John 3:22-36

HIGHLIGHTED PASSAGE John 3:22-36 22 After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing. 23 John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized 24 (for John had not yet been put in prison). 25 Now a discussion arose between some of John’s disciples and a Jew over purification. 26 And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.” 27 John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. 28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ 29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.” 31 He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. 33 Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. 34 For he whom God has sent utters 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 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.   COMMENTARY John the Baptist comes back into the picture via an exchange with his own disciples over Jesus' increasing popularity at John's expense. Before Jesus began his public ministry, John the Baptist had a thriving movement with many Jews coming to him to be baptized. Once Jesus began preaching and ministering, John the Baptist's ministry began declining. His disciples became understandably frustrated by this, yet John corrected them by declaring Jesus superior to himself because Jesus was from above.  In describing the nature of his relationship to Jesus, John the Baptist uses a powerful analogy that ties back to Jesus' first sign at the wedding in Cana, which we read about in chapter 2. John says:  "I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him. The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. He must increase, but I must decrease," (John 3:28-30).  When John says that the one who has the bride is the bridegroom, he tells his disciples that the relationship between Jesus and God's people is like a marriage. Jesus is the groom and those who believe in Him corporately serve as His bride. There is no way John could express the exceeding closeness and unity that Jesus has come to bring for those who believe in Him any more keenly than what is communicated through this analogy. Between a bride and groom there is no division; only love, joy, and intimacy.  He makes the point clearly at the end of this dialogue when he says:  "The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him." (John 3:35-36).  Thus, the focus of the faith of God's people ought now to be Jesus. Belief in Yahweh, the fundamental foundation of saving faith for God's people, is now synonymous with belief in Jesus. This is not to say that Jesus is the expression of all that God is, but rather than in the economy of salvation, Jesus is the one who has made God known to us most fully, and the one who has secured our salvation. Thus, faith in Jesus is correlative to faith in Yahweh.   QUESTIONS 1. In verses 25-30, how does John the Baptist's response to Jesus' growing ministry differ from the way many people might respond to a similar situation?   2. Who are the bride and the bridegroom in verse 29? What are your personal reflections on this?   3. What does it mean in verse 36 that "the wrath of God remains" on the one who does not obey the Son?    4. Try to memorize John 3:36.