The one who comes from above is above all. The one who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of earthly things. But the one who comes from heaven [is above all]. 32 He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. 33 Whoever does accept his testimony certifies that God is trustworthy. 34 For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God. He does not ration his gift of the Spirit. 35 The Father loves the Son and has given everything over to him. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains upon him.
This passage bring the chapter to a close by returning to the central question: who is Jesus? John presents Him as the one who comes from above and from heaven (v. 31). That means He does not belong to the earth in the same way that other human teachers do. Human beings speak from within the limits of ordinary human knowledge and experience. Jesus speaks from the knowledge of the Father because He comes from the Father. Earlier in the chapter, Jesus had already said that He could speak of heavenly things because He had come down from heaven (vv. 12–13). That truth is now stated again in a fuller way.
John then says that Jesus testifies to what He has seen and heard, yet His testimony is not accepted (v. 32). This continues a theme already heard in the chapter. He speaks as the one who knows the Father directly. John’s Gospel often shows that the truth has come into the world, but many do not welcome it.
The passage also speaks about those who do accept His testimony. Whoever receives the testimony of Jesus shows that God is trustworthy (v. 33). To believe Jesus is to acknowledge that what He says is true, because He speaks the words of God, and God is trustworthy. Since Jesus is the one sent by God, His words are God’s words. Accepting the Son is a response to God Himself, who speaks through His Son.
This is why the next line is so important: “the one whom God sent speaks the words of God” (v. 34). Jesus does not merely speak about God. He speaks the words of God because He has been sent by God and belongs uniquely to Him. The passage then adds, “He does not ration his gift of the Spirit” (v. 34). There is no limit or scarcity in the Spirit given in relation to Jesus. The Father gives the Spirit to the Son in fullness, and Jesus speaks and acts in that fullness. Earlier in the chapter Jesus had spoken about being born of water and Spirit and about the freedom and power of the Spirit’s work (vv. 5–8). Here that theme returns and is tied directly to the Son.
The next verse explains why this fullness belongs to Him: “The Father loves the Son and has given everything over to him” (v. 35). The Son stands in a unique relationship with the Father. The Father has placed everything in His hands. John’s Gospel will unfold this more and more. Jesus has authority to give life, to speak the Father’s words, and to carry out the work entrusted to Him. This is why He can reveal God fully. No one else speaks with this authority because no one else is the Son in this way.
The passage ends with a direct statement about the response required from every person. “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life” (v. 36). Eternal life in John is not only a future reward. It begins now through faith in the Son. To believe in Him is to enter into the life that comes from God. The verse then adds the other side of that truth: “whoever disobeys the Son will not see life” (v. 36). In this context, disobedience means refusing to believe and refusing to submit to the truth He brings. Faith is not only agreement in the mind. It is a real response of trust and obedience to the Son sent by the Father.
The final words are severe: “the wrath of God remains upon him” (v. 36). This does not mean that God is changeable or unjust. It means that the person who refuses the Son remains under judgment and outside the life that God gives through Him. The chapter therefore closes where it has been leading all along. Jesus is the one from above. He speaks the words of God. He possesses the fullness of the Spirit. The Father has given everything into His hands. Because this is true, the right response to Him is faith. And because this is true, that response has eternal consequences.
Lord Jesus Christ, you are the Son sent by the Father and you speak the words of God. Give us hearts that receive your testimony with faith, minds that hold fast to your truth, and lives that remain obedient to your word. Lead us into the life that comes from you and keep us faithful to the end. Amen.
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Sources and References
- The New American Bible, Revised Edition. Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2011, Jn. 3:31–36 and note.
- Curtis Mitch and Scott Hahn, Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2010, 167.
- José María Casciaro, gen. ed., The Navarre Bible: New Testament, Expanded Edition. Dublin: Four Courts Press; New York: Scepter Publishers, 2008, 375.
- Raymond E. Brown, Joseph A. Fitzmyer, and Roland E. Murphy, eds., The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1990, 956, para. 55.
- John J. Collins, Gina Hens-Piazza, Barbara Reid OP, and Donald Senior CP, eds., The Jerome Biblical Commentary for the Twenty-First Century. 3rd fully revised ed. New York: Bloomsbury Continuum, 2022, 1395.
- Donald Senior, John J. Collins, Mary Ann Getty, and Gail R. O’Day, eds., The Paulist Biblical Commentary. New York: Paulist Press, 2018, 1129.
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