John 1:33

1:33 And I did not recognize him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining – this is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’

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 5:19

5:19 So Jesus answered them, ⁴  “I tell you the solemn truth, ⁵  the Son can do nothing on his own initiative, ⁶  but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father ⁷  does, the Son does likewise. ⁸ 

John 9:16

9:16 Then some of the Pharisees began to say, ⁹  “This man is not from God, because he does not observe ¹⁰  the Sabbath.” ¹¹  But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner perform ¹²  such miraculous signs?” Thus there was a division ¹³  among them.

John 18:36-37

18:36 Jesus replied, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my servants would be fighting to keep me from being ¹⁴  handed over ¹⁵  to the Jewish authorities. ¹⁶  But as it is, ¹⁷  my kingdom is not from here.” 18:37 Then Pilate said, ¹⁸  “So you are a king!” Jesus replied, “You say that I am a king. For this reason I was born, and for this reason I came into the world – to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to ¹⁹  my voice.”

John 21:23

21:23 So the saying circulated ²⁰  among the brothers and sisters ²¹  that this disciple was not going to die. But Jesus did not say to him that he was not going to die, but rather, “If I want him to live ²²  until I come back, ²³  what concern is that of yours?”

[3:2]  ¹ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[3:2]  ² tn Or “during the night.”

[3:2]  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.

[5:19]  ¹ tn Grk “answered and said to them.”

[5:19]  ² tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[5:19]  ³ tn Grk “nothing from himself.”

[5:19]  ⁴ tn Grk “that one”; the referent (the Father) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[5:19]  ⁵ sn What works does the Son do likewise? The same that the Father does – and the same that the rabbis recognized as legitimate works of God on the Sabbath (see note on working in v. 17). (1) Jesus grants life (just as the Father grants life) on the Sabbath. But as the Father gives physical life on the Sabbath, so the Son grants spiritual life (John 5:21; note the “greater things” mentioned in v. 20). (2) Jesus judges (determines the destiny of people) on the Sabbath, just as the Father judges those who die on the Sabbath, because the Father has granted authority to the Son to judge (John 5:22-23). But this is not all. Not only has this power been granted to Jesus in the present; it will be his in the future as well. In v. 28 there is a reference not to spiritually dead (only) but also physically dead. At their resurrection they respond to the Son as well.

[9:16]  ¹ tn As a response to the answers of the man who used to be blind, the use of the imperfect tense in the reply of the Pharisees is best translated as an ingressive imperfect (“began to say” or “started saying”).

[9:16]  ² tn Grk “he does not keep.”

[9:16]  ³ sn The Jewish religious leaders considered the work involved in making the mud to be a violation of the Sabbath.

[9:16]  ⁴ tn Grk “do.”

[9:16]  ⁵ tn Or “So there was discord.”

[18:36]  ¹ tn Grk “so that I may not be.”

[18:36]  ² tn Or “delivered over.”

[18:36]  ³ tn Or “the Jewish leaders”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders, especially members of the Sanhedrin. See the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 12. In the translation “authorities” was preferred over “leaders” for stylistic reasons.

[18:36]  ⁴ tn Grk “now.”

[18:37]  ¹ tn Grk “said to him.”

[18:37]  ² tn Or “obeys”; Grk “hears.”

[21:23]  ¹ tn Grk “went out.”

[21:23]  ² tn Grk “the brothers,” but here the term refers to more than just the immediate disciples of Jesus (as it does in 20:17). Here, as R. E. Brown notes (John [AB], 2:1110), it refers to Christians of the Johannine community (which would include both men and women).

[21:23]  ³ tn Grk “to stay” or “to remain”; but since longevity is the issue in the context, “to live” conveys the idea more clearly.

[21:23]  ⁴ tn The word “back” is supplied to clarify the meaning.