John 3

     3:1-21.  As is John’s practice in all his writings, he has quickly introduced several important themes, and now throughout he will weave them together over and over, like the strands of a strong rope.  Paul might build a chain of logic forged link by link, but John twists strands of truth that keep appearing on the surface of his rope of reason with ever more interconnections.  Here, we have the signs testifying that Jesus has been sent from God (2), the blindness of men to the things of God (3), thus the necessity of a new birth, i.e., being born again by the water of regeneration and the work of the Holy Spirit (5-8; and cf.2:1-11;  Mark 10:14f.; Ezek.36:25-27).  We see the sovereign choice and power of God in the invisible electing and regenerating work of the Spirit (8; cf. Ezek. 37:9). 

     In a veiled shadow from the OT (14), Jesus speaks of his death on the cross as the means of eternal life for whomever believes (15). Jn3:14,15. Christ here refers to Num.21:5-9 (cf.1Cor.10:9). How does the bronze serpent Moses lifted up on a pole represent Christ on the cross? The answer is in 1Cor.15:55-57, “The sting of death is sin,” and 2Cor.5:21, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf. . . .” And thus was the sting of death healed for all who look to Him.

     All this (and following) is the context for John 3:16.  Because of God’s love, he did for the perishing what they could not do.  He gave his only Son, begotten from all eternity (1:1-3), that the whole world (not just Israel after the flesh, but whomever believes in Him) might have eternal life.  Vv.18-21 make clear that this is not a universal salvation of every person in the world, but of believers only.  The unbelieving world shall be judged (cf.15: 18-19; Ro.3:5-6).  But the believing of all nations shall be saved.  This is the fulfilling of God’s covenant with Abraham (see Gal. 3:6-9).  Nicodemus believed that God’s love and mercy were confined to the Jews.  Jesus is telling him that God also has a purpose of grace toward the Gentiles, i.e., “the world”.  As a teacher of Israel (10), he should have known this.

     See Arthur W. Pink, Appendix III of The Sovereignty of God.  He says that “the world” (Kosmos) has seven meanings determined by the context.  The context of John 3:16 is the world of believers, all of every nation who are beloved in Christ (cf. Eph.3:6).                                                              

     3:19-21.  Nicodemus came at night (2) because he feared men who loved the darkness (19).  Yet he loved the truth, and come to the light that the darkness did not comprehend (1:5), for his deeds were wrought in God (21; James 1:17).

     3:22-36.  Here is more of the witness of John the Baptist, as he points away from himself to Christ.  Any good thing a man has comes from God, Jesus says in v.21.  John says the same in v.27. John continues that he is only an earthly witness, but Christ has a testimony of heavenly things that no man can receive except it be as a gift.  Unlike John, Christ has the Spirit without measure.  The Father loves his Son and has given all things into his power.  Everything depends on our relation to him, i.e. whether we believe and obey, or whether we do not (36; cf.18).