Believe Or Believe Not

John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

The context of this verse is important. John the Baptist had just informed his disciples that Jesus had been given the authority over all things in heaven and earth. Opposing Him is foolish and futile. Everyone should follow Him... believing.

John boldly confronted people about unbelief and its consequences. He did so without coercion or force, just words... truth. Truth so simple and clear that they could not claim they had never heard, or did not understand. They were faced with either believing the Gospel, or not believing.

John's message is clear. There is a single belief, Gospel faith, which frees a person from the abiding wrath of God. Based on what John said here, the eternal affects of Gospel faith, or lack of faith, exist in the present. John taught that the wrath of God actually lives with unbelievers waiting to be permanently released into their existence. But for those who believe, their endless life in Jesus Christ has already begun.

As far as we know, there were no atheists standing there listening to John. These were religious people, but this wasn't about religion. It was about their belief concerning Jesus and His Gospel. These words openly communicate John's belief that religious people can be people without Gospel faith. Religious but lost. We must make sure we know Jesus and believe His Gospel. Nothing else, in the context of eternity, really matters.

The Descent Into Christ-less Religion

John 3:25 Then there arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying.

In a recent post I discussed the defection of some of the disciples of John the Baptist. The dispute in verse 25 happened some time after John had pointed his disciples to Jesus. When some of his disciples failed to move from following him to Jesus they began a descent into Christ-less religion.

Christ-less religion must have something to fill the empty space and time. What better filler than an argument about purification and the law. When Christ is not leading in the labor of the day religionists will always provide a list of fillers for the empty hours ahead. Fillers that only give the illusion that something worthwhile is really happening. If one tires of arguments about purification then culture and politics are always available for a good argument, lecture, or article. What are those Herodians up to anyway?

In vital Christianity Jesus is always leading in the work of the day. And there is always more to do than can be accomplished. Jesus is working in this world... right now. While productive Christians do have their arguments, those exercises take place while they work together in the fields of the Savior. It is the hard work that will keep them together, focus their efforts, temper their arguments, and sometimes silence them in shame as they look at the work that remains undone.

Jesus, The Transcendent Witness

John 3:11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. 12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?

Most religions (I use this word in its broadest sense) have a primary witness. Someone who claims to have seen or heard from God, or experienced a unique awareness of some force, power, or knowledge. The testimony of this witness usually becomes the foundation of the religion.

Christianity is multi-tiered in its cadre of witnesses. There are those who testify in the Bible that God spoke directly to or through them. Then there are those who, throughout history, have confessed to a definite, real, experience with God. I am in that group... I have experienced God.

But Jesus is the primary witness, and He is also the transcendent witness. By this I mean He is far past simply being a conduit of God's revelation or message. He is the revelation. He is the message. The fullness of His knowledge, being, and purpose transcends this existence. But He came to us... The Apostle John seems to have understood this reality better than most, so this insight is boldly woven into his writings.

This is the chief realism of Christ followers--Jesus is Emmanuel--God with us. He is the primary witness, and there is none like Him.

The Power Of Little Words

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

For

This little word ties every verse in which it is used to the previous verses. Bauer-Danker, the great scholarly Greek language lexicon, says it was used here as a “marker for clarification.” Which means what follows was intended by Jesus to give Nicodemus and the modern reader a more in-depth understanding of what was stated in the previous verses. This word marks the beginning of a journey to a place where only Jesus could take us: into the mind and motive of the Godhead.

So

“So” is an adverb used by Jesus to modify love. “So” means: in this way or in this manner. This is the setup for the expression of a result of God’s love which demonstrates the manner or way God loved. That expression will help clarify the salvation Jesus introduced in the previous verses by highlighting the intensity of God’s love. It placed God’s love as the root motive behind everything Nicodemus had ever been taught from the Holy Scriptures.

First “that”

This conjunction was used to introduce an actual result. One language scholar said this word was used in John 3:16 to introduce the only possible result. This means that God’s love was of such intensity and nature that the action following this word was not one among many options. It was the only action His perfect nature would consider or allow. The words that follow describe the singular result intended by the little word so... here is the way God loved: “he gave his only begotten Son.”

Second “that”

This conjunction, which is different from the first “that”, was used to “show a purpose or goal.” So here we see the ultimate purpose or goal flowing from God’s love which produced the result of God giving His only begotten Son. We were the objects of His love... it was us... It was His love for us which passionately forced Him to create a way to be eternally, legally reconciled to us, the people He so loved... even though we were His enemies by nature. And... He did it! This astounding everlasting reconciliation which was secured by love is ours by faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Condemned Without A Jury

John 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.


The basic broad meaning of this word “condemned” is “to come to a conclusion in the process of thinking and thus to be in a position to make a decision.” Louw-Nida Lexicon This word, as used in this passage, has a forensic or legal meaning. Bauer-Danker says “the emphasis (in this verse) is unmistakably laid upon that which follows the Divine Judge’s verdict.” The Judge has come to a conclusion, made His decision, and openly condemned the accused.


The accused is passive in the condemnation. This verb is perfect indicative which means it “represents an action as standing at the time of speaking complete. The reference of the tense is thus double; it implies a past action and affirms an existing result.” Burton’s Greek Moods and Tenses So the condemned sinner cannot change his condemnation because he has no standing or power to overturn a verdict that has already been made and remains in effect. As far as the condemned is concerned, the case is over and he is awaiting the execution of the sentence. Without Christ there is no hope.


Imagine being arrested and taken straight to the death chamber. No trial, no evidence, no defense. The case was over before the arrest. That is exactly what this verse communicates in the words “condemned already.” Why is there need of witnesses when the Judge and the condemned both know what has and has not been done by the accused? In human justice there is a different process, but when the all-knowing God of heaven is the Judge the process is drastically simplified. And He sent warnings… The conscience of the condemned has informed him this day was coming, and the Bible teaches it on almost every page. The good news of Jesus is He has provided freedom from this condemnation. He has answered the demands of justice.


Jesus, by use of this grammar, supported His previous affirmation that He did not come to condemn us… He came to save us. Jesus, and Jesus alone, can lift this condemnation.

Jesus Didn't Come To Condemn

John 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

When Jesus came into the world the fall of mankind had already taken place. Condemnation had already begun and multitudes had already met eternal justice. There had been laws, police, judges, prisons, and other forms of justice for thousands of years. Justice and judgment were well known in this world.

The wrath of God was also known in a myriad of ways. There was no human untouched by God’s wrath over sin. Did Jesus come to continue that work? Did He come to revolutionize police methods, make prisons stronger, put more judges on the bench? Did He come to drive out all sin and destroy all the rebellious? Is that why He was sent? This passage gives the concrete answer --no-- that is not why He was sent. He was not sent to reinforce human or divine justice. He was sent to answer justice on behalf of those already condemned by it.

For those who are just learning about Jesus it is imperative you know that truth about His mission. It is the basic reason for His birth, His life, His death, and His resurrection. It is important you know this is still His work today. Seek to understand the Gospel.

If Christians don’t get this right then we are not what our name implies: Christ followers. Justice has its place and is necessary both in government and as an essential part of the gospel, but Justice is not the purpose of Jesus’ Church or His people when they are claiming to do His work. “That the world through him might be saved” is our purpose. Let’s get to work.

The Ultimate Source

John 3:3 “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

The word translated “again” has been said to mean: “from above.” It does mean that, but not just in the sense of direction (up), it can also mean “from the top” Mark 15:38, or “from the beginning” Acts 26:5. It can be used to mark the beginning of a process, Luke 1:3. As used here the word literally means: “extension from a source that is above.” BDAG This word was also used for the repetition of a process starting at the source or, in some cases, the beginning.

Nicodemus understood the word, when used with born, to mean a repetition of the process of being “begotten” all over again. So he asked Jesus if a man can “enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?” But Nicodemus was thinking of the wrong source: a mother. Jesus was speaking of the ultimate source of life: God. Isaiah 44:2,24; 49:5; Jeremiah 1:5 teach that God is the ultimate source of all births. And this is the source that Jesus referred to in this passage. The Apostle John spoke of this in 1:13; 1 John 3:9; 4:7; 5:1, 4, 18. Nicodemus should have understood this. 3:10

Jesus told Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, that God must qualify him for the kingdom of God or he would not get in… and this qualification involved God making his life all over again. This was jolting to Nicodemus. But Jesus also used the pronoun “anyone” translated “a man” in v.3. He was not just making a qualification that applied only to Nicodemus. It was a qualification for any person who would enter His kingdom. It doesn't matter who a person has been born to, or in what religious ceremonies someone has participated, Jesus requires everyone to be born again. To continue this thought please read Jesus' Kingdom Immigration Policy. You can read all related posts Here.

Birth Begins At Conception

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

We have no better English word to translate this Greek word than born… but it still is not a full translation. Let me explain. Bible writers used the same basic word for conception and the birth itself. We use the word birth or born for the process of a child exiting the birth canal. But in the Bible the word born can include the act of conception and all that results from it. This usage includes everything involved in bringing a baby into the world.

Here are a couple of examples:

• Matthew 1:18 “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.” Note the explanation of the “birth” of Jesus takes in the context and conception of His bodily existence before Mary delivered Him. In the Bible way of thinking the exit of the child from the mother's body was not the beginning of the child, it was the result of the context of the being of the child, just like every other experience of the child will be the effect or result of the context of its life, which began as a relationship between the child's parents. There is also a sense in which the Jewish context of birth includes the child's ancestors as well.
• 1 John 5:1 “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.” The word translated “born” includes a completed paternal action (begat and begotten) which happened at conception.

The notion that the Bible teaches anything but human life beginning in the context of conception would have been foreign to the writers of the New Testament. I think someone espousing that notion would have had to explain it to the Biblical authors first, because it would be so alien to them, then the proponent of that position would have been met with bewildered faces wondering how anyone could be so incomplete in their thinking. For them it would be the same as someone thinking a child has no parentage or context of being, as if the child had been individually created. Birth and, therefore, life begins in the context of conception.

I have addressed this in the context of Jesus' discussion with Nicodemus in two posts: Jesus Opened The Gates To Let The Trash Blow In and Jesus' Kingdom Immigration Policy. 

Jesus' Kingdom Immigration Policy

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

The qualifications to enter the U.S. have been a hot button of controversy in recent years. Most citizens understand there must be some preconditions for entry, but what qualifies someone for entry is where the battle rages.

In this verse Jesus was talking with Nicodemus, a Jew of Jews, about His kingdom's immigration policy. He used terms that must have been difficult to hear for a member of Israel's ruling body, the Sanhedrin. But Jesus said it anyway.

Jesus informed Nicodemus that His kingdom has preconditions for entry. It was the wording of the precondition that would have jolted Nicodemus: “born again.” If anyone considered himself fully prepared for the coming Messiah's kingdom it would have been Nicodemus. With the expectation of the Messiah's coming, Nicodemus may have, in his mind, already perched himself on a seat in the Messiah's government. Now this...

“Born again” meant his first birth had no influence in this Messiah's new government. He must start all over again... Perhaps he remembered the stinging words of John the Baptist, “and think not to say withing yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.” Matthew 3:9 Could it be that this Messiah was rejecting their religious order which was set up and accepted by multiple generations? Born again?

It must be difficult for many of us to find out that who we are, or think we are, has no value when it comes to entering Christ's Kingdom. We must first have a new beginning... we must be born again. If you have questions about being born again, please e-mail me.

Jesus Opened The Gates To Let The Trash Blow In

John 3:8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

To fully understand verses 6, 7, and 8 it is important to keep the background of this discussion in focus. Jesus was speaking with Nicodemus, a member of the Sanhedrin, the supreme court of Israel. Nicodemus, a Jew of Jews, was struggling with the new kingdom realities Jesus had introduced. Jesus was not the Messiah expected by Nicodemus and the Sanhedrin.

In Nicodemus’ world, religion was based in the physical. It was racial. It all began with birth from a pure lineage of ancestors. Position and privilege were given based on name, title, and obedience to covenant and cultural laws. It was so structured... so controllable. But Jesus came to change Nicodemus' world.

This verse is key to understanding the great change that was taking place. Jesus used the wind to illustrate entrance into His new Kingdom. A person can’t tell where it came from or where it’s going… it only matters that it is here.

The history of Christ's Kingdom can't be measured by physical patterns. Young Charles Spurgeon sought shelter from a snowstorm in a small church, heard and believed the Gospel, then became the “prince of preachers.” A slave ship master, John Newton, heard and believed the Gospel, and went on to write the great hymn Amazing Grace. Who could have predicted all that! But millions of realities like that, we now know, make up the history of Christ's kingdom.

In Christ's kingdom a person's past has no influence upon God in their present. The most profane or "low born" can be immediately born again, and have equal standing in His kingdom with a Jew of Jews. In Christ's new kingdom a boy born in a dusty north West Texas town to an unwed mother, beaten and abused to anger by his adoptive father*, and influenced by his atheist grandfather, can hear and believe the Gospel, then serve in this Messiah's kingdom all his days. No “rhyme or reason” to all of that, but I am thankful it is so... and on this day I offer my thanks and praise to my Redeemer for opening His kingdom gates to people like me.

*not to be confused with my step-father

Jesus, A Teacher Of Heavenly Things

John 3:13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

We are “earthy”. Paul used this descriptive word in I Corinthians 15:47 for Adam, the first man, and for us, Adam's descendants. I am earthy… and so are you, and so was Nicodemus, the man Jesus was talking with in this verse. But Paul then said, “the second man is the Lord from heaven.”

When Jesus said, “And no man hath ascended up to heaven,” he wasn't speaking of Enoch or Elijah. He was speaking of any person who may have visited heaven to be educated in heaven's realities.

In the USA many great presidents, politicians, lawyers, and business men and women have graduated from Ivy League universities like Yale, Harvard, and Princeton. But… not one has ever attended the University of Heaven! Nicodemus might have had the greatest education in the Jewish world, but he had never sat at the foot of heavenly Mt. Zion and listened to God. But Jesus, the Son of God, walked the eternal hills.

Jesus was there when the morning stars first glimmered, and the sons of God shouted for joy. And here He was sitting with Nicodemus, and Nicodemus had no idea. Nicodemus came to talk about earthy things. Temporary at best--mostly meaningless. Come to think of it, that's what I generally talk to Him about--earthy things--and He is so patient. I must listen more intently.

There has never been a teacher like Jesus. Listen to Him.

Love's Promises

John 3:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

16 ...whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

17 ...that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned:

Jesus explained to Nicodemus, the one He was talking with in these verses, that he needed more than his birth and his good deeds to enter the Kingdom of God. If birth to a good family, and good deeds could open the doors of heaven to Nicodemus, then there would have been no need for Jesus to come... and die.

Jesus gave Nicodemus a clear explanation of the motivation behind His coming. The motive was love. God’s love moved Jesus to act for the benefit of a fallen world. His actions established an infallible way for Nicodemus and the rest of us, who have fallen short of God's requirements for our lives, to gain permanent, everlasting reconciliation with God.

This permanence was promised by Jesus to Nicodemus, and any other person who would trust in Jesus and His great gospel work. Jesus deliberately used forms of words that leave no doubt about the solid nature of His promises. Read these verses above again. He used the present possessive “have” when speaking of His promise of eternal life.

At the moment of faith a believer possesses “eternal life.” Since it is eternal it has no end, so once gained it cannot be lost. The legal penalty for sin has been permanently lifted. A believer can never be tried in the courts of heaven, because Jesus has paid his/her legal debt to God by His death on the cross. When a person believes Jesus died for his/her sins, and He defeated death by His resurrection from the dead, that person is freed from the status that was theirs because of sin.

Jesus talked to Nicodemus face to face. There was no one between them. No one to add something to what Jesus said, or tell Nicodemus he must join their church to gain the benefits of Jesus' gospel. Just Jesus and Nicodemus... This is pure Christianity... just Jesus and a person He came to save. Don't let anyone get between you and Jesus. Simply trust in His promises and take Him at His Word.