10  From John to  Jesus  (John 3:22–36)

After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He was spending time with them and baptizing. John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there; and people were coming and were being baptized—for John had not yet been thrown into prison. Therefore there arose a discussion on the part of John’s disciples with a Jew about purification. And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified, behold, He is baptizing and all are coming to Him.” John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven. You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent ahead of Him.’ He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. So this joy of mine has been made full. He must increase, but I must decrease. He who comes from above is above all, he who is of the earth is from the earth and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. What He has seen and heard, of that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony. He who has received His testimony has set his seal to this, that God is true. For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for He gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand. He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”(3:22–36)

For centuries the children of Israel lived under the burdensome covenant God made with their fathers at Mount Sinai. As well as being God’s absolute law of righteousness, reflecting His own holy nature, it contained also the unique marks of their national identity as God’s chosen people (Deut. 7:6; 14:2). Thus, it set them apart from their pagan neighbors by its detailed social and ceremonial regulations. Yet almost from the beginning they misunderstood and abused the moral and spiritual elements of that covenant. It was meant to reveal their sin and abysmal failure to obey God, but they turned it into a source of arrogant pride, as well as a false hope for salvation. The old covenant’s central pillars were holiness and love for God and man (Mark 12:28–31). But by Jesus’ day, Israel’s adherence to that covenant had degenerated into an external form of superficial morality, mechanical ceremony, legalistic ritualism, and extraneous tradition.

Israel also erred by assuming that the old covenant was the means to salvation, when that was never God’s intent. His purpose was to confront sinners with a reflection of His absolute holiness, demand that they keep the law perfectly, and leave them facing their inability to keep it. That would point them to either divine judgment or the opportunity to repent, trust His grace, and receive the forgiveness He offered, provided in the new covenant (Jer. 31:34) to be ratified by the death of Christ. In the words of the apostle Paul, “The Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith” (Gal. 3:24). The old covenant was unable to justify anyone. However, it pointed to the coming Savior, through whom sinners could be “reconciled to God” (Rom. 5:10).

Approximately six hundred years before the Savior came, God told His people about the new covenant through the prophet Jeremiah.

In promising salvation in the new covenant, God indicated that the old covenant could never be the final hope. Thus, the author of Hebrews explains, “When He said, ‘A new covenant,’ He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear” (Heb. 8:13).

The old covenant did have a certain glory inherent in it. Isaiah wrote, “The Lord was pleased for His righteousness’ sake to make the law great and glorious” (Isa. 42:21). And Paul reminded the Corinthians,

Yet, as the apostle noted in verses 7 and 11, the glory of the old covenant was not permanent, but fading; it was intended to give way to the new.

Scripture makes it clear that the new covenant is not merely a revision of the old. Rather, it is something brand-new and completely different, because it alone provides salvation. There is no salvation in the other covenants stated in the Old Testament (Noahic, Abrahamic, Priestly, Davidic, or Mosaic). The writer of Hebrews emphasized its distinctiveness by describing it with the Greek word kainos, which refers to something new in kind, not subsequent in time (Heb. 8:13).

As a unique demonstration of divine saving grace, the new covenant’s superiority to the old is manifest in a number of ways. For instance, it has a better mediator, the Lord Jesus Christ (Heb. 8:6); it offers a better hope based on better promises, most notably that of complete forgiveness (Jer. 31:34; cf. Heb. 10:4); it grants all believers direct access to God without the need for priests; it is gracious (Heb. 8:9) in that its blessings will never be forfeited by disobedience (though disobedience brings chastening [Heb. 12:4–11]); it is internal, written not on tablets of stone (2 Cor. 3:7; Ex. 31:18), but on the heart (Jer. 31:33; Heb. 8:10); it brings spiritual life, not spiritual death (2 Cor. 3:6; cf. vv. 7, 9; Rom. 8:2–3); it results in righteousness, not condemnation (2 Cor. 3:9); it is clear and straightforward, unlike the old covenant’s types, pictures, symbols, and mysteries; and it is energized by the liberating power of the Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 3:17–18). (For Paul’s explanation of the uniqueness of the new covenant, see 2 Corinthians, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary [Chicago: Moody, 2003], chaps. 7–8.)

The transition from John the Baptist’s ministry to that of Jesus Christ, which is the theme of this section (cf. v. 30), symbolized the transition from the old covenant to the new. His father, Zacharias, understood the significance of the coming Messiah’s relation to the new covenant, as he makes clear in his Spirit-filled prophecy in Luke 1:67–79:

As a priest who knew the Scripture, Zacharias understood the Messiah was coming to fulfill the promise of the new covenant. He was saying that all the promises to David (v. 69) and Abraham (v. 73) depended for their fulfillment on the arrival of Messiah (vv. 77–79). This whole prophecy is based on Old Testament texts regarding the Davidic, Abrahamic, and new covenants (e.g., Isa. 60:1–5, 19–21; 61:1–2, 10; 62:11–12).

John the Baptist was the last prophet under the old covenant (Luke 16:16); Jesus came as the mediator of the new covenant (Heb. 8:6; 12:24), which He ratified by His sacrificial death (Luke 22:20; 1 Cor. 11:25). Up to this point, John had enjoyed tremendous popularity (Matt. 3:4–6; Mark 1:4–5), while Jesus remained in obscurity. Although His cleansing of the temple (John 2:13–22) had broken Him out of that anonymity and created a sensation, Jesus still had only a handful of followers. But that was about to change, as the crowds that had been following John left him and flocked to Jesus. Thus, Christ would move to the forefront, and John would fade from the scene, giving his final testimony to the Messiah.

In God’s sovereign plan, John’s ministry overlapped that of Jesus. If it had not, there would have been no forerunner to point the nation to the Messiah (Isa. 40:3; cf. Mal. 3:1; John 1:23). It must not be imagined, however, that John and Jesus were ever rivals; John clearly understood and accepted his subservient role (cf. the discussion of this point in chapter 4 of this volume). Yet, despite John’s general popularity (Matt. 14:5; Mark 11:32) among the common people (Matt. 3:5–6; Luke 7:29), Israel—under the influence of its religious leaders (Matt. 3:7–10; Luke 7:30)—ultimately rejected his testimony concerning Jesus (Matt. 27:20–25).

The phrase after these things indicates that the events recorded in this section followed (after an unspecified interval) the events described in 2:13–3:21 (Jesus’ cleansing of the temple, His miraculous signs, and His dialogue with Nicodemus). After the Passover, Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, meaning that they left Jerusalem (which is in Judea) for the surrounding Judean countryside (the Greek text literally reads “the Judean land” or “region”).

Jesus’ purpose in leaving Jerusalem was twofold: spending time with His disciples, and inaugurating His preaching that led to His baptizing ministry (although Jesus did not personally baptize, only His disciples did; cf. 4:2). Spending time translates a form of the verb diatribo, which implies that a considerable period of time elapsed (cf. its use in Acts 12:19; 14:3, 28; 15:35; 25:14), probably several months. During this interval, Jesus’ disciples were baptizing those who came to hear Him preach and heeded His call to repent (cf. Matt. 4:17). Their baptisms foreshadowed Christian baptism, which was not instituted until after Jesus’ death and resurrection (of which Christian baptism is a picture; cf. Rom. 6:3–4).

At the same time John also continued his baptizing ministry in Aenon near Salim. Two locations have been proposed for that site, one near Shechem in the hill country and the other near Beth Shean in the Jordan River valley. Both sites were in Samaria, leaving Judea to Jesus while John was ministering to the north. There is abundant water at both locations, in keeping both with the meaning of Aenon (a transliterated Aramaic or Hebrew word meaning “springs”) and the statement that there was much water there. Even as Jesus’ ministry was gaining momentum, large crowds of people were still coming to John and being baptized.

The parenthetical note that John the Baptist had not yet been thrown into prison does more than just state what is self-evident; obviously, John was not in prison, or he could not have been openly preaching and baptizing. The statement informs readers that this incident took place between Jesus’ temptation and John’s imprisonment, a period of time about which the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) are silent. The Synoptics begin their account of Jesus’ public ministry in Galilee after John is already in prison (Matt. 4:12; Mark 1:14; cf. Luke 3:19–20 with 4:14). The gospel of John supplements them by recording these earlier events from Jesus’ ministry, events that were simultaneous with John the Baptist’s ministry in Samaria. The apostle John clarifies the timing here so that his readers will not be confused. By the time John penned his gospel, the Synoptics had already been in circulation for many years. This explanatory note makes it clear that John’s time frame does not conflict with that of Matthew, Mark, or Luke.

This passage may be divided into two sections: John the Baptist and the end of the old age, followed by Jesus and the beginning of the new age.

JOHN THE BAPTIST AND THE END OF THE OLD AGE

Therefore there arose a discussion on the part of John’s disciples with a Jew about purification. And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified, behold, He is baptizing and all are coming to Him.” John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven. You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent ahead of Him.’ He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. So this joy of mine has been made full. He must increase, but I must decrease.” (3:25–30)

At some point during the concurrent but separate ministries of John and Jesus there arose a discussion between John’s disciples and a Jew (the singular “Jew” is the preferred reading, rather than the plural “Jews,” as in the KJV and NKJV) about Jewish ritual purification (cf. 2:6). Whether or not the Jew was a follower of Jesus is unclear. The reaction of John’s disciples, however, reveals that they felt a deeper issue was at stake—namely, the relative merits of John’s baptism ministry in comparison to that of Jesus.

The dispute surfaced an issue that had no doubt been disturbing John’s disciples for some time. During the prolonged time (cf. the discussion of v. 22 above) that John ministered in close proximity to Jesus, John’s following had gradually diminished. Troubled by their master’s waning popularity (cf. 4:1), which their dispute with the Jew highlighted, John’s disciples came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified, behold, He is baptizing and all are coming to Him.” Apparently unwilling even to name Jesus, John’s envious disciples saw Jesus as a competitor, who was gaining popularity at their master’s expense (their exaggerated use of all reveals the extent of their bias). Incredibly, they also missed the purpose of John’s ministry, which was to point the nation to the Messiah (cf. 1:19ff.).

Unlike his overly zealous followers, however, John was not bothered in the least by his declining popularity. Despite his tremendous initial influence, he had always remained focused on the purpose of his ministry that he had probably known from childhood—to testify to Christ (cf. 1:27, 30). Now as his ministry began to wind down, John’s purpose did not waver. His humble reply must have startled his disciples: “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven.” In this way, he affirmed and embraced his subordinate role as the herald of the Messiah. God had sovereignly granted him his ministry (cf. Rom. 1:5; 1 Cor. 4:7; 15:10; Eph. 3:7; 1 Tim. 2:7); if God now chose to change or end that ministry, John was content. Everything among God’s servants, including popular ministry, is a gracious gift from God, not something to which a person is entitled. Therefore there is no place for jealousy as John’s self-effacing reply indicated (note the opposite reaction by the Pharisees in 12:19).

John’s emphatic reminder to his envious disciples, “You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, ‘I am not the Christ’ (cf. 1:8, 20), but, ‘I have been sent ahead of Him’” (cf. 1:23; Matt. 3:3; Mark 1:3; Luke 1:17, 76; 3:4–6; Acts 19:4), was a rebuke for their obtuseness. Nothing he had said could account for their misunderstanding of his role; on the contrary, he had always maintained that he was the forerunner of the Messiah, not the Messiah Himself. Thus, John saw Jesus’ increasing popularity not as a concern, but as the fulfillment of his ministry. Far from upsetting him, it brought him great joy

The measure of success for any ministry is not how many people follow the minister, but how many people follow Christ through the minister. The factious Corinthians proudly lined up under the banners of their spiritual heroes—Paul, Apollos, Cephas (Peter), and the super pious under Christ (1 Cor. 1:12). Yet in focusing their allegiance on those leaders, they were not fully following the Lord (even the so-called Christ faction was not following Him with a right attitude, but rather from a false sense of spiritual superiority). “Has Christ been divided?” Paul scathingly asked them, “Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” (v. 13). Later in that same epistle he demanded, “When one says, ‘I am of Paul,’ and another, ‘I am of Apollos,’ are you not mere men? What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth” (3:4–6). Thus, all genuine ministry is Christ-centered, “for no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (v. 11).

John the Baptist illustrated his subservient role using the familiar imagery of a wedding (cf. Matt. 22:2–14; 25:1–13; Mark 2:19–20; Luke 12:36; 14:8–10; Rev. 19:7–9). He cast himself not in the role of the bridegroom, but rather as the friend of the bridegroom, a position similar to the best man in a modern wedding. The friend of the bridegroom oversaw many of the details of the wedding, serving as the master of ceremonies (in a Judean wedding; weddings in Galilee were somewhat different [D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1991), 211]). He was even responsible for bringing the bride to the bridegroom to begin the wedding ceremony. Having done that, his task was completed; the focus now rightfully shifted from him to the bridegroom.

There is good evidence that according to ancient Mesopotamian law the friend of the bridegroom was forbidden under any circumstances to marry the bride, even if the bridegroom rejected her (Carson, 212; Homer A. Kent Jr. Light in the Darkness: Studies in the Gospel of John [Grand Rapids: Baker, 1974], 67; J. D. Douglas, ed., The New Bible Dictionary [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1979], s.v., “Friend of the Bridegroom”). That explains Samson’s outrage when his fiancée was given to his companion (Judg. 14:20–15:3). If that were still the case in John’s day, his depiction of himself as the friend of the bridegroom reinforced the fact that he did not see himself and Jesus as rivals. Bringing the faithful remnant of Israel (depicted in the Old Testament as the bride of the Lord; cf. Isa. 54:5–6; 62:4–5; Jer. 2:2; 31:32; Hos. 2:16–20) to Christ was the culmination of John’s ministry as His forerunner.

Unlike his jealous disciples, John found great joy in phasing out so that Jesus’ ministry could receive Israel’s full attention. Having brought him the bride, the faithful friend of the bridegroom … rejoices greatly because he hears the bridegroom’s voice expressing joy over the bride. So John’s joy was made full as he watched the crowds leave him for Jesus: “This is the joy which John claims for himself, the joy of the dbridegroom’s friend, who arranges the marriage, and this joy is attained in Christ’s welcoming to Himself the people whom John has prepared for Him and directed to Him” (Marcus Dods, “John,” in W. Robertson Nicoll, ed. The Expositors’ Bible Commentary [Reprint; Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson, 2002], 1:720).

John summarized his view of himself in relation to Jesus in perhaps the most humble statement uttered by anyone in Scripture: He must increase, but I must decrease. Leon Morris observes, “It is not particularly easy in this world to gather followers about one for a serious purpose. But when they are gathered it is infinitely harder to detach them and firmly insist that they go after another. It is the measure of John’s greatness that he did just that” (The Gospel According to John, The New International Commentary on the New Testament [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1979], 242).

Must speaks of divine necessity. It was God’s will for John to give way to Jesus; there was no reason for the crowds to hang around the herald once the king had arrived. Because he understood this, John the Baptist joyously accepted God’s plan for his ministry.

JESUS AND THE BEGINNING OF THE NEW AGE

“He who comes from above is above all, he who is of the earth is from the earth and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. What He has seen and heard, of that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony. He who has received His testimony has set his seal to this, that God is true. For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for He gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand. He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” (3:31–36)

Commentators disagree on whether John the Baptist continues to speak in these verses, or whether they are an editorial comment by the apostle John (first-century writers did not use quotation marks). But since there is no indication in the text of a break in thought or continuity, it is best to see these verses as a continuation of John the Baptist’s words to his disciples. In his last recorded speech in this gospel, John listed five reasons for his disciples (and, by extension, everyone) to accept the absolute supremacy of Jesus Christ.

CHRIST HAD A HEAVENLY ORIGIN

“He who comes from above is above all, he who is of the earth is from the earth and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.” (3:31)

The adverb anothen (from above) is the same word translated “born again” in 3:3, 7, where it reflects the heavenly origin of the new birth. Here it refers to Christ as the One “who descended from heaven” (3:13; cf. 6:33, 38, 50–51, 58; 8:42; 13:3; 16:28; 17:8; 1 Cor. 15:47; Eph.4:10). As such, He is above all; Christ is sovereign over the universe in general, and the world of men in particular.

In contrast, John the Baptist declared himself to be of the earth, from the earth, and one who speaks of the earth. Unlike kosmos (“world”), ge (earth) carries no negative moral implications; it merely refers here to human limitations. John’s preaching was bold, powerful, and persuasive, yet he was just a “man sent from God” (1:6). Jesus, in contrast, was God incarnate (1:1, 14), and His testimony to the truth was infinitely greater than John’s (cf. 5:33–36). Because of Jesus’ heavenly origin, He had to increase while John had to decrease.

CHRIST KNEW THE TRUTH FIRSTHAND

“What He has seen and heard, of that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony.” (3:32)

In the old covenant, “God … spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets” (Heb. 1:1), the last and greatest of whom was John the Baptist. But in the new covenant God “in these last days has spoken to us in His Son” (v. 2). Jesus’ teaching is superior to anyone else’s because His knowledge is not secondhand. He is the source of divine revelation. What He has seen and heard in the heavenly realm (cf. v. 31), of that He testifies with certainty (cf. Matt. 7:28–29; Mark 1:22, 27).”Truly, truly, I say to you,” Jesus said to Nicodemus, “we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen” (3:11). Later He taught, “He who sent Me is true; and the things which I heard from Him, these I speak to the world” (8:26). To His disciples He declared, “All things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you” (15:15; cf. 8:40). Even Jesus’ enemies acknowledged, “Never has a man spoken the way this man speaks” (John 7:46).

Tragically, John lamented, despite Jesus’ powerful, authoritative proclamation of the truth, no one receives His testimony. Echoing Jesus’ words to that same effect (3:11; cf. 5:43; 12:37), the Baptist’s hyperbolic statement emphasized that the world in general rejects Jesus and His teaching. The apostle John noted that rejection in the prologue to his gospel: “[Jesus] was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him” (1:9–11). “A natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God,” Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised” (1 Cor. 2:14). It is because they are dead in their trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1) and blinded by Satan (2 Cor. 4:4) that unbelievers willfully reject Jesus’ testimony to the truth.

CHRIST’S TESTIMONY ALWAYS AGREED WITH GOD

“He who has received His testimony has set his seal to this, that God is true.” (3:33)

Having stated the general rule, John gave the exception. Although the majority of people reject Jesus’ message, not everyone does. There are those who accept His testimony, believing in Him for eternal life. In the ancient world, people set their seal to something (often with a signet ring; Gen. 41:42; Est. 3:10, 12; 8:2, 8, 10; Dan. 6:17) as a sign of complete acceptance and approval. In today’s jargon, they signed off on it. Those who have received Christ’s testimony thereby certify their belief that God is true when He speaks through His Son, as always (cf. John 17:17; Rom.3:4; Titus 1:2).

Unlike human teachers, whose words sometimes agree with divine truth and sometimes do not, Jesus always spoke in complete harmony with the Father. Thus, those who profess to believe in God yet reject Jesus Christ are deceived. Jesus is one with the Father (10:30). “He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him” (5:23), and the Father said of Him, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!” (Matt. 17:5). He is “the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through [Him]” (14:6). To reject Jesus is to call God a liar (1 John 5:10), and to perish eternally (John 8:24).

CHRIST EXPERIENCED THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WITHOUT LIMIT

“For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for He gives the Spirit without measure.” (3:34)

The prophets of old who spoke for God were led, empowered, and inspired by the Holy Spirit; John the Baptist himself was “filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother’s womb” (Luke 1:15). Yet the Spirit’s ability to empower them was limited by their sinful, fallen human natures. But Jesus Christ, He whom God has sent (3:17; 4:34; 5:24, 30, 36–38; 6:29, 38, 39, 44, 57; 7:16, 28–29, 33;8:16, 18, 26, 29, 42; 9:4; 10:36; 11:42; 12:44–45, 49; 13:20; 14:24; 15:21; 16:5; 17:3, 8, 18, 21, 23, 25; 20:21; Matt. 10:40; Mark 9:37; Luke 4:18; 10:16), infallibly spoke the words of God because God gave the Spirit to Him without measure (1:32–33; cf. Isa. 11:2; 42:1; 61:1). Since “in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form” (Col. 2:9), there were no limits to the Spirit’s power working through Him.

CHRIST RECEIVED ALL AUTHORITY FROM THE FATHER

“The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand. He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” (3:35–36)

This last point explicitly states what the first four imply. Because of His love for the Son (cf. 5:20; 15:9; 17:23, 26; Matt. 3:17), the Father has given Him supreme authority over all things on earth and in heaven (Matt. 11:27; 28:18; 1 Cor. 15:27; Eph. 1:22; Phil. 2:9–11; Heb. 1:2; 1 Peter 3:22). That supremacy is a clear indicator of the Son’s deity.

John’s affirmation of Jesus’ absolute authority demonstrated his humble attitude, even as his heralding ministry faded into the background. Having fulfilled his mission on this earth, John realized that his work would soon be finished. In fact, not long after this, he was arrested and beheaded by Herod Antipas, ruler of Galilee (Matt. 14:3–11).

But before he faded from the scene, John the Baptist gave an invitation and a warning that form a fitting climax, not only to this chapter, but also to his entire ministry. Like Moses (Deut. 11:26–28; 30:15–20), Joshua (Josh. 24:15), Elijah (1 Kings 18:21), and Jesus (John 3:18) before him, he set forth the only two choices available to lost sinners: “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

The blessed truth of salvation is that the one who believes in the Son has eternal life as a present possession, not merely as a future hope. Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life” (5:24; cf. 1:12; 3:15–16; 6:47; 1 John 5:10–13).

But on the other hand, the one who does not obey the Son

will not see life. The juxtaposition of belief and disobedience is a reminder that the New Testament portrays belief in the gospel as obedience to God, an essential element of saving faith (cf. Acts 6:7; Rom. 1:5; 15:18; 16:26; 2 Thess. 1:8; Heb. 5:9; 1 Peter 1:2; 4:17). The fearful reality is that the wrath of God (His settled, holy displeasure against sin) continually abides on disobedient sinners who refuse to believe in Jesus Christ. Just as eternal life is the present possession of believers, so also is condemnation the present condition of unbelievers. The idea here is not that God will one day condemn sinners for their disobedient unbelief; they are already in a state of condemnation (3:18; 2 Peter 2:9) from which only saving faith in Jesus Christ can deliver them. The ultimate consequence of refusing to believe will be to experience God’s wrath for eternity in the lake of fire (Rev. 20:10–15). But it was to save helpless, doomed sinners from that terrifying fate that God sent His Son to be the Savior of the world (1:29; 3:17; 4:42; Matt. 1:21; Rom. 5:9; 1 Thess. 1:10; 1 John 4:14).

In this way, John the Baptist clearly declared the sovereignty and supremacy of Jesus Christ, emphasizing that He alone is able to save sinful men from the consequences of their disobedience. And what John proclaimed with his lips, he exemplified with his life, actively promoting Jesus’ ministry even at the expense of his own. Thus, the weight of John’s witness can still be felt today—as a warning to unbelievers, that they must repent and follow Christ, and as an example to believers, that they should seek the Savior’s glory rather than their own.