Bible Commentaries
John 3

Verses 1-36

1 We have found an unholy temple, an unspiritual priesthood, and now we are introduced to an ignorant teacher! Intense application to a single text book for a whole life had not taught him the elements of the truth! Nicodemus, however, was impressed with the Lord's works, little as he understood His words. Like the rest, he takes literally what is figurative. He should have known from Ezekiel, the prophet, that Israel could not enter the kingdom without a new spirit (Ezekiel 36:26). Spiritual regeneration, the one imperative condition, apart from which the kingdom cannot be entered, is utterly beyond his erudition. All that he considered vital was physical relationship with the favored nation. The Lord did not give out regeneration as good news, but as bad news. This is not the gospel, even for the Circumcision. The evangel is always concerned with God and His Christ, never with man and his needs or efforts. Of the latter nothing good can be said, no evangel can be formulated. The new birth is not an evangel in any sense. It makes a demand he has no means of meeting. For one like Nicodemus, expecting to enter the kingdom by physical generation, it would be quite a blow to demand spiritual regeneration. Men are utterly helpless in regard to their physical generation. They can do no more to accomplish their spiritual regeneration. It is the sovereign work of God's spirit. Searching as the figure is, it does not probe nearly so deeply into human helplessness as the truth for the present economy of God's grace. Now, if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). In spirit, we skip the era of the kingdom, the renascence, and enter the new creation, over a thousand years later. A new birth will fit them for a life on earth during the millennial eon. The new creation fits us for our celestial destiny. They will receive a rejuvenation of the faculties, we will be changed at the resurrection and receive powers and capacities far beyond our present possibilities. Regeneration keeps company with repentance and baptism. The new creation accompanies the dispensation of the conciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18).

14 Nicodemus chose the cover of night, to save his reputation; for he was a proud Pharisee who would not care to have his name coupled with Christ's. How it must have humbled him to be compared with the serpent-bitten Israelites of the wilderness! Scholar that he was, he could not understand regeneration, but the most foolish could look away from themselves to the serpent and find life. This he undoubtedly did, for later he ventured to speak in Christ's behalf (John 7:50) and he came openly in the daytime to bring spices for His burial (John 19:39).

16 This gives us, not the measure, but the character of God's love-not "so", but "thus". Nor is it a thing of the past-"loved". The gift of His Only Begotten is an expression of His timeless love. Whenever man's love is mentioned it is circumscribed in time and extent. But God's love knows no bounds except those it imposes on itself. The character of the God Nicodemus knew confined Him within Israel's narrow pale, and represented Him as a Lawgiver, demanding, and giving only as a reward. Now His love breaks through the narrow confines of the favored nation and shows Him a munificent Giver, imparting eonian life to all who believe. This evangel is especially adapted to the coming eon, when Israel is once more the channel of blessing to the nations. Good as it is, it falls far below the outflow of favor for the present economy. Now we have not only eonian life, but justification and reconciliation. Now God's love urges Him to actually beseech His enemies to be conciliated to Him. Grace will flow out through Israel to the nations in the regeneration. Now it overflows to the nations in far more lavish measure. Compare the grace here revealed with that displayed in Romans and especially Ephesians. Life alone is promised here; there we have righteousness and peace and exaltation to celestial honors far beyond the range of the fullest interpretation of this passage.

17 While it was not the mission of Christ to condemn, yet, being the Light, He exposed the darkness. The priests and Pharisees were judged by their hatred of the Light.

25 Ceremonial cleansing is the true definition of baptism, Before this, baptisms were a common feature of the Jewish ceremonial system, but were usually connected with the temple and the laver and were done by the person himself. John was called "the baptist" because he introduced the new method of doing it for others, This created a new unity. All baptized by John were distinguished from the rest of the nation by their cleansing. Now, however, the Lord's disciples baptize and John's disciples are going to Him, thus forming a new group and threatening to absorb John's disciples. So John defines his relation to Christ. He is simply a forerunner. He is glad to have his disciples leave him for the Messiah, his Master.

29 Christ is the Bridegroom. The baptized Israelites are the bride, John the baptist is the friend. Israel of old was the wife of Jehovah, having been espoused to Him in the wilderness (Jeremiah 2:2; Jeremiah 31:32). She treacherously departed from Him (Ezekiel 16:3; Ezekiel 16:15; Ezekiel 16:59-60). He divorced her (Jeremiah 3:8-9). Though the law does not allow it (Deuteronomy 24:1-4) , yet He will invite her back again (Jeremiah 3:1-14). She will yet marry Him under the new covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-37). Meanwhile He has pledged Himself to keep her for Himself (Hosea 3:5). Babylon is the false bride, for it will be an imitation of the true. The new Jerusalem, containing the twelve tribes of Israel, will be the bride of the Lambkin (Revelation 21:2-9). The nations are outside (Revelation 21:24). So far as we are aware, marriage is confined to the earth, It is not a figure of heavenly realities, but of earthly bliss. It is for the faithful in Israel. We have a nearer and dearer place, as members of Christ's body. So close are we that He cannot hate us, but nourishes and cherishes us as we do the members of our own body (Ephesians 5:29).

31 John the baptist was of the earth like other men: the Lord came from above.

36 This must be left to the time in which John was speaking, God is conciliated now, since Christ has died and Israel has been set aside, so that His indignation is not against the stubborn now. He is beseeching all to be conciliated (2 Corinthians 5:19) .