2-12 Public Ministry (Book of Signs) Theme: Through sign

1
John 3

• Images of New Salvation
• "New Birth" and "New Master"

2
Broad Outline of Fourth Gospel

• Ch. 1 Introduction Prologue and Witness of John
• Ch. 2-12 Jesus Before the World ("Book of Signs")
• Theme Through signs and discourses, Jesus
  reveals himself as the Son of God, sent to save
  the world, but is rejected by the world.
• Ch. 2-4 Images of New Salvation
• Ch. 2 "New Joy" and "New Worship"
• Ch. 3 "New Birth" and "New Master"
• Ch. 4 "Living Water" and "New Life"
• Ch. 5-10 Growing hostility
• Ch. 11-12 Final rejection
• Ch. 13-20 Jesus Before the Disciples ("Book of
  Passion/Glory")
• Ch. 21 Appendix Appearance in Galilee

3
Conversation with Nicodemus (31-21)Images of
New Salvation New Birth

• Setting (v.1-2)
• Nicodemus represents official Judaism Pharisee,
  member of Sanhedrin, and teacher trained in
  rabbinic interpretation.
• Comes by night.
• In secret, for fear of the Jews (cf. 1242-43).
• Traditional time for studying Torah.
• Johannine symbolism out of darkness into light
  of Jesus (cf. v. 21).
• Inquires about Jesus signs personal interest
  or official inquiry?
• Theme of dialogue is New Birth (v. 3).
• Jesus to see Kingdom of God, one must be born
  anothen.
• Anothen again or from above.
• Ambiguity gives rise to Johannine device of
  misunderstanding and clarification (cf.
  Samaritan woman in 411).
• Condition for entering Kingdom of God is
  spiritual rebirth.

4
Conversation with Nicodemus (31-21)Images of
New Salvation New Birth

• New Birth through infusion of Spirit (v. 4-10)
• Device of misunderstanding and clarification
  (v. 4-6).
• Objection How can grown man reenter womb? (v. 4)
• Clarification One must be born of water and
  Spirit (v. 5)
• Could mean physical birth and spiritual birth.
• More likely, baptism accompanied by gift of
  Spirit
• Condition for entering Kingdom of God is
  spiritual rebirth.
• Physical descent is no guarantee of spiritual
  standing (v. 6).
• New Birth is mysterious as blowing of the wind
  (v. 7-8).
• Second you in v. 7 is plural the Jews? the
  readers?
• Pneuma Spirit, wind, breath.
• Evokes OT imagery of Creation and New Creation.
• Gen. 27 Creation of man by breath of God.
• Ezek. 3626-27 375-10 Renewal of Israel
  through infusion of Spirit/breath of God.
• Jesus confers Spirit renews Gods people New
  Creation.
• Nicodemus final question How can this be? (v.
  9-10).
• Fades from scene. (Reappears in 750 1939.)
• Jesus sharp rebuke also condemns Jewish
  leadership.

5
Conversation with Nicodemus (31-21)Images of
New Salvation New Birth

• New Birth is enabled by death/resurrection of
  Jesus (v. 11-15).
• Continued rebuke now with plural pronouns (v.
  11-12).
• Who are the we? (Plural of majesty Jesus and
  the Father Jesus and the disciples Johannine
  community)
• Who are the you (pl.)? (Nicodemus and Jewish
  authorities Jewish leaders who oppose Johns
  church)
• Where does Jesus speech end? (v. 12, 15, 21?)
• Lifting up of Son of Man brings eternal life
  (v. 13-15).
• Double meaning of lifted up paradoxically
  refers both to crucifixion and to exaltation.
• Death/resurrection brings turn of ages and
  sending of Spirit.
• Compares with Moses bronze serpent (Num.
  216-9).
• Faith in crucified Jesus results in eternal
  life.
• Faith in Cross trusting God totally giving up
  pretense of self-security acknowledging
  dependence on God embracing principle of
  self-sacrificial love.
• Eternal life not just life after death not
  just quantitatively more life new quality of
  life begins now not interrupted by death.

6
Conversation with Nicodemus (31-21)Images of
New Salvation New Birth

• Salvation and Judgment of the world (v.
  16-21)(Commentary on v. 15. Are these words of
  Jesus or of Evangelist?)
• The divine initiative in salvation (v. 16-17)
• Salvation springs entirely from Gods love.
• Character of Gods love
• Scope universal (loved the whole world)
• Measure unlimited (gave his only Son)
• Purpose salvation (may have eternal life)
• The human response (v. 18-21)
• Presence of Son of Man in world implies Judgment.
• Sifting process people sort themselves by
  response.
• Those who believe find life.
• Those who do not, miss it.
• Judgment takes place now in human response to
  Gods revelation in Jesus (realized
  eschatology).

7
Jesus and John the Baptist (322-36)Images of
New Salvation New Master

• Further clarifies relationship between Jesus and
  John (v. 22-30).
• Johns disciples object to Jesus ministry (v.
  25-26).
• John subordinates himself
• Not Messiah but forerunner (v. 28).
• Not bridegroom but best man (v. 29 cf. Mk.
  219-20).
• He must increase, but I must decrease (v. 30).
• c. Note continuing parallel ministries (v. 22-24,
  26).
• Mk. 114 has John imprisoned before Jesus
  ministry begins.
• FG may be more accurate on this point.
• d. Note uncertainty whether Jesus baptized (322,
  26 41) or not (42).
• V. 31-36 recap v. 11-21.
• Jesus heavenly origin means he speaks truth of
  God those who believe find eternal life those
  who disobey must endure Gods wrath.
• Unclear where Johns speech ends (v. 30 or 36).
  V. 31-36 could be John, Jesus, or narrator. (Does
  Evangelist care?)

8
Ezekiel 3624-28 on Restoration of Israel

• 24 I will take you from the nations, and gather
  you from all the countries, and bring you into
  your own land.
• 25 I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you
  shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and
  from all your idols I will cleanse you.
• 26 A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit
  I will put within you and I will remove from
  your body the heart of stone and give you a heart
  of flesh.
• 27 I will put my spirit within you, and make you
  follow my statutes and be careful to observe my
  ordinances.
• 28 Then you shall live in the land that I gave
  to your ancestors and you shall be my people,
  and I will be your God.

9
Ezekiel 374-12 Valley of Dry Bones

• 4 Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones,
  and say to them O dry bones, hear the word of
  the LORD.
• 5 Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones I will
  cause breath to enter you, and you shall live.
• 6 I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh
  to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and
  put breath in you, and you shall live and you
  shall know that I am the LORD."
• 7 So I prophesied as I had been commanded and
  as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a
  rattling, and the bones came together, bone to
  its bone.
• 8 I looked, and there were sinews on them, and
  flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered
  them but there was no breath in them.
• 9 Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath,
  prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath Thus
  says the Lord GOD Come from the four winds, O
  breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they
  may live."
• 10 I prophesied as he commanded me, and the
  breath came into them, and they lived, and stood
  on their feet, a vast multitude.
• 11 Then he said to me, "Mortal, these bones are
  the whole house of Israel. They say, 'Our bones
  are dried up, and our hope is lost we are cut
  off completely.'
• 12 Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus
  says the Lord GOD I am going to open your
  graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my
  people and I will bring you back to the land of
  Israel.