When the bridegroom takes the bride by speaking to her and making his vow, the best man rejoices,10 or when the friend hears the shout of exultation by the bridegroom when he discovers the bride a virgin in the bridal chamber, he rejoices by hearing the joyful voice of the bridegroom. The work of the best man is then complete.11 Now the Baptist hears that more people are following Jesus and are baptized. This marks the voice of bridegroom’s joy. He, who is subordinate to Jesus, fully rejoices that his mission of testifying to Jesus as the Christ is complete. For the Baptist, Jesus must increase but he must decrease (3:30), implying that Jesus should be projected as the Christ, the Son of God, whereas he himself must become less significant. Thus, the Baptist takes away the rival spirit of his disciples against Jesus.
Summary statements (3:31–36)
3:31–36 seems to be the continuation of the Baptist’s witness to Jesus. Some find a good transition from 3:30 to 3:31. Others argue that 3:31–36 contain the sayings of Jesus and therefore that it should be placed after 3:21. However, 3:31 does not give a relevant sequence to 3:21. Dodd regards 3:22–36 as an explanatory appendix to 3:1–21.12 Since 3:31–36 recapitulates the words of Jesus and those of the Baptist (3:1–30), we may treat 3:31–36 as a summary placed by the Evangelist or an editor13 fittingly at the end of the first phase of Jesus’ ministry in Judea.
The greatness of Jesus is underlined again in 3:31–36. The close relationship between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in terms of their corporate function is also visible. The phrase “he who comes from above” indicates not only the heavenly origin of Jesus (3:31c; cf. 3:2), but also contrasts him with anyone who belongs to the earth. A dualism is presented between the nature of the one who is from above and of the one who is of earth (cf. 3:6; 8:23). Humans, who came out of dust, belong to this earth and therefore they speak and work seeking for earthly things. In contrast, Jesus, who comes from heaven, bears witness to heavenly things, which he has seen and heard from the Father (3:32a; cf. 6:46; 8:26b; 12:49).
The same idea is expressed in 3:34: “For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God.” Jesus is the agent who was sent into the world by God. It is essentially the same as “he who comes from above.” He could speak the words of God because God gives the Spirit to him without measure (3:34; cf. 1:32–33). Thus God the Father works together with the Son and the Holy Spirit to reveal himself to the world as true.14 God, out of his love (17:23b-24), has given all things into Jesus’ hand (3:35). “All things,” entrusted to the Son, may imply God’s own life (5:26), authority to judge (5:22, 27), authority over all humans to give eternal life (17:2), Jesus’ followers (6:37; 17:6), the words to speak (12:49; 17:8), God’s name (17:6, 11–12) and glory (17:22; cf. 1:14).15
Although the Son testifies to what he has seen and heard with the Father, no human receives Jesus’ testimony (3:32). This means that no one among Jesus’ opponents received his testimony to the one true God. But whoever believes sets the seal on the fact that God is true (3:33). The Greek word sphragizein, translated “to set the seal,” when it is followed by “that” (hoti), means “to attest, certify, acknowledge,”16 referring to an approval of a legal document by putting a seal on it (cf. Esth 8:8, 10). The one who accepts Jesus’ testimony experiences God’s love and life-giving power and consequently attests that God is indeed trustworthy.
The summary ends with a reference to heavenly life, which is available to those who believe in the Son, and to God’s wrath, which remains on anyone who does not obey the Son (3:36). “Believing in the Son” and “obeying the Son” are parallel terms (see comments on 3:15–16). Similarly, “eternal life” or “life” is set against the eschatological wrath of God, which rests now upon those who do not accept and obey the Son. Both eternal life and the end-time wrath of God are spoken in the present tense (“has eternal life” and “rests upon”), implying that they are already in operation among human beings. At the same time, the future-tense “shall not see life” indicates that the one who does not obey now will not experience the future life with God (cf. 5:24; 8:51, 52). Such dualism urges human beings to choose life now by believing in the Son.
1. Str-B: 2.419–20.
2. E.g., de Jonge 1977: 36; Culpepper 1983: 134–36; Neyrey 2007: 76–78; Hakola 2009: 438–55.
3. For the argument that both water and spirit stand for the Holy Spirit see Ridderbos 1997: 127–28; Kruse 2008: 109.
4. Some manuscripts add “[the Son of Man] who is in heaven,” and other manuscripts add “[the Son of Man] who is from heaven.” These additions were made perhaps to explain the pre-existence of the Son of Man.
5. Phillips 1957: 83–96.
6. Cf. Keener 2005: 1.566–67.
7. The meaning of the Greek gē in 3:22 is “region, country” (BDAG, 196).
8. The name “Aenon” may come from the Hebrew word ‘ayin, “spring,” implying that there were more springs of water; Kruse 2008: 121.
9. The complaint that “all are going to him” (3:26b) is an exaggeration, meaning that many people are going to Jesus (cf. 4:1; 11:48; 12:19).
10. Lindars 1992: 17.
11. Kruse 2008: 123.
12. Dodd 1958: 311; cf. Ridderbos 1997: 148.
13. Cf. Brown 1978: 1.159–60.
14. Gruenler 1986: 32–34.
15. Brown 1978: 1.162.
16.