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NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Joh_3:9-15
9Nicodemus said to Him, "How can these things be?" 10Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things? 11Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony. 12If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man_1:14 As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; 15so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.
Joh_3:9-10 Nicodemus should have understood Jesus' symbolic terminology in light of (1) Judaism's proselyte baptism and (2) John the Baptist's preaching.
This may have been a purposeful downplaying of human knowledge; even someone like Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, did not fully understand spiritual things. John's Gospel was written to combat incipient Gnosticism, a heresy that emphasized human knowledge as a means of salvation. Only Jesus is the true light (cf. Joh_3:19) for all, not just an elite group.
Joh_3:11 "we speak of what we know" These plural pronouns refer to Jesus and John the Apostle (cf. Joh_3:11) or Jesus and the Father, which fits the context better (Joh_3:12). The gospel is not speculation, but divine revelation!
▣ "you do not accept our testimony" John often uses the terms accept/receive (lambanô) and its prepositional compounds in a theological sense.
1. of receiving Jesus
a. negatively (Joh_1:11; Joh_3:11; Joh_3:32; Joh_5:43; Joh_5:47)
b. positively (Joh_1:12; Joh_3:11; Joh_3:33; Joh_5:43; Joh_13:20)
2. of receiving the Spirit
a. negatively (Joh_14:17)
b. positively (Joh_7:39)
3. of receiving Jesus' words
a. negatively (Joh_12:48)
b. positively (Joh_17:8)
See hyperlink at Joh_1:8.
Joh_3:12 "If. . .if" The first one is a first class conditional sentence, which is assumed to be true from the author's perspective or for his literary purposes. The second one is a third class conditional sentence which meant potential action.
▣ "you" The pronoun and the verbs are plural. Nicodemus may have had students or other Pharisees with him as he came to Jesus, or this could be a general statement (i.e., Nicodemus as a representative of a group) to all unbelieving Jews like Joh_3:7; Joh_3:11.
Joh_3:13 This verse is intended to confirm Jesus' revelation of the Father as true, complete, firsthand, and unique (cf. Joh_1:1-14). This is another example of the vertical dualism in John: heaven versus earth, physical versus spiritual, Nicodemus' origin versus Jesus' origin (cf. Joh_1:51; Joh_6:33; Joh_6:38; Joh_6:41; Joh_6:50-51; Joh_6:58; Joh_6:62). This verse asserts (1) the deity; (2) the pre-existence; and (3) the incarnation of the eternal Second Person of the Trinity (for Trinity see Special Topic at Joh_14:26).
▣ "the Son of Man" This is Jesus' self-designation; it had no nationalistic, militaristic, Messianic implications in first century Judaism. The term comes from Eze_2:1 and Psa_8:4 ,where it meant "human being" and Dan_7:13 where it implied deity. The term combines the paradox of Jesus' person, fully God and fully man (cf. 1Jn_4:1-3).
Joh_3:14-21 It is difficult to know for certain where Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus stops and Jesus' or John the Apostle's later comments begin. It is possible that the Synoptic Gospels record Jesus' public teaching ministry, while John records His private sessions with His disciples. Joh_3:14-21 can be outlined as follows.
1. Joh_3:14-15 relate to Jesus
2. Joh_3:16-17 relate to the Father
3. Joh_3:18-21 relate to mankind
Remember that whether it is Jesus or John does not affect the truth of the statements!
Joh_3:14 "As Moses lifted up the serpent" This is a reference to Num_21:4-9 which narrates an experience of judgment during the Wilderness Wandering Period. The central truth is that humans must trust and obey God's word, even when they do not fully understand it. God provided a way for the Israelites to be saved from the snake bites if they would only believe. This belief was evidenced by their obedience to His word/promise (cf. Num_21:8).
▣ "lifted" This Greek word (cf. Joh_8:28; Joh_12:32; Joh_12:34) was often translated "highly exalted" (cf. Act_2:33; Act_5:31; Php_2:9) and is another term John uses in two senses (double entendre, cf. Joh_1:5; Joh_3:3; Joh_3:8). As God promised deliverance from death by snake bite to those who believed God's word and looked at the bronze serpent, so, too those who believe God's word (the gospel about Christ, the One lifted up on the cross) and trust in Jesus will be delivered (saved) from the snake (Devil, sin) bite of evil (cf. Joh_12:31-32).
Joh_3:15-18 "whoever" (Joh_3:15) "whoever" (Joh_3:16) "He who" (Joh_3:18) God's love is an invitation to all mankind (cf. Isa_55:1-3; Eze_18:23; Eze_18:32; Joh_1:29; Joh_3:16; Joh_6:33; Joh_6:51; 2Co_5:19; 1Ti_2:4; 1Ti_4:10; Tit_2:11; 2Pe_3:9; 1Jn_2:2; 1Jn_4:14). The offer of salvation is universal, but its acceptance is not!
Joh_3:15 "believes" This is a present active participle. Belief is an ongoing trust. See note at Joh_1:12 and Special Topics at Joh_1:7; Joh_2:23.
▣ "in Him" This refers not only to facts (theological truths) about Jesus, but to a personal relationship with Him. Salvation is (1) a message to be believed; (2) a person to be received and obeyed; and (3) a life like that person to live!
The grammatical form here is unusual. It is the pronoun with the preposition en which is only found here in John; usually it is the preposition eis. It is just possible that it should be related to "may have eternal life" (cf. The New Testament in Basic English by Harold Greenlee).
Joh_3:15-16 "eternal life" This Greek term (zoç ) referred to quality and quantity (cf. Joh_5:24). In Mat_25:46 the same word is used for eternal separation. In John zoç (used 33 times, mostly in chapters 5 and 6) usually (the verb used of physical life, i.e., Joh_4:50-51; Joh_4:53) refers to resurrection, eschatological life, or the life of the New Age, the life of God Himself.
John is unique among the Gospels in his emphasis on "eternal life." It is a major theme and goal of his Gospel (cf. Joh_3:15; Joh_4:36; Joh_5:39; Joh_6:54; Joh_6:68; Joh_10:28; Joh_12:25; Joh_17:2-3).