John 1:17

1:17 For the law was given through Moses, but ¹  grace and truth came about through Jesus Christ.

John 3:14

3:14 Just as ²  Moses lifted up the serpent ³  in the wilderness, ⁴  so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ⁵ 

John 8:5

8:5 In the law Moses commanded us to stone to death ⁶  such women. ⁷  What then do you say?”

John 9:28-29

9:28 They ⁸  heaped insults ⁹  on him, saying, ¹⁰  “You are his disciple! ¹¹  We are disciples of Moses! 9:29 We know that God has spoken to Moses! We do not know where this man ¹²  comes from!”

[1:17]  ¹ tn “But” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the implied contrast between the Mosaic law and grace through Jesus Christ. John 1:17 seems to indicate clearly that the Old Covenant (Sinai) was being contrasted with the New. In Jewish sources the Law was regarded as a gift from God (Josephus, Ant. 3.8.10 [3.223]; Pirqe Avot 1.1; Sifre Deut 31:4 §305). Further information can be found in T. F. Glasson, Moses in the Fourth Gospel (SBT).

[3:14]  ² tn Grk “And just as.”

[3:14]  ³ sn Or the snake, referring to the bronze serpent mentioned in Num 21:9.

[3:14]  ⁴ sn An allusion to Num 21:5-9.

[3:14]  ⁵ sn So must the Son of Man be lifted up. This is ultimately a prediction of Jesus’ crucifixion. Nicodemus could not have understood this, but John’s readers, the audience to whom the Gospel is addressed, certainly could have (compare the wording of John 12:32). In John, being lifted up refers to one continuous action of ascent, beginning with the cross but ending at the right hand of the Father. Step 1 is Jesus’ death; step 2 is his resurrection; and step 3 is the ascension back to heaven. It is the upward swing of the “pendulum” which began with the incarnation, the descent of the Word become flesh from heaven to earth (cf. Paul in Phil 2:5-11). See also the note on the title Son of Man in 1:51.

[8:5]  ³ sn An allusion to Lev 20:10 and Deut 22:22-24.

[8:5]  ⁴ sn The accusers themselves subtly misrepresented the law. The Mosaic law stated that in the case of adultery, both the man and woman must be put to death (Lev 20:10, Deut 22:22), but they mentioned only such women.

[9:28]  ⁴ tn Grk “And they.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[9:28]  ⁵ tn The Greek word means “to insult strongly” or “slander.”

[9:28]  ⁶ tn Grk “and said.”

[9:28]  ⁷ tn Grk “You are that one’s disciple.”

[9:29]  ⁵ tn Grk “where this one.”