Pastors Jim and Marie Watt
(From: JOHN #7 - 3:22-36)
III. 3:22-4:42 JESUS MANIFESTED BY HIS BAPTISM AND HIS PROPHECY
A. 3:22-36 THE FATHER EXALTS HIS SON
1. 3:22-30 JOHN DECREASES WHILE HE EXALTS JESUS
a. 3:22 JESUS' DISCIPLES BAPTIZE IN JUDEA
MeTA TAUta ELthen ho IeSOUS kai hoi ma-theTAI auTOU eis ten IouDAIan gen,
After these things came :Jesus and his :disciples into the land of Judea,
kai eKEI diEtri-ben [1304] met' auTON,kai eBAPti-zen [907].
and there tarried with them, and baptized.
b. 3:23 WHILE JOHN BAPTIZES IN AENON
en de kai ho IoAnes bapTIzon en AiNON egGUS tou SaLEIM,
And :John also was baptizing in Aenon near :Saleim,
HOti HUda-ta [5204] polLA en eKEI: kai pa-reGInon-to, kai e-bapTIzon-to.
because many waters were there: and they came, and were baptized.
c. 3:24 For John was not yet cast into :prison.
OUpogar en be-bleMEnos [906]eis ten phu-laKEN [5438]IoAnes.
d. 3:25 A dispute therefore arose by the disciples of John with a Jew about purifying.
E-GEne-to oun ZEte-sis [2214] ek ton ma-theTON IoAnou meTA IouDAIou peRI ka-tha-risMOU [2512].
e. 3:26 JOHN'S DISCIPLES CONCERNED THAT JESUS BAPTIZES WITH GREAT SUCCESS
kai ELthan pros ton IoAnen, kai EIpan auTO, 'RabBEI:
And they came unto :John, and said to him, Rabbi:
hos en meTA sou PEran tou IorDAnou, ho su me-marTUrekas [3140],
who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom YOU have witnessed,
Ide, HOUtos bapTIzei, kai PANtes ERchon-tai pros auTON.
see, HE baptizes, and all come unto him.
f. 3:27 JOHN ATTRIBUTES JESUS' SUCCESS TO HEAVEN.
a-peKRIthe IoAnes kai EIpen, Ou DUna-tai ANthro-pos lamBAnein ouDEN,
John answered andsaid, a man can receive nothing,
eAN me e de-doMEnon auTO ek tou ou-raNOU.
except it have been given him from :heaven.
g. 3:28 JOHN CLARIFIES HIS TRUE MINISTRY
auTOI huMEIS moi mar-tuREIte, HOti EIpon eGO,
YOU yourselves bear me witness, that I said,
Ouk eiMI eGO ho ChrisTOS, alLA, HOti A-pe-stalMEnos [749] eiMI EMpro-sen [1715] eKEInou.
The Christ I am not, but, that I am sent before him.
h. 3:29 JOHN REJOICES IN HIS MINISTRY OF INTRODUCTION
ho Echon ten NUMphen [3565] numPHIos [3566] esTIN:
Who has the bride is the bridegroom:
ho de PHIlos [5384] tou numPHIou, ho he-steKOS kai aKOUon auTOU,
but the friend of the bridegroom, that stands and hears him,
chaRA [5479] CHAIrei [5463] diA ten phoNEN [5456] tou numPHIou:
joys in joy because of the voice of the bridegroom:
HAUte oun he chaRA he eME pePLEro-tai [4137].
this my :joy therefore is made full.
i. 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
eKEInon dei auXAnein [837], eME de e-latTOUSthai [1642].
2. 3:31-36 THE UNUSUAL MINISTRY OF CHRIST FROM THE FATHER
a. 3:31 JOHN CONTRASTS JESUS WITH EARTHLY PROPHETS
Ho Ano-then [509] erCHOme-nos ePAno [1883] PANton esTIN: ho on ek tes ges,
Who comes from above is above all: who from the earth is,
ek tes GES es-tin kai ek tes ges laLEI: ho ek tou ou-raNOU erCHOme-nos ePAno PANton esTIN.
from the earth he is and from the earth he speaks: who comes from :heaven is above all.
b. 3:32 What he has seen and heard, of this he witnesses: and no one receives his :witness.
ho heOra-ken kai Ekou-sen, TOUto mar-tuREI: kai ten mar-tuRIan auTOU ouDEIS lamBAnei.
c. 3:33 Who has received his :witness has set his seal to this, that :God is true.
ho laBON auTOU ten mar-tuRIan esPHRAgi-sen [4972], HOti ho TheOS a-leTHES [227]es-tin.
d. 3:34 JESUS HAS THE LIVING WORD OF GOD BY THE UNLIMITED SPIRIT
hon gar aPEstei-len ho TheOS ta 'REma-ta [4487] tou TheOU laLEI:
For he whom :God has sent speaks the words of :God:
ou gar ek MEtrou [3358] DIdo-sin to PNEUma.
for not by measure gives he the Spirit.
e. 3:35 The Father loves the Son, and has given all thingsinto his :hand.
ho paTER a-gaPA [25]ton huiON, kai PANta DEdo-ken en te cheiRI auTOU.
f. 3:36 THE CONSEQUENCES FOR BELIEVING ON - OR DISOBEYING THE SON
ho piSTEUon [4100] eis ton huiON Echei zo-EN aiOni-on;
Who believes unto the Son has eternal life;
ho de a-peiTHON [544] to huiO ouk Opse-tai[3700] zo-EN, all' he orGE [3709] tou TheOU MEnei ep' auTON.
but who disobeys the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of :God abides on him.
NOTE: 3:26 - John's disciples initiate an opportunity for him to make very clear his relationship to Jesus in the ministry to which the Father called him. He lets his disciples know that it is God from heaventhat endues each one of us with the particular and unique gifts according to His will. John's gifts do notmake him the Christ, the Messiah. John's relationship to Jesus is as the friend of the bridegroom; Jesus aloneis the bridegroom who has the Church, His bride, the One New Man. Therefore John's role as the friend of the bridegroom is to rejoice in his role to introduce the bridegroom. As Jesus in His three-year ministry grows in effectiveness, it is the role of John to slip back and eventually disappear through martyrdom. Thisis the role we too, like John, should adopt. As members of Christ's body, His bride, we are are to cause all focus on Him! It is “our utmost for His Highest”!
3:31-36 - Jesus is absolutely unique. He is the onlybegotten Son of God. As the Son of Man also, he speaks from His past existence. No other human being has ever been like Him, nor ever shall be. His words to Nicodemus bear this out. To believe on Jesus and His words as absolute truth - is to honor God who sent Him. This becomes a sealto the words of God! They are words that are Spirit and Life! And His enduement of power when the Spirit came upon Him as a dove, is without measure. All the rest of us as human beings have but a portion of this enduement. And - it is because of the love of the Father for His only begotten Son - that all authority is His both in heaven and on earth. To reject Jesus and who He is, is an insult to the Father. Think of what is taking place in America - when politicals and most others seek to refuse the Name of Jesus to be used. Think of the coming wrath of the Father upon allsuch. And - think of the boldness and true correctness (though not politically correct) of Franklin Graham, who refuses to be silenced by such would-be silencers.
Note also that “the salvation is in none other: for neither is thereany other nameunder :heaven, that is :given among men, in which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).Mohamed can't save; nor Buddha, nor any other man. Justour Lord Jesus Christ. No wonder Satan wants to use men to shut the mouths of all others who would dare to proclaim the Name of Jesus as this onlyone for salvation! Again, thank God for the boldness of Franklin Graham, who refusesto be silenced. And woe betide the would-be silencers when one day they stand before the Great White Throne of Christ to hear His judgment upon them! It is Godwho has appointed Him for the awesome task following His Second Coming, which is verysoon. Believe me, that day iscoming, and all thingswritten in the Bible aloneshall be fulfilled.
Consider again the last verse in this subdivision and paragraph: “Who believes unto the Son haseternal life; but who disobeys the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of :God abides on him” 3:36. J.A.W.