Commentary on John 3:1-17

The Gospel of John is rich with language exploring the relationship between God, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It should probably come with a warning sign: “Multiple interpretations possible.” Its goal, however, is not to establish doctrine; it is to tell a story about God’s love for the world. In the story of Nicodemus, the language of God, Son, and Spirit reveals unity of purpose in the full expression of God’s interaction with the world.  

Nicodemus

The story of Nicodemus hearkens back to the Gospel’s prologue, where it says that the world came into being through the Word, but the world did not know (in other words, recognize the significance of) the Word (1:10; 3:11). This is exactly what we find illustrated in the story of Nicodemus. Nicodemus says to Jesus, “We know you are a teacher who comes from God,” but Jesus responds in a way that turns what Nicodemus thinks he knows on its head, leaving him in a state of befuddlement. 

It is helpful to keep in mind that John often uses irony to underline a point. This is the case here. Nicodemus has, in fact, said something that is true, but without recognizing fully the significance of what he says. That he will, later, come to the tomb bearing spices to assist Joseph of Arimathea in preparing the body for burial (19:39) suggests that his insight increases over time. In the Gospel of John, insight is rarely immediate; it comes through the raising of questions, or through later remembrance and reflection (16:4). 

The world

The “world” (kosmos) is the all-encompassing object of God’s concern in the Gospel of John. Despite having been created through the Word, it has come under the sway of a ruler (12:31) who is described as the devil (8:44): one devoid of truth and thus the antithesis of Jesus, who embodies truth (1:14, 17; 14:6). The world is a place where evil thrives (3:19–20). Ultimately, the ruler of the world will be cast out (12:31; 16:8, 11). Yet even while the world is under the control of the ruler, it is possible for people to be in the world but not of the world (17:14–15); to become children of God (1:12). 

Kingdom of God 

While there are more than 57 references to the world in the Gospel of John, the phrase “the kingdom of God” appears in only two verses (3:3, 5) which describe the kingdom as something that can be seen and entered. A third reference to “kingdom” occurs in 18:36, but here Jesus speaks of “my kingdom” (rather than the kingdom of God), a kingdom that is not from this world. The more common referent in the Gospel of John is to “heaven”—a place that Jesus descends from and to which he ascends (for example, 3:13, 31; 6:33, 38, 50–51). 

The emphasis on “place” underscores that the kingdom of God/heaven and the world constitute separate, although not wholly unrelated, spheres. The world came into being through the Word. (Note: “Word” has a triple referent: to Genesis, where God speaks creation into being; to Jesus, who speaks the word of God [14:24]; and to Jesus as Wisdom, who was in the beginning with God [Proverbs 8:22-31].) While Jesus can descend from heaven to earth, the ruler of this world cannot ascend to heaven because no one can enter God’s realm without having been born of the Spirit (3:3). 

The Spirit

Just as John distinguishes between the kingdom of God and the world, so John also distinguishes between the Spirit and flesh (3:6; 6:63; see also 3:31). Flesh is not necessarily negative, but it belongs to the world. The Spirit, in John, is described in three ways:

• Like Jesus, the Spirit comes from above, the realm of God, and it blows where it will (3:8); in other words, it belongs to God. 

• Like Jesus, the Spirit is truth (14:17; see also 4:23–24; 16:13). 

• The Spirit is an Advocate, whom Jesus asks God to give to the community of faith (14:16), to teach, testify to, and remind them of what Jesus has said to them (14:26; 15:26; cf. 8:26).   

The Son 

Nicodemus describes Jesus as a teacher who has come from God; in other words, who stands in the presence of God (3:2). As noted above, Nicodemus’s words are true, but what he does not yet comprehend is more important: 

• First, Jesus is not just a teacher, but has seen God (6:46), speaks the word of God (8:26), and is one with God (10:30). 
• Second, Jesus has been sent into the world by God (for example, 1:9; 3:13, 16–17; 6:14, 51; 10:36; 11:27; 16:28; 18:37) in order to:
  • Be the light of the world (for example, 1:9; 8:12; 9:5; 11:27; 12:46) 
  • Save the world (for example, 1:29; 3:17; 4:42; 12:47) 
  • Give life to the world (3:14–16; 6:33, 51; see also 14:19)

Jesus is the means by which God reaches out to the world, entering into the world as flesh so that what is flesh may receive the Spirit of God.

The Triune God

Neither the Spirit nor Jesus can be separated from God. Both come from “above,” and both are manifestations of God’s truth and articulations of God’s purpose. God loves the world beyond measure. God “gave” (didōmi) the Son to save the world (one could say “from itself”)—an expression of generosity, not a “handing over” (as in 19:11, paradidōmi). The unity of purpose is highlighted in 10:18, where Jesus says that he lays down his life of his own accord (see also 17:23: “so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me”). The Holy Spirit, as Advocate, both testifies that the words of Jesus are from God and eternally advocates for the community of faith in the world so they may continue to abide in God’s love forever.