Interpretation of the Gospel of John 3. Russian synodal translation

b. Conversation of Jesus with Nicodemus (3: 1-21)

John 3: 1. Nicodemus was one of the best Israelites - contemporaries of Christ. He was a teacher (verse 10), a Pharisee, and, judging by the words of one of the leaders of the Jews, a member of the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin, with 70 members, was responsible for resolving religious issues; a certain responsibility - under the subordination of the Roman administration - lay with him in the field of civil administration.

Besides Nicodemus, two more members of the Sanhedrin appear in the New Testament in a favorable light; this is Joseph of Arimathea (John 19:38) and Rabbi Gamaliel (Acts 5: 34-39; 22: 3). The Sanhedrin condemned Jesus Christ. Nicodemus, long before that, reproached the Pharisees with a prejudice against Him, whom they accused of not having listened to Himself (John 7: 50-51); he helped Joseph of Arimathea in the burial of Jesus (19: 39–40).

John 3: 2. Why did Nicodemus come to Jesus at night? Because, being a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin, did not dare to do this openly? Or maybe then it was customary to come to talk at night? Or maybe Nicodemus wanted to talk with Jesus so that no one would interfere with their conversation, which was simply impossible during the day, in the presence of a multitude of people constantly surrounding Him? John does not give an answer to this.

Rabbi! - Nicodemus turned to Jesus, - we know that You are a Teacher, who came from God ... By "we" you should probably understand all those who are well disposed towards Jesus in the Sanhedrin. The address "Rabbi" ("Teacher") sounded, on the one hand, politely and flattering, but on the other - testified that Nicodemus did not understand who Jesus really was. "From God" in the Greek text is emotionally emphasized. According to Nicodemus, the miracles that Jesus performed could only be performed by a person who was especially pleasing to God. And therefore Nicodemus wanted to talk with Him as a rabbi with a rabbi.

John 3: 3. However, Jesus was not on a par with Nicodemus. He was “Coming from Above” (verse 31), and Nicodemus, whose question is “How can a person enter the Kingdom of God?” - The Lord knew before he heard from His visitor; therefore, He said that he first needed to be "born again," or, as in many translations, "again."

In other words, to undergo a spiritual transformation as a result of which a person is granted access from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of God (compare with Col. 1:13). The kingdom of God is the blessed realm of God’s sojourn, which he controls completely; she is currently invisible; but the day will come when the kingdom will “come” to the earth (Matt. 6:10).

John 3: 4. The questions of Nicodemus, who hardly meant that Jesus implies something absurd, like reincarnation or a second bodily birth, nevertheless, show that he did not understand the meaning and significance of man’s spiritual rebirth.

John 3: 5. There are several interpretations of the words of Jesus regarding birth from the water and the Spirit. 1) "Water" is a symbol of physical birth, and "Spirit" is a birth from above. 2) By "water" is here meant the Word of God (compare Eph. 5:26). 3) “Water” symbolizes water baptism as an important part of the process of spiritual rebirth. (Such a view contradicts other scriptures, which say that salvation is given only by faith - John 3:16; Eph. 2: 8-9; Tit. 3: 5). 4) “Water” is a symbol of the Holy Spirit (compare John 7: 37-39). 5) The word "water" serves Christ as an indication of the ministry of John the Baptist, who called for repentance; speaking of the “Spirit," He means the receipt of the Holy Spirit by man.

The fifth point of view has the advantage of being confirmed in the course of history, in the practical life of the Church; it is quite acceptable from a theological point of view. John the Baptist awakened the people of Israel with his call to repentance (Matt. 3: 1-6). And the word "water" in the mouth of Jesus could remind Nicodemus of the ritual of water baptism that John performed on the repentant. Thus, Christ made it clear to Nicodemus that anyone who wants to enter the Kingdom of God needs to repent and turn to Him in order to receive rebirth from the Holy Spirit.

John 3: 6-7. There are two completely different spheres: the realm of the fallen man, that is, the realm of the flesh, and the realm of God, or the realm of the Spirit. A fallen man cannot regenerate himself; he needs the intervention and help of God. Only the Holy Spirit of God can revive the spirit of man. And people should not be perplexed about these words of Christ, or underestimate or reject their meaning. Man must be born again. This necessity is absolute and operates on the scale of the universe.

John 3: 8. In the Greek text, this verse is a kind of pun, which is difficult to convey in other languages, because pneuma means both “Spirit” and “wind”. The action of the Spirit is as invisible and mysterious as the action of the wind. Man cannot control either one or the other.

John 3: 9-10. How can it be? Nicodemus (verse 9) has a "continuation" of the question that Jesus "guessed" earlier, and which can be read as - "How, after all, does the transformation of man happen?" This time, Jesus replies with a rebuke: you are a teacher of Israel, and you don’t know? But in the writings of the Old Testament prophets much is said about the advent of a new Era - the era of the ministry of the Holy Spirit (Isa. 32:15; Ezek. 36: 25-27; Joel. 2: 28-29). How does such an outstanding teacher like Nicodemus not understand that God, by His highest mercy, can give a person a new heart? (1 Samuel 10: 6; Jer. 31:33).

John 3:11. But Nicodemus was not well versed in what Christ spoke of. In the words of the Lord; but you (that is, Nicodemus and all learned rabbis, not to mention the people of Israel) do not accept Our testimony - a bitter rebuke to Israelis with little faith and little knowledge sounds. Like the prophets, Jesus (We) spoke to the people of the "heavenly" (verse 12; what they know ... what they saw).

John 3:12. But if Nicodemus could not understand the essence of His teachings about a new birth, despite the earthly analogies, which Jesus used, teaching, how to understand and believe him (them) if he tells them about the heavenly, i.e. about such abstract concepts like the Trinity, the incarnation and the coming glorification of the Messiah?

John 3:13. No one ascended to heaven in order to later return to earth and teach a clear doctrine of celestial objects. None but Him, Jesus, the Son of Man (John 1:51; Dan. 7:13: Matt. 26:64), who is the "Staircase" between heaven and earth and has access to both areas (interpretation on John 1 : 50-51). He is descended from heaven in His incarnation (and even at the time of His conversation with Nicodemus there remained His Divine side - existing in heaven), and, therefore, knows God's secrets.

John 3: 14-15. Jesus resorts to an image from the Old Testament to say what is before Him. Just as Moses put on the banner the image of a copper serpent in the wilderness (Numbers 21: 4-9) - as a means of delivering the Israelites from the punishment that they suffered for their disobedience, so Christ is to be lifted up (compare 8:28) to the cross for sins of people, so that anyone who “looks” at Him with faith will receive eternal life.

John 3:16. Regardless of whether these words were spoken by Jesus himself, or they are written

John, they are the word of God, and the essence of the gospel is conveyed in them. In His attitude towards people, God is driven by love. His love does not extend to some, not just one group of people, but is intended as a gift to the whole world. God's love was expressed in the fact that He gave the world the most precious that he has - His only begotten Son (Rom. 8: 3, 32), that is, the only one. The corresponding Greek word monogenes is found in John. 1: 14.18; 3:18 and in 1 John. 4: 9. Only one thing is required of a person: to accept - not to deserve - this gift (John 1: 12-13). Man is saved by faith, trust in Christ.

The word perished here does not mean “annihilation” in the sense of extinction, but ultimate “perdition” in hell - in the sense of existence there in conditions of eternal separation from God - the Source of life, truth and joy. Eternal life is a qualitatively different, new life, which is already here, on earth, made the property of believers, and a property that they will not lose forever and ever (compare 10:28; 17: 3).

John 3:17. Although shadow accompanies light, its purpose is to shine. Despite the fact that unbelievers in Christ bring judgment upon themselves, God sent His Son into the world to save people, and not to condemn them. For He does not want the death of sinners (Ezek. 18: 23,32), but He wants all people to be saved (1-Tim. 2: 4; 2-Pet. 3: 9).

John 3:18. The belief that on the cross Jesus Christ completed His work to save mankind is a means of salvation. He who has this faith is not subject to condemnation (not suing). To those who believe in Christ, “there is now no condemnation” (Rom. 8: 1); such “they shall not come to judgment” (John 5:24). Those who reject the light of the Logos remain in the darkness (1: 5; 8:12), and by this they already bring God's condemnation upon themselves on earth.

John 3:19. People ... didn’t love the darkness on their own, but because they have something to hide in the darkness. Doing their evil deeds, they do not want to be "bothered", and therefore prefer not to flaunt them. Believers are also sinners (though redeemed), however, they tend to repent of their sins and strive for constant fellowship with God (1 John 1: 6-7). Ultimately, the person’s preference for “darkness” over God's light (John 1: 5,10-11; 1 John 1: 5) is explained by his love of many and many-sided idols, for people are more inclined to worship and serve the "creature" than the Creator (Rom. 1:25).

John 3:20. Just as the physical light makes visible what the darkness hides, so the light of Christ reveals the evil (more precisely - "worthless", "meaningless") nature of human affairs (the Greek word "faul" is translated here as evil, literally - "meaningless, meaningless" , "crappy", "worthless"; it occurs again in John 5:29). (This can be understood in the sense that the life of people who do not believe in God is devoid of final meaning, justified motives and a worthy goal; this is the life of doomed people.) Not wanting to expose his affairs, an unbeliever hates the light and does not go to it.

John 3:21. The second part of this verse would be more correct to read like this: “in order to reveal your deeds that are done in God” (with God's help). Jesus Christ is like a magnet. Believers cling to Him. And although in His light their sins are exposed, they rejoice in it and answer Him with repentance and faith. In this sense, it is said that they “act in truth” (compare 2 John 1: 2,4; 3 John 1: 4). Thanks to their spiritual rebirth, their life is different from their former life in darkness. Now they live by faith in Jesus Christ and in His word. And His Spirit, working in them, gives them new strengths, sets new goals for them and awakens other interests in them (2 Cor. 5:17; Eph. 2:10).

6. FINAL EVIDENCE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST (3: 22-30)

John 3: 22-24. Apparently a short time, John the Baptist continued to serve in parallel with Jesus Christ (at the same time with Him); both serving in the land of Judea. John preached to its inhabitants the approach of the Messiah and the need for repentance in this regard, and Christ preached the Kingdom of God. Crowds of disciples followed both Jesus and John, and both baptized (verse 22, 26).

Although judging by what was said in 4: 2, Jesus did not baptize Himself: rather, His disciples did it under His supervision. There is reason to believe that Enon near Salim, whose exact location is unknown, was located somewhere halfway between the Sea of \u200b\u200bGalilee and the Dead Sea (five kilometers east of Shechem).

Both "reformist movements" in the territory of Judea, as well as baptisms - from John and from Jesus - were popular among the people. For example, 3:24, where it is said that John was not yet (at that time) imprisoned, we see how the author of the fourth Gospel supplemented the synoptic Gospels. From the above verse, in particular, it follows that the readers of John already knew about the imprisonment of the Baptist - from other Gospels (Matt. 14: 1-2, Mark 6: 14-29; Luke 3: 19-20) or church tradition.

John 3:25. The disciples of John were drawn into a dispute with the Jews (according to another reading - with the Jew) - ultimately, apparently, about which of the groups it makes more sense to join - either John or Jesus. But he began with the question of ceremonial purification. The Jews must have alluded to the fact that they already perform various rituals of ablution, why do they need one more, that is, John's baptism? And besides, the group of followers of Jesus apparently already exceeded the number of John's disciples (verse 26).

John 3:26. And they could feel irritation and envy. This is felt from their complaint to the teacher - against the One whom he baptized and of whom ... he testified. Now He Himself baptizes, and the attention of all is drawn to Him.

John 3:27. John's response reveals his nobility; implying, first of all, himself, he said that man cannot accept more than what God has given him. Each of His servants is blessed by His will. And if the movement founded by Jesus grows and expands, then this is the will of God. (The author of the fourth Gospel emphasizes this principle of an indisputable decision from above twice; 6:65; 19:11; compare 1-Cor. 4: 7.)

John 3: 29-30. Jesus’s growing influence on the people fulfilled ... John’s joy, he compares his feelings with the feelings of “friend of the groom”, referring to the custom of a wedding ceremony in the Middle East. According to him, the friend of the groom played a major role in preparing the marriage ceremony, but was not, of course, the first person at the wedding. He was the groom. And the "friend", of course, was filled with joy when he heard the voice of the groom introducing his bride into the house.

John’s task was to prepare everything for the coming of Christ, the true “Bridegroom”. John baptized only with water, but not with the Spirit, because Jesus had to grow, and he, John, was diminished. That is why he readily and joyfully accepted the news that the popularity of Jesus among the people was growing.

7. CERTIFICATE OF THE Apostle John (3: 31-36)

It is best to accept that what was said in verses 31-36 does not belong to John the Baptist, but to the apostle John, i.e., is a testimony of the author of this Gospel, because from a theological point of view, the words about the Father and the Son are more likely to be Christian in nature and could hardly be part of the testimony of John the Baptist.

John 3:31. Here the apostle John develops the theme of the excellence of Jesus Christ (that which John the Baptist spoke to his disciples; verses 28-30). Jesus came from heaven, and, therefore, the value of the words of any other religious teacher is not comparable with the value of His words. Any teacher "out of people" is limited by his earthly origin (earthly being from earth). But the Logos that came from heaven is above all; “To him the first place” (Col. 1:18).

John 3:32. Everything that Christ said had His source in heavenly vision and knowledge obtained from communion with the Father in heaven (compare 1: 1-14). And yet, despite the validity of His testimony, humanity as a whole rejected His evangelism (1:11).

John 3:33. On the whole, but not everyone, as it might seem from verse 32. Anyone who accepts the gospel of Christ, for his part, testifies that God is true (verse 21). And he who rejects His evangelism thereby “presents God as false” (1 John 5:10).

John 3:34. Jesus, as he speaks the words of God, utters the perfect truth of God, because the Spirit of God is given to Him without any restrictions (not by measure), while the Old Testament prophets were given the Holy Spirit only for a certain time and in one or another "limited" purposes.

The apostle John speaks here of Jesus Christ as the One whom God sent.

All in all, the Gospel of John says that Jesus was sent by God thirty-nine times (3: 17.34; 4:34; 5: 23-24,30,36-38; 6: 29,38-39,44, 57; 7: 16.28-29; 8: 16,18,26,29,42; 9: 4; 10:36; 11: 42,12: 44-45,49; 13: 16,20; 14: 24; 15:21; 16: 5; 17: 3,18,21,23,25; 20:21).

John 3:35. The relationship between the Father and the Son is built on deep love and complete trust. For the fulfillment of the Father’s goals, the Son is clothed with all power (5:22; Matt. 28:18).

John 3:36. Each of the people can choose only between faith in the Son of God and disbelief in Him (compare verses 16, 18). Unbelief is the fruit of tragic ignorance, but also of conscious opposition to the light. The fourth Gospel only speaks here of the wrath of God (compare Rev. 6: 16-17; 11:18; 14:10; 16:19; 19:15), this “Wrath”, as a fair reaction of the Creator to the evil of the world, abides to unbelievers. In full measure, it will manifest itself in the future, however, and now it already makes itself felt. Continuous sin and disobedience will result in ongoing punishment (Matt. 25:46).

1-21. Conversation of Jesus Christ with Nicodemus. - 22–36. The work of Christ in Judea and the last testimony of the Baptist.

The conversation between Christ and Nicodemus is divided into two parts: the first part (verses 3–12) deals with the spiritual regeneration of a person, which is necessary for a person to become a member of the Messiah’s kingdom, and in the second (verses 13–21) Christ offers teaching about Himself and about His atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world and indicates the need for faith in Him as the Only Begotten Son of God.

John 3: 1. Between the Pharisees there was someone named Nicodemus, one of the rulers of the Jews.

The Lord, in all probability, had not yet left Jerusalem when the Pharisee Nicodemus appeared to Him. This was one of the Jewish rulers, i.e. member of the Sanhedrin (cf. John 7:26, 50). The Pharisee could only get into the Sanhedrin if he belonged to the number of rabbis or scribes (οἱ γραμματεῖς), because the main contingent of the Sanhedrin consisted of representatives of the priesthood, which, penetrated by the spirit of Sadduce, would not allow a simple representative to be among the members of the Sanhedrin hostile to the Pharisee party. Thus, it can be argued that Nicodemus joined the Sanhedrin as a rabbi. Christ himself calls Nicodemus a “teacher” (verse 10). Like the Pharisee and, moreover, the rabbi, Nicodemus could not remain an indifferent witness of what was happening before his eyes in Jerusalem: he observed the signs that Christ performed, listened to His sermon and came, like many others, to the conviction that Christ is the true messenger Of God.

John 3: 2. He came to Jesus at night and said to him: Rabbi! we know that you are a teacher who came from God; for no one can do such miracles as You do, unless God is with him.

Nicodemus came to Christ at night because it probably seemed inconvenient for him to go to Christ openly: in this case he was bound by his position as a Pharisee and member of the Sanhedrin. In addition, the night time provided a great opportunity to thoroughly talk with Christ, who during the day, of course, was constantly surrounded by listeners. Like the disciples of Christ (John 1: 38-49), Nicodemus calls Christ a teacher and, moreover, says that he recognizes Him along with some others (“we know”) just as a teacher, although he was sent by God. More precisely, his appeal to Christ can be conveyed as follows: "we know that you came from God as a teacher." The fact that Christ did not come of his own free will, but was sent by God, Nicodemus was convinced of this by the signs that Christ performed in Jerusalem. Obviously, nothing is known to Nicodemus about any special revelations of Christ regarding His Divine dignity, and from this we can conclude that at that time Christ did not yet inform the people of such a teaching and did not want to increase the number of His closest disciples.

John 3: 3. Jesus answered him: Verily, verily, I say unto you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Nicodemus had not yet asked Christ anything, but Christ, who “himself knew what was in man” (John 2:25), directly answers him the question that Nicodemus wanted to offer him. And why for anything else could Nicodemus come to Christ, if not in order to learn from Him, if possible, about the path leading to the Kingdom of the Messiah? (Of course, it was the kingdom of the Messiah that Christ understood under the kingdom of God, because the Messiah was to establish the kingdom of God on earth, according to the belief of the Jews.) And Christ with special solemnity ("true, true", that is, the true truth) tells Nicodemus that only the one who is born again can enter the Kingdom of the Messiah or God (ἄνωθεν - first; cf. Acts 26: 5; Clement of Alexandria, “Educator”, 56, 5; 7, 4 and most of the ancient translations are Latin, Coptic Syrian, as well as Justin, Tertullian).

“Seeing” means entering, participating, taking advantage of the benefits of the new Kingdom (cf. John 3:36).

John 3: 4. Nicodemus tells Him: how can a person be born when he is old? could he enter another time in his mother’s womb and be born?

From the words of Christ, Nicodemus should have concluded that He did not recognize the “teaching”, but the “renewal” of all life, such an internal change in a person that can only be compared with natural birth, necessary for entering the new Kingdom. And Nicodemus really understood that Christ here requires something completely different than John the Baptist, who called for repentance (μετανοεῖσθαι). In repentance, man himself, although not without God's help, tried to change his life, but in that new birth that Christ spoke to Nicodemus, man was a suffering creature, completely subordinate to the power of God, just as a child is born into the world without any own permission (Christ does not yet speak about the conditions that are presented to the person who is seeking the most regeneration, and they will be discussed especially in verses 12–21). Nicodemus would like to relive his life, so unsuccessfully already almost lived. But how can one hope that in this new second life - if it were possible - he would be free from his natural weaknesses and sinful habits that made it impossible for him to achieve an ideal? Where is the guarantee that such a new life, life “at first” could really go a new way? This is the meaning of the first question of Nicodemus. The second question he wants to say is that the impossibility of repeating birth is quite clear to him and that he, therefore, cannot satisfy the demand of Christ (see verse 3).

John 3: 5. Jesus answered: Verily, verily, I say unto you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

Nicodemus did not understand how a person can be born for a new life, and Christ shows him two factors under the influence of which this new birth is possible. First of all, it is “water”, i.e. what is closest is water, which in John's baptism served as a symbol of cleansing from sins. Nicodemus must first be baptized with the baptism of John and confess his sins with all sincerity. This will be the first step for him to revive. Then he should receive the “Spirit” of the Holy - this will be granted to him from God in due course. Both are necessary for everyone who wants to enter the kingdom of God.

And it was not too late for Nicodemus to fulfill the first condition, because John still continued to baptize, and besides, Christ Himself, through His disciples, also performed the baptism of repentance (John 3: 22-4: 2). But he should have received the Holy Spirit after. So, therefore, the first half of Nicodemus’s question found a solution. Although he, Nicodemus, is old and because of this he has become comfortable with his prejudices and inclinations, nevertheless he must realize and confess his sinfulness, and then the Holy Spirit will give him strength for a new life.

John 3: 6. Those born of the flesh are flesh, and those born of the Spirit are spirit.

In response to the second half of Nicodemus’s question whether it is possible to be born again in the flesh, Christ says that in such a second birth in the flesh - which, of course, is impossible - there is no use. Everything that is born of the flesh is a general rule that applies to that second birth, which Nicodemus thinks of, “there is flesh,” that is, subject to sinful inclinations (Gen. 6, etc.). A new spiritual, holy life can arise only under the influence of the Spirit of God. It will already be a real rebirth.

John 3: 7. Do not be surprised at what I told you: you must be born again.

Christ sees that Nicodemus is surprised at such a decisive statement about the need for rebirth, and therefore invites Nicodemus to move from surprise to the speedy fulfillment of the demand presented by Christ.

Nicodemus, apparently, did not cease to wonder in himself how it was possible for him, the old man, to renounce all sinful inclinations and habits. He wanted to understand how this process of spiritual regeneration of man is accomplished. But Christ of parables makes clear to him that he cannot understand everything with his mind. Here, for example, is the "wind" (in Russian it is inaccurate - "spirit"). Is Nicodemus able to explain to himself where the wind comes from and where it goes? Similarly, there is nothing surprising in the fact that Nicodemus does not understand how the Spirit of God acts on a person.

Let us consider, however, in detail the comparison used by Christ. Firstly, He says about the wind that he has complete freedom of movement: a person cannot calm the wind or make him change his direction. Secondly, the effect of the wind is felt even when they protect themselves from it in every possible way: it can be heard even with the doors locked. Thirdly, they do not know the point from which the movement of the wind begins in each given case, and of the final point to which this movement reaches.

The action of the Spirit of God in man is similar to the action of the wind. First, the Spirit acts where it wants (cf. 1 Cor. 12:11), and it cannot be appropriated to itself by force, but can only be received as a gift (John 7:39). Secondly, the presence of the Spirit cannot be overlooked by the one who is regenerated by the Spirit: even others, not completely deaf and blind, feel that this Spirit is present and acting in the regenerated (John 7:38). Thirdly, neither the regenerated himself, nor anyone else can determine where, when and how the Spirit began to exert an effect on him. The regenerated also know little about their last state, to which the Spirit leads them (1 John 3: 2). The emergence and end of life of a regenerated person is a mystery, and yet it does not interfere or, more precisely, should not cause a person to doubt the truth of rebirth.

John 3: 9. Nicodemus answered him: how can this be?

Nicodemus now already asks how what Christ said (ταῦτα - “these things”, the plural) can come to fruition. Here one hears not doubt of the possibility of the fact of rebirth itself, but the desire to find out the way by which one can come to revival. At the same time, Nicodemus does not ask: “what should I do?” He wants to know what he should expect from God, since he understood that rebirth should be a work of God, and not human.

Jn. 3: 10. Jesus answered and said to him: you are the teacher of Israel, and do you not know this?

In a tone of light reproach, Christ tells Nicodemus that, as a professional teacher of the Israeli people, the rabbi (cf. verse 1) should know that the Old Testament spoke of the process of rebirth itself. The prophets spoke a lot about the outpouring of a new spirit, about giving people new hearts, about the fullness of the knowledge of God and about the awakening in man of a tendency to fulfill the will of God. They often said that the conversion of a person to God, the invocation of God is a necessary condition for receiving messianic salvation.

John 3: 11. Verily, verily, I say unto you: We speak that we know, and we testify that we saw, but you do not accept Our testimony.

Christ is now beginning to teach Nicodemus what he did not learn from the Scriptures, although he could learn. First of all, He complains about the lack of faith among Nicodemus and the entire learned class of rabbis.

"We". Christ in the Gospels never speaks of Himself in the plural, therefore, here He, apart from Himself, means someone else. Who is it? His disciples? No, His disciples have not yet appeared with Him as preachers. It is most natural to see here an indication of John the Baptist, who at that time successfully continued his activity (John 3 and words). The work of John and the work of Christ are two steps in the unified revelation of God. Both of them are quite trustworthy witnesses because they speak of what they saw (John, of course, in a state of prophetic inspiration, cf. John 1:34: “and I saw and testified,” and Christ, by virtue of His continuous fellowship with the Father, John 1:18). Nevertheless, Nicodemus and others like him “do not accept” the testimonies of John and Christ. Thus, the faith because of the signs that many who were at the Easter holiday in Jerusalem found at that time, Christ does not recognize as true faith - it can more likely be called unbelief!

Jn. 3: 12. If I told you about the earth, and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about the heaven?

But John’s work is already coming to an end, while Christ is just beginning to begin. Therefore, casting a glance at the near future, He speaks only about how the Jewish rabbis will react to Him. This attitude is unlikely to be friendly. They do not believe Christ even now when He speaks to them of the earthly things (τὰ ἐπίγεια), i.e. about the kingdom of God, as it manifests itself in earthly relationships. Christ under the “earthly” could understand here everything that hitherto (John 2-3) He had said about the temple and worship, about repentance and faith, about water baptism and rebirth. Can the rabbis faithfully accept His doctrine of the "heavenly" (τὰ ἐπουράνια)? Here, Christ, of course, had in mind the higher, heavenly side of the Kingdom of God, which He could not help telling His listeners over time, otherwise His teaching would remain incomplete, and therefore only half true. But people like Nicodemus are unlikely to trust the testimony of Christ about objects that are higher than their understanding and generally cannot be verified by experience.

Jn. 3:13. No one ascended to heaven as soon as the Son of Man who came down from heaven, who is in heaven.

However, does Christ have the right to say that He also knows that which is higher than the world, which is the secret of heaven? Yes, He has such a right. In fact, the one who was in heaven may well speak of heaven, and Christ, and only He, really, was and constantly continues to reside in heaven. He came down from heaven. Some interpreters (for example, Prof. Theological) understand the expression used here by Christ to “ascend to heaven” in a figurative sense, as meaning “complete and complete knowledge of the mysteries of God.” But we cannot agree with such an interpretation, because in this case we will have to use the verb “ascend” (ἀναβαίνειν) to deprive the connection with the verb “descend” (“descended from heaven” - καταβαίνειν), and there is undoubtedly a close between these two verbs relationship. If we understand the verb "ascend" in a figurative sense, then in the same sense we must understand the verb "descend". But what, then, will the expression “come down from heaven” mean? Will the idea of \u200b\u200bthe existence of the Logos and before His incarnation? Therefore, not imagining the ascent and descent of Christ from heaven in a gross-spatial sense, it is nevertheless necessary to see in this place the teaching that Christ as a person already existed in God before Its embodiment. And the meaning of verse 13 can be conveyed as follows: “no man (Angels are not meant here, because they“ always see the face of the Heavenly Father ”, Matthew 18:10) did not ascend to heaven - and therefore, was not on before living on earth - except for the Son of Man (see John 1:51), who has come down from heaven and even now the divine side of His being abides in heaven "(the expression" existing in heaven "is far from all codes, but recent critics are more likely to recognize it as genuine than to be inserted after; see, for example, Zang, p. 197).

Jn. 3:14. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,

Jn. 3:15. that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Christ just told Nicodemus about His eternal existence according to His Divinity and about His incarnation. Now He tells him another great mystery - the secret of the salvation of all people by His death on the cross and then His glorification. Christ reveals this teaching by comparing Moses ascended to the shaft of the copper serpent with Himself. There, in the desert, Moses exposed the entire image of the Israeli camp to a copper image of a serpent so that every Jew stung by a snake could turn his eyes to this image and expect healing in Jehovah. Christ will also be ascended first to the cross, and then to heaven (the expression ὑψωθῆναι - “ascend” has a dual meaning here so that everyone who believes has eternal life in Him (“believing in Him” is an inaccurate translation, because the expression ἐν αὐτῷ , “In Him,” one cannot make a dependence on the verb πιστεύειν; reading εἰς αὐτόν, “in Him,” is considered less attested.) But with the similarity between the copper serpent and Christ there is an important difference. First, the saving action of the first extended only for one people, but saving the second action of the Second will extend to humanity in general: “everyone” can be saved thanks to Christ. Secondly, the serpent gave salvation only from temporary death, and then only in one case, and Christ gives “eternal” life, that is, who believes in Christ It should be noted that, on the basis of these words of Christ, all the fathers and teachers of the Church consider the copper serpent as a type of the Messiah, and this view has quite sufficient grounds (the Tsan too narrows the meaning of Christ's reference to the copper serpent, finding here “only comparison” , a. 200).

Jn. 3:16. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.

The reason that the Only Begotten Son of God (see John 1:14, 18) should be exalted - first to the shameful instrument of execution, and then to the glorious throne of heaven - is that God loves people to extremes.

"Loved." The Evangelist speaks of the love of God as a fact already known from history (therefore, in the Greek text the verb is put here in the form of an aorist), because the coming of the Son of God to earth to save people was already a fact at that time.

"World". By "peace" here Christ does not mean nature in general, but conscious and responsible for their actions creatures that inhabit the earth, i.e. all of humanity is in a state of decline (cf. verse 17).

"Gave". As can be inferred from what was said in verses 14–15, here Christ meant the giving of God of the Son to suffering and death (cf. Rom. 8:32).

Jn. 3:17. For God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world would be saved through Him.

Christ twice mentioned that He came to give people eternal life or, equivalently, salvation. Such a statement might have seemed to Nicodemus somewhat disagreeing with the recent appearance of Christ in the temple, where He was the accuser and judge of the desecrators of the temple. Moreover, then Judaism generally expected to see a Judge in the Messiah, and moreover, a Judge, mainly over the pagan world, which hitherto oppressed the chosen Jewish nation. Therefore, Christ says that the most essential in His calling as the Messiah is precisely the salvation of the world, and not the execution of judgment on the world (this, of course, does not exclude the future judgment that Christ will perform over the whole universe over time; see John 5 : 27-29).

Jn. 3:18. The one who believes in Him is not condemned, and the unbeliever is already condemned, because he did not believe in the name of the Only Begotten Son of God.

However, the trial of the world, and closest to the Jews, is already underway. This court, one might say, is committed by itself: some accept the Messiah and are not exposed, cannot be judged in the sense of condemnation. Others have already clearly revealed their disbelief in Christ, and therefore their fate has already been decided: they are now condemned for not believing in the name of the Son of God, i.e. they did not recognize Him as having received such a clear and definite testimony of Himself from God's messenger John as the Only Begotten Son of God forever in the bosom of the Father (John 1: 15-18). The last, the Last Judgment, in fact, will not bring anything new in determining the fate of such people: it will only attest to all their guilt.

Jn. 3:19. The judgment is that light has come into the world; but people loved darkness more than light, because their deeds were evil;

Christ here explains what “judgment” He had in mind in the preceding verse. The essence of this court is that "light", i.e. the light of Christ's truth shone in a world in the darkness of sins and all sorts of prejudices. “People”, i.e. those unbelievers who were mentioned in the previous verse (besides those who believed in Christ) were estranged from this light, it was pleasant for them to remain in the old darkness. Why? Because "their deeds", i.e. all their behavior, their moral character, did not allow them to meet the light (πονηρὰ τὰ ἔργα - matters are morally evil, insidious).

John 3.20. for everyone who does evil, hates the light and does not go to the light, lest his deeds be convicted, because they are evil,

John 3.21. but he who comes in truth goes to the light, so that his deeds may be manifest, because they are done in God.

Christ now spoke of a certain circle of people from the Jewish people who did not want to go to the light of Christ's truth. Now He first in relation to the evil, and then in relation to good people finds out the reason for the different attitudes of all people to the light of truth. An evil person doesn’t want the light to illuminate his affairs, which do not deserve in their futility the respect they have previously been given (the phrase φαῦλα used in the 20th century has such meaning - it’s insignificant, bad things, although maybe not always harmful or insidious). Thus, the Apostle Paul also said: “All that is discovered is made manifest from the light” (Eph. 5:13). On the other hand, there are people who act “in truth” or, more precisely, do truth (ὁ ποιῶν τὴν ἀλήθειαν), i.e. honest, sincere people, alien to all hypocrisy (cf. John 1:47). Such people willingly go towards the light, seek to acquire the truth that has appeared in Christ - not, of course, in order to become glorified in front of other people, but in order to know themselves and evaluate how their behavior should be. Then such people are “inspired by even greater jealousy to achieve the highest moral ideal” (prof. Bogoslovsky). And they are not afraid of discovering their works, because they know that they did them “in God,” that is, for God and with His help.

It should be noted that when he says that a person who truly loves the truth is not afraid that “his deeds should be obvious”, Christ thereby makes a certain rebuke to Nicodemus, who considered himself to be a person who values \u200b\u200bthe truth (cf. verse 2), and at the same time time, he feared that his work - a visit to Christ - would be discovered, and therefore came to Christ only at night. This reproach, obviously, had an effect on Nicodemus, because after that he even began to defend Christ in the Sanhedrin (John 7:50) and took part in His burial (John 19: 38-40). Tradition reports that after the resurrection of Christ, he was baptized by the apostles Peter and John and died a martyrdom (his memory is celebrated on August 2).

The second half of the chapter deals with the work of Christ in Judea. This activity was unusually successful, and the disciples of the Baptist even felt envy of Christ (verses 22–26). Then the last testimony of the Baptist about Christ is given. First, the Baptist speaks of himself and his relationship to Christ (verses 27–30), and then of the divine dignity of the face of the Lord Jesus Christ (verses 31–36).

John 3.22. After this, Jesus came with his disciples to the land of Judea and lived there with them and baptized.

At the end of the holiday (“after this” - μετὰ ταῦτα, that is, after all the incidents described from the 13th verse of the 2nd chapter), Christ went from Jerusalem to the Jewish land. “Jewish land” at that time meant a region bounded from the north by the extreme borders of Samaria, from the south by the edge of the desert at Bathsheba, from the west by the lowlands of the Philistines plain, and from the east by the line of the Jordan and the Dead Sea (prof. Bogoslovsky, p. 248) . Jerusalem, as the main city of the promised land, stood out from this area. It is very likely that such a stay of Christ in the Jewish land was quite long, so that he managed to preach the news of the approach of the Kingdom of Heaven across all the borders of Judea. He also performed a baptismal rite during the sermon, like John, but there was a rather big difference between the baptism of John and the baptism of Christ. Firstly, Christ did not baptize Himself, but through His disciples (John 4: 2), and secondly, His baptism was not only an external sign of repentance for the baptized, but a special rite through which people became followers of Christ (cf. John 4: 1). Then, John baptized, preaching about the coming of the Messiah, and Christ - preaching about the Kingdom of Heaven. Of course, He pointed to Himself as the Founder of this Kingdom and began to form a large community of believers around Him (cf. John 7: 3). He did not do this when He was in Jerusalem.

Jn. 3:23. And John also baptized at Aenon, near Salim, because there was a lot of water; and they came there and were baptized,

At this time, John the Baptist continued his activity, since he, speaking in the ministry at the command of God (Luke 3: 2), could not arbitrarily, without a new command from God, cease his activity. But where was Enon, in whose waters John baptized then? “Near Salim,” the evangelist remarks. Meanwhile, we do not know where Salim was. There is no doubt only that this place was located west of the Jordan, since the disciples of the Baptist in their address to John make it clear that they are with their teacher on the western side of the Jordan (verse 26, where it is more correct to read this way: “Rabbi, the One who I was with you on the other side of the Jordan ", in the Russian translation -" under the Jordan "). And the dispute of the disciples of John about the comparative dignity of the baptism of Christ and John becomes understandable only under the assumption that Christ and John were at that time in one area, i.e. in Judea (see verse 25). The location of Enon cannot be specified exactly. But it is likely that he was at one of the streams flowing into the Dead Sea from the west. There was a lot of water in this stream, which attracted the Baptist here.

Jn. 3:24. for John was not yet imprisoned.

The evangelist makes the remark that John was not yet imprisoned at that time because, according to weather forecasters, for example, Matthew, John was imprisoned almost immediately at the baptism of Christ (Matthew 4:12), and therefore there is no time left for his work, which the Evangelist John speaks of in this section. So that readers are not tempted by the contradiction that appears here, the evangelist hurries to correct the testimony of weather forecasters about the time the Baptist was imprisoned.

John 3:25. Then the disciples of John had a dispute with the Jews about purification.

Some Jews (or, according to another reading, one Jew) entered into a contest with John’s disciples “for purification” (περὶ καθαρισμοῦ), that is, about the customs of the Jews washing their dishes and washing themselves (cf. John 2: 6), and from here, probably, they went on to the debate about the comparative dignity of baptism performed by John and baptism performed by Christ. It may well be that the Jews pointed out to the disciples of the Baptist the uselessness of his activity, when He already appeared, to whom John himself turned the gaze of his disciples. They spoke, of course, of the extraordinary success that the new preacher had.

John 3: 26. And they came to John and said to him: Rabbi! The one that was with you under the Jordan and of which you testified, here He baptizes, and everyone goes to Him.

The activity of Christ aroused envy in the disciples of the Baptist and at the same time jealousy of the glory of his teacher, which now, apparently, was on the decline. They express their irritation to John, hoping that he will take any measures to encourage Christ to withdraw from the area that John chose as his place of activity. After all, the Baptist did so much for Christ by testifying of Him as the Messiah!

Jn. 3:27. John answered: man cannot take anything upon himself unless it is given to him from heaven.

In response to his disciples, the Baptist first of all says that any success that anyone has in his work depends entirely on the will of God. It is a gift of God.

Jn. 3:28. You yourself are witnesses to me in what I said: I am not Christ, but I am sent before Him.

Further, John recalls to his disciples exactly the words that he said about Christ and which, of course, were not unknown to his disciples either. But he said (cf. John 1:15, 20, 27, 30) that he, John, Christ, was not he, but only sent before Him, i.e. before Jesus as Christ.

John 3:29. He who has a bride is the groom, and the groom's friend, standing and listening to him, rejoices with joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. This joy of mine was fulfilled.

Clarifying his attitude towards Christ, the Baptist compares himself to the “friend of the groom”, who played a major role among Jews in the entire process of marriage. Of course, this friend was very pleased when he saw that his matchmaking business had come to its desired end and when he heard the conversation of the newlywed couple. The Baptist also prepared people for the adoption of Christ, who now gathered around Him a community of believers or the Church, for the Church was the bride of this Heavenly Bridegroom (2 Cor. 11: 2). From these words of the Baptist, we have the right to conclude that he already knew, before his disciples reported, about the success Christ had in Judea, and this gave him joyful confidence that the work of Christ would come to its desired goal.

John 3:30. He must grow, but I must diminish.

If the activity of John is now coming to an end, and the activity of Christ is growing, then this should be so. An explanation of such a statement is given below in a speech on the dignity of Christ.

John 3:31. He who comes from above is above all; but he who is from the earth is and speaks as he who is from the earth; He who comes from heaven is above all,

The first advantage of the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ lies in His heavenly (“from above”) origin. The expression “coming from above” means precisely the indescribable birth of the Word from God the Father, and not the messenger of Christ to the ministry (St. Cyril of Alexandria), because the Baptist himself was also sent from above (cf. John 1: 6). Such an advantage of Christ eliminates any idea that there could be any competition with Him: He is above all. But who further does the Baptist mean by “earthly” and “speaking from the earth?” Many commentators believe that he is talking about himself here, but one cannot agree with this opinion. Nevertheless, John was a prophet, rewarded with divine revelations and speaking to the people as the messenger of Heaven (John 1: 29-34). He testified before his disciples and people that he had heard and seen (John 1:34, 3:11). It is better to see here an indication of other, ordinary Jewish teachers, with whom, of course, then Christ was compared as a new rabbi.

Jn. 3: 32. and what He saw and heard, he testifies of that; and no one accepts his testimony.

Christ's second advantage is the incomparable superiority of His teaching. The Lord spoke only what he knew directly, what he heard and saw in heaven (cf. verse 11). Therefore, the number of followers of Christ, which seemed too large to the disciples of the Baptist, seems very small to himself, in view of the high merit of the teaching of Christ.

John 3:33. He who received His testimony sealed that God is true,

John, however, is in a hurry to distract the eyes of his disciples from the sad picture that Christ's unbelievers presented, and draws their attention to the results experienced by believers in His word. The life of these believers has completely changed, and when they receive the grace of God in Christ (John 1:16), they thereby testify with all firmness (“they make their seal”) that the promises God made to them through John the Baptist (John 1 : 29), they really come to fruition: they have become much better than they were before, and they themselves are a "seal" certifying the truth of God's promises.

John 3:34. for he whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for by measure God gives the Spirit.

These promises, however, could not remain unfulfilled, because they were spoken by the messengers of God - prophets and, in particular, John the Baptist himself. They were given a revelation from the Spirit of God, and moreover, not sparingly (“not by measure” - οὐ ἐκ μέτρου).

The whole verse according to the best codes should look like this: “the one sent from God” (or the messenger of God) speaks the words of God, for the Spirit gives (of course, its gifts) not by measure (i.e., not sparingly, but generously).

John 3:35. The Father loves the Son and has given everything into His hand.

The third and final advantage of Christ is that God, by His special love for the Son, gave everything to Him in power. John calls Christ here the Son of God because this name was revealed to him during the baptism of Christ in the Jordan (Matthew 3:17).

Jn.3: 36. He who believes in the Son has eternal life, but he who does not believe in the Son does not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.

Here, John indicates the lofty purpose that God had in giving such authority to the Son (cf. verses 15–16), and this makes it clear to his disciples how much they lose without entering into the number of followers of Christ.

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Between the Pharisees was someone named Nicodemus, one from the rulers of the Jews.He came to Jesus at night and said to him: Rabbi! we know that you are a teacher who came from God; for no one can do such miracles as You do, unless God is with him.

Jesus answered him: verily, verily, I say unto you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Nicodemus tells Him: how can a person be born when he is old? could he enter another time in his mother’s womb and be born?

Jesus answered: verily, verily, I say unto you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.Those born of the flesh are flesh, and those born of the Spirit are spirit.Do not be surprised that I told you: "you must be born again."The spirit breathes wherever it wants, and you hear its voice, but you don’t know where it comes from and where it goes: it happens to everyone born of the Spirit.

Nicodemus answered him: how can this be?

Jesus answered and said to him: are you a teacher of Israel, and don't you know that?Verily, verily, I say unto you: We speak that we know, and we testify that we saw, but you do not accept Our testimony.If I told you about the earth, and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about the heaven?No one ascended to heaven as soon as the Son of Man who came down from heaven, who is in heaven.

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.For God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world would be saved through Him.

The one who believes in Him is not condemned, and the unbeliever is already condemned, because he did not believe in the name of the Only Begotten Son of God.The judgment is that light has come into the world; but people loved darkness more than light, because their deeds were evil.For everyone who does evil, hates the light and does not go to the light, lest his deeds be exposed, because they are evil;but he who comes in truth goes to the light, so that his deeds may be manifest, because they are done in God.

After this, Jesus came with his disciples to the land of Judea and lived there with them and baptized.And John also baptized at Aenon, near Salim, because there was a lot of water; and came there and were baptizedfor John was not yet imprisoned.

Then the disciples of John had a dispute with the Jews about purification.And they came to John and said to him: Rabbi! The one that was with you under the Jordan and of which you testified, behold, He baptizes, and all go to Him.

John answered: man cannot accept anything to myselfif not given to him from heaven.You yourself are witnesses to me in what I said: "I am not Christ, but I am sent before Him."He who has a bride is the groom, and the groom's friend, standing and listening to him, rejoices with joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. This joy has come true.He must grow, but I must diminish.

He who comes from above is above all; but he who is from the earth is earthly and is, and speaks as he who is from the earth; He who comes from heaven is above all,and what He saw and heard, he testifies of that; and no one accepts his testimony.He who received His testimony sealed that God is true,for he whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for by measure God gives the Spirit.The Father loves the Son and has given everything into His hand.He who believes in the Son has eternal life, but he who does not believe in the Son does not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.