Peter Barnes: Come from Above, Psalm 2:1-12; John 3:22-36 (Sunday 12 July 2020 Evening Service, 6.00 p.m.)
Verses 31-36 are probably still the words of John the Baptist.
1. Christ came from heaven, we did not. – 3:31. The Messiah came from above, from heaven, the same word that is usually translated ‘again’ in John 3:3, 7. Where did John come from? From the earth. J. C. Ryle: ‘A candle compared to darkness is light; but the same candle compared to the sun is a poor dim spark.’ – 3:32; recall 3:13. – yet ‘no one receives His testimony’. John is speaking in generalisations here, as we often do (note 3:26). See too John 1:11-12.
2. Faith means believing that God is true. – 3:33. Faith is believing the testimony of God. – 1 John 5:10. Do you have faith? Do you believe what God says about Himself, about us, about Christ, about His commandments, His world, His judgments, He provision of salvation?
3. The Son of God has all things. – 3:34. Some have read this as saying that Christ gives the Holy Spirit without measure, but it surely means that the Father gives the Spirit without measure to Christ. We have gifts of the Spirit ‘by measure’ – read Eph.4:7. It usually signifies some kind of limitation – e.g. Ezek.4:16. – all things have been given into His hand – 3:35. All is Christ’s. It is prophesied – Ps.2:8; declared during His earthly ministry – Matt.11:27; confirmed at His resurrection – Matt.28:18.