John 3:2

3:2 came to Jesus ¹  at night ²  and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs ³  that you do unless God is with him.”

John 5:18

5:18 For this reason the Jewish leaders ⁴  were trying even harder to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was also calling God his own Father, thus making himself equal with God.

John 8:42

8:42 Jesus replied, ⁵  “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come from God and am now here. ⁶  I ⁷  have not come on my own initiative, ⁸  but he ⁹  sent me.

¹ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

² tn Or “during the night.”

³ sn The reference to signs (σημεῖα, shmeia) forms a link with John 2:23-25. Those people in Jerusalem believed in Jesus because of the signs he had performed. Nicodemus had apparently seen them too. But for Nicodemus all the signs meant is that Jesus was a great teacher sent from God. His approach to Jesus was well-intentioned but theologically inadequate; he had failed to grasp the messianic implications of the miraculous signs.

⁴ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” See the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 10.

⁷ tn Grk “Jesus said to them.”

⁸ tn Or “I came from God and have arrived.”

⁹ tn Grk “For I.” Here γάρ (gar) has not been translated.

¹⁰ tn Grk “from myself.”

¹¹ tn Grk “that one” (referring to God).