Jesus gives the Spirit (15:26). But the KJV does read, ‘God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.’ Points To Note: 1.
A popular view of the above verse is, ‘the reason the Son is able to speak fully, accurately and authoritatively of the Father is that God did not give the Spirit by measure to him. The power which he exercised, by the Spirit, to speak of heavenly things is limitless and unmeasured….Christ’s powers by the Spirit were unmeasured, hence without limitation.’ (Woods p. 74) 2. The above verse also sounds very much like John 1:33. Everything had been given into Jesus’ hand (John 5:22; Matthew 28:18), including the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which is the thrust of the next verse.
John 3:35 “The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.” “The Father loves the Son”-‘The mutual love of the Father and the Son means much in this Gospel. John pictures for us a perfect unity in love….Men may trust the Son in all things, for the Father “hath given all things into his hand”….Men may come to Christ as they would come to God. Christ, with the full authority of the Father, gives the Spirit bountifully, as the previous verse hints, and gives life eternal, as the following verse makes clear.’ (Morris pp. 247-248) ‘Let the disciples (of John) note well what the Father thinks of the Son…..(Matthew 3:17).’ (Lenski p. 292)
“has given all things into His hand”-(John 5:19-20; 12:49; 13:3; 17:2; Matt. 11:27; 28:18). ‘Did the Baptist’s disciples think that their master had merely done Jesus a favor by testifying of him as he did and had thus placed Jesus under obligation to him?’ (Lenski p. 293) ‘has entrusted him with all authority’ (NEB).
John 3:36 “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” 8
“has eternal life”-(John 3:16-18). Eternal life is only found in a relationship with Jesus Christ (1 John 5:12).
“but he who does not obey the Son”-Only two groups exist. Notice how John places belief in contrast with disobedience. ‘Note that over against abiding faith stands disobedience.’ (Hendriksen p. 151) This verse makes it clear that when John mentions ‘faith’ in this section he is talking about an obedient faith. See Hebrews 3:18-19. This verse also implies that one must obey Jesus, Jesus did teach things which we must accept if we are going to accept Him (John 12:48; 14:15). ‘Belief is obedience to the utterance of God; disobedience is unbelief. Belief is thus defined as commitment to authority rather than a passive opinion.’ (Tenney p. 91)
“shall not see life”-Notice the phrase “shall not”. God isn’t going to change His mind. God won’t save people who reject Jesus or His teachings.
“the wrath of God abides on him”-the wrath of God currently abides on the unbeliever (3:18). ‘Thus it means the world and all to the Baptist’s disciples that they should stop their blind hostility to Jesus and should trust him with all their heart in a way far beyond any trust they have in the Baptist.’ (Lenski pp. 294-295) Note that the account ends. We aren’t told whether these disciples of John accepted what John said about Jesus. ‘The unanswered question about them leaves us with the same question about ourselves: “What are we doing under the impression of the divine testimony here offered also to us?”’ (Lenski p. 296) And the wrath of God is real! Those who have become too “sophisticated” for such concepts as judgment, hell and eternal damnation, are unbelievers. To deny that the wrath of God abides on the person who doesn’t believe in Jesus, is to say that Jesus is not the Son of God. If one can believe in or reject Jesus without consequence, then Jesus Himself is inconsequential.
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