Final Testimony of John, Part 2 (John 3:22–30)

What is the driving passion of ministry? Some might expect John the Baptist to be jealous of Jesus's success, but he continues to explain why Jesus's ministry is to be preferred to his own ministry. He also closes with a call that we must all hear. Posted at sermonaudio.com/sermon/110231523281055

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Series: John: Life in Christ’s NameText: John 3:31–36

By: Shaun Marksbury Date: January 8, 2023

Venue: Living Water Baptist ChurchOccasion: AM Service

Introduction

What should be the passion of any ministry? Last time we read together, we saw John’s disciples confront him over an apparent problem. Jesus was in the same area baptizing and making disciples, and more and more people were going to Him. John’s disciples see this as a problem for John’s ministry, but he quickly corrects their misconception. Ministry should exalt Jesus Christ, and we continue to see that in this passage this morning.

Yet, one of the issues we should tackle from the start is whether we’re continuing to read the words of John the Baptist. As we’ve noted earlier in this chapter, when we were questioning where the words of Jesus stop, there are no quotation marks in the original writings, so translators place them in the text based solely on contextual clues. It just wasn’t as important in the ancient world to make clear distinctions between your own words and the words of someone else, to quote someone with precision of language, as long as you gave the correct sense of the speaker’s voice. As such, commentators are divided whether this is John the Baptist continuing to speak or if John the Apostle has once again stepped forward. Still, since there doesn’t seem to be a clear break in the language, I’ll side with the translators and say this continues the Baptizer’s words (though the words are just as true either way).

One might wonder, though, that if this is John the Baptist, just how much he could have known about Jesus by this point. Keep in mind, though, that he is aware of Scripture and a prophet, one to whom God revealed the identity of the Messiah. It’s reasonable to believe he could make many of these connections. Moreover, consider the words of prophecy by Zacharias, his father, in Luke 1:67–79. We read,

And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit [SM: note that this is Spirit-inspired], and prophesied, saying: “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people, and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of David His servant— As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old— Salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all who hate us; to show mercy toward our fathers, and to remember His holy covenant, the oath which He swore to Abraham our father, to grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.

[SM: Then speaking of John] “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare His ways; to give to His people the knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, with which the Sunrise from on high will visit us, to shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

Zechariah knew by prophetic word that the Messiah had come and that John would serve as His forerunner.

So, if these are the words of John the Baptist, he is not just being humble. He has an exalted view of Christ. He says that the Lord doesn’t come from below like the rest of us, that Jesus knows heaven firsthand, that He testifies of the truth of God, that He has the Spirit without measure, and that He has the love of and all things from the Father. True perspective in life doesn’t come from self-abasement but Christ exaltation!

John the Baptist continues to demonstrate that ministry of Jesus is to be preferred to his own ministry. He lists several reasons why Jesus is greater than he is. First, he explains Jesus is greater because He has heavenly origins. Second, he explains Jesus is greater because He has divine origins. Third, he explains Jesus is greater because He has loving origins. Finally, John closes with a call that we must all hear. Let’s consider his first point first, though.

First, Jesus is Greater Because He Has Heavenly Origins (v. 31).

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.

John had already heard the word that he would become a prophet for “the Sunrise from on high … [who would] shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death.” Moreover, Jesus said in Jerusalem back here in John 3:13 that “No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man.” It’s possible that word got back to John concerning this confirmation.

Jesus would continue to give confirmations such as this. In John 8:23, He says, “You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world.” Our Lord transcends the human experience, having pre-existed it and all of creation, as we learned in John 1.

And certainly, if Jesus is from above, that means He is over all things. He has authority over all in His hand, as we hear in v. 35. With that in mind, John the Baptist speaking these words must mean specifically that Jesus is over all people, including himself. After all, he continues by saying, “he who is of the earth is from the earth and speaks of the earth,” which could refer to all of us, but specifically contrasts John to Jesus. If Jesus is over all, then even the prophet John should step out of the way and willingly decrease before Him.

We can apply this teaching to the church, to nations, and to all rulers and authorities. As Paul later writes of Jesus in Colossians 1:15–18,

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.

The Lord Jesus Christ is currently above all the angels of heaven and the peoples of the earth. While in this moment, Jesus is yet uncrucified and unexalted, John the Baptist understands that there is more to the Messiah’s role than what he and the disciples currently see. This is one of many reasons why John should decrease before Christ, and another one comes next.

Second, Jesus is Greater Because He Has Divine Origins (vv. 32–34a)

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;

We’ve already seen John hint at this in the previous verse. He said that Jesus is over all and coming from heaven. Some might counter that makes Jesus an angel or some other created being, but Scripture doesn’t give us that option. He’s above even the angels.

Consider again what coming from above means. The previous verse says that “he who is of the earth is from the earth and speaks of the earth.” Even though John is a prophet, his perspective is still limited by his humanity, and even his supernatural insights are the product of divine revelation outside of himself. He doesn’t have the advantage of seeing all eternity, but Christ is over all and is a witness of all.

Jesus is of heaven, not of earth, this is evidenced by what He knows. He said back in v. 11, “Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony.” A little later, Jesus will say He’s one with the Father (10:30). In Matthew 17:5, God the Father speaks and commands us to heed the words of His beloved Son. In Hebrews 1:1–2, the Spirit says, “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.” Here, therefore, John affirms that Jesus testifies or “bears witness” (LSB; ESV).

Jesus does this even when there are those who did not receive His testimony. Sometimes we think of receiving as a gift-giver giving us a present. However, in this case, the term speaks of acceptance or believing. While v. 27 focused on the divine source of knowledge, here we see human responsibility. All people will be judged based on the knowledge they have, their refusal to come to the truth.

By the way, this is one of the key verses that convinced me that we’re continuing to read the words of John the Baptist. Remember in the confrontation we read last time, the disciples said, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you [emphasized] have testified, behold, He is baptizing and all are coming to Him” (v. 26). John replied with, among other things, “You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, ‘I [emphasized] am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent ahead of Him” (v. 28). There’s a subtle back-and-forth, and John continues his reply with some of the same exaggeration they used; “All are coming to Him? No one receives His testimony!” While it’s possible that the writer, the Apostle John, is just repeating the words of Jesus from v. 11, it seems unnecessary. It seems more likely that the Baptizer, perhaps through providence of God, has echoed the words of Jesus while also addressing these disbelieving disciples — those who are also refusing Christ’s witness.

Of course, John immediately corrects the record. It’s not that that no one comes to Jesus — some do, such as John the Baptist himself. So, in v. 33, he continues, “He who has received His testimony has set his seal to this, that God is true.”

What does it mean to set a seal on something? In the ancient world, it was common to take an important document and mark it in some way as a sign of authenticity and ownership. Often, this was in the form of melted wax with the imprint of the owner’s ring to indicate the origin and ownership of the message. We continue to use this, often in government communications, in the form of images, watermarks, and notarizations on correspondence. Applied here, someone receiving Christ is certifying the statement “God is true.”

John couldn’t be any clearer. In the first part of v. 34, he says, “For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God.” Jesus’s testimony is the testimony of God.

Jesus actually comes from above, and He gave us a hint as to what that means in v. 11 when He talked about a “we” bearing witness. He is working in perfect tandem with the Father and, as v. 34 notes, the Holy Spirit, to reveal the truth He knows. As John says in his first epistle, “The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son” (1 John 5:10). If Jesus is bearing witness to the things of God, then to accept His testimony is to certify the truth of God Himself.

Jesus has divine origins. As such, it is necessary to decrease before the great Savior. Yet, there are more reasons that John gives us here:

Third, Jesus is Greater Because He Has Loving Origins (vv. 34b-35)

for He gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand.

There are different directions we could take this, but I want us to note the statement in v. 35 that the Father loves the Son. At the baptism of Christ, the voice of the Father came from the heavens, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.” And in the reference I mentioned a moment ago, Matthew 17:5, we read the Father say at the transfiguration: “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!” The Father loves the Son and expects us to heed His words.

We should heed the words of Christ because, as v. 34 here says, “For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God.” That is only part of why the Father is well-pleased with the Son, but we see that there’s another aspect to the witness of Christ here. The Father also “gives the Spirit without measure” to Him, certainly also an expression of His love.

This is an interesting expression. The NASB footnote reads here, “because He does not give the Spirit by measure.” This is a positive statement by placing it in the negative, like saying it is “no small feat to get congress to work for the people” when you mean “it’s a lot of hard work!” The translators chose to put this verse it in the positive, which is the correct meaning — God gives the Holy Spirit immeasurably.

So, even on earth, Jesus still had access to heaven and divine knowledge, though His glory was veiled. As one commentary notes, “The Old Testament prophets had the Spirit only for limited times and for limited purposes,” but Jesus received the Spirit without measure. Indeed, at Christ’s baptism, John saw the sign of the Holy Spirit descending upon Jesus like a dove (Luke 3:22; cf. John 1:32–33). When Jesus began His ministry in Luke 4:18, He read and claimed the prophecy that the Spirit of the Lord was upon Him. Later in John, Jesus will promise He will send the Holy Spirit to His disciples (John 15:26), something He has the authority to do if He has the Holy Spirit so.

Speaking of authority, we see that Jesus also has full control. In His Great Commission, He says, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matt 28:18). The Father has already given everything into the Son’s hand, and so He is indeed King of kings and Lord of lords. If He is the Son of God, in a loving relationship with the Father, could He be anything else?

All of this information builds to this moment. John has guided his disciples, and us, into the valley of decision. That’s where we find ourselves in the final verse of the chapter.

Fourth, Jesus is Greater, So We Must Respond (v. 36)

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.

While they may not of liked everything they saw in the Pharisees and the sin in others, John’s disciples may have ultimately wanted the system of Israel to stay the same. There was familiarity for them in the continual sacrifices. They could trust that there was a day of atonement for their own sins, though it would have to come every year. They were, after all, part of the chosen nation of Israel, and they could rest in the fact that they were never as sinful and wicked as those in other nations. They just needed to strive to live righteously, doing everything God commanded, and they would be fine.

Except, they wouldn’t be fine. No one who sets out to live in perfection ever succeeds, and the sacrifices never changed their hearts nor give them life eternal. No one is ultimately even forgiven in the temporary sacrifices of bulls and goats. They needed something greater, something that God had prophesied centuries before, something that would come through blood far more precious to God the Father.

So, John calls them to believe. Just as we read in John 3:16, only those who trust in Christ can have eternal life. And note that this is a realized eschatology; we can have eternal life today, now, not just after we die. It’s a present reality with present effects.

There’s a negative reality here that parallels that blessed thought. As one study notes, “Likewise, the one who refuses to believe on Christ has the wrath of God abiding on him or her as a present reality.” The Son comes and He commands of us repentance and faith (e.g., Mark 1:14–15). Jesus said in John 6:29, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.” So, those who are disobedient experience God’s wrath, from now and into eternity.

That wrath comes out in many ways. In Romans 1, the wrath of God is described as a turning over to depravity; God removes His protection from you and allows you to live and to suffer as you want. We can look at the reporting of the CDC and see scientifically that sinful, prodigal living leads to shortened life spans. If the destruction of the flesh isn’t enough, God then allows the person to experience His wrath in eternity in the eternal torments of Hell.

Why would a good God punish people just for not believing in Jesus? First, He’s not punishing us just for not believing in Jesus; He’s punishing us for all our sinful deeds, all the actions our consciences rightly tell us are wrong. He chooses to save through Jesus, though, and a rejection of that message is certainly cause for more regret and shame in Hell, especially after sending us other prophets like John, evangelists, and messages like this one to warn us of the wrath that is to come. And, just as the life is eternal, we read here that the wrath of God is abiding.

Conclusion

We need to know about these dangers so we can see why the Gospel is really good news. God the Father sent His exalted Son to such a lowly estate to save us. Therefore, the Son comes with a message of salvation.

For instance, the word “above” in v. 31 is the same word Jesus used when He told Nicodemus he must be born again. The word, as we see, can mean above, meaning that the new birth must originate from heaven. Jesus, coming from above, knows that this is the new birth we all need.