As we come to the end of chapter three, John shifts our attention back to John the Baptist and showing us how John sought to point all attention to Jesus. We see that Jesus surpasses John the Baptist and any baptism or ritual purification he may have represented. John finds his joy, in wholeheartedly embracing God’s will, and the supremacy it assigns to Jesus. We learn that Jesus must increase, and we must decrease. These words are the anthem that we should live out.
As the new birth is grounded in the death of Jesus (Lifting up the Son of Man), so also is the death of Jesus grounded in the love of God. Apart from God’s love for the world, the very world that stands under His wrath and condemnation, no one would be saved. Therefore, God’s love for us is astonishing. John shows us that the measure of God’s love for us is Jesus and the purpose of God’s love for us is that we might have life.
Jesus, who knew all men and knew what was in man, entered a conversation with a religious man named Nicodemus in which Jesus instantly gets to the heart of the matter. What we must understand is that Jesus is insisting this new birth is the prerequisite for entrance into the kingdom of God and this truth is applied to a man of the caliber of Nicodemus. If Nicodemus cannot enter the promised kingdom by virtue of his standing and works, what hope is there for anyone one else seeking salvation along those lines?
When Jesus made it to Jerusalem, he did not find a temple filled with true worship and celebration instead he found the temple transformed into a place of commerce. Jesus was looking past the surface level and was concerned with a much deeper problem. This passage has great application for us as we live in a consumer culture that focuses more on what we can get from God, instead of focusing on God himself. Jesus came to transform our hearts and cleanse us from sin. He came to make us new.
The account of Jesus’ public ministry begins with the first sign of turning water into wine. At first glance, we might wonder what the point is of this miracle. But as we dig a little deeper and see both the cultural context and the religious context in which it took place, we begin to see the message that John conveys. Jesus came to bring a new way.
As the disciples are introduced to Jesus of Nazareth, everything changes. Jesus asks them what they are seeking, and he invites them in to come and see. The same question is asked for all of us as we come to the book of John and see Jesus, what are you looking for? The good news of the gospel is that Jesus is everything we are seeking.
After the prologue, the question we all should be asking is, “who is this Word?” John is going to show us as he unpacks the testimony of a well-known and important witness. John the Baptist’s life pointed to Jesus, and this should be our prayer for our own lives as well. Like John, we can recognize our unworthiness and marvel at his worthiness and His grace in calling us to Himself. What a gift that we get to serve him.
John’s Gospel begins in a different way. It does not begin with the historical developments (Joseph, Mary, Bethlehem, the visits of the shepherds). It begins by thinking about what the coming of the eternal Son, the coming of God, means. The prologue is like larger foyer to the rest of John’s Gospel. It draws us in and introduces us to major themes that we see throughout John’s Gospel.