John 3:18-21

3:18 The one who believes in him is not condemned. ¹  The one who does not believe has been condemned ²  already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only ³  Son of God. 3:19 Now this is the basis for judging: ⁴  that the light has come into the world and people ⁵  loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil. 3:20 For everyone who does evil deeds hates the light and does not come to the light, so that their deeds will not be exposed. 3:21 But the one who practices the truth comes to the light, so that it may be plainly evident that his deeds have been done in God. ⁶ 

John 3:2

3:2 came to Jesus ⁷  at night ⁸  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 ⁹  that you do unless God is with him.”

John 2:10-12

2:10 and said to him, “Everyone ¹⁰  serves the good wine first, and then the cheaper ¹¹  wine when the guests ¹²  are drunk. You have kept the good wine until now!” 2:11 Jesus did this as the first of his miraculous signs, ¹³  in Cana ¹⁴  of Galilee. In this way he revealed ¹⁵  his glory, and his disciples believed in him. ¹⁶ 

Cleansing the Temple

2:12 After this he went down to Capernaum ¹⁷  with his mother and brothers ¹⁸  and his disciples, and they stayed there a few days.

Hebrews 3:12-13

3:12 See to it, ¹⁹  brothers and sisters, ²⁰  that none of you has ²¹  an evil, unbelieving heart that forsakes ²²  the living God. ²³  3:13 But exhort one another each day, as long as it is called “Today,” that none of you may become hardened by sin’s deception.

[3:18]  ¹ tn Grk “judged.”

[3:18]  ² tn Grk “judged.”

[3:18]  ³ tn See the note on the term “one and only” in 3:16.

[3:19]  ⁴ tn Or “this is the reason for God judging,” or “this is how judgment works.”

[3:19]  ⁵ tn Grk “and men,” but in a generic sense, referring to people of both genders (as “everyone” in v. 20 makes clear).

[3:21]  ⁶ sn John 3:16-21 provides an introduction to the (so-called) “realized” eschatology of the Fourth Gospel: Judgment has come; eternal life may be possessed now, in the present life, as well as in the future. The terminology “realized eschatology” was originally coined by E. Haenchen and used by J. Jeremias in discussion with C. H. Dodd, but is now characteristically used to describe Dodd’s own formulation. See L. Goppelt, Theology of the New Testament, 1:54, note 10, and R. E. Brown (John [AB], 1:cxvii-cxviii) for further discussion. Especially important to note is the element of choice portrayed in John’s Gospel. If there is a twofold reaction to Jesus in John’s Gospel, it should be emphasized that that reaction is very much dependent on a person’s choice, a choice that is influenced by his way of life, whether his deeds are wicked or are done in God (John 3:20-21). For John there is virtually no trace of determinism at the surface. Only when one looks beneath the surface does one find statements like “no one can come to me, unless the Father who sent me draws him” (John 6:44).

[3:2]  ⁷ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[3:2]  ⁸ tn Or “during the night.”

[3:2]  ⁹ 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.

[2:10]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “every man” (in a generic sense).

[2:10]  ¹¹ tn Or “poorer.”

[2:10]  ¹² tn Grk “when they”; the referent (the guests) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[2:11]  ¹³ tn This sentence in Greek involves an object-complement construction. The force can be either “Jesus did this as,” or possibly “Jesus made this to be.” The latter translation accents not only Jesus’ power but his sovereignty too. Cf. also 4:54 where the same construction occurs.

[2:11]  ¹⁴ map For location see Map1 C3; Map2 D2; Map3 C5.

[2:11]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “in Cana of Galilee, and he revealed.”

[2:11]  ¹⁶ tn Or “his disciples trusted in him,” or “his disciples put their faith in him.”

[2:12]  ¹⁷ sn Verse 12 is merely a transitional note in the narrative (although Capernaum does not lie on the direct route to Jerusalem from Cana). Nothing is mentioned in John’s Gospel at this point about anything Jesus said or did there (although later his teaching is mentioned, see 6:59). From the synoptics it is clear that Capernaum was a center of Jesus’ Galilean ministry and might even be called “his own town” (Matt 9:1). The royal official whose son Jesus healed (John 4:46-54) was from Capernaum. He may have heard Jesus speak there, or picked up the story about the miracle at Cana from one of Jesus’ disciples.

[2:12]  ¹⁸ sn With respect to Jesus’ brothers, the so-called Helvidian view is to be preferred (named after Helvidius, a 4th-century theologian). This view holds that the most natural way to understand the phrase is as a reference to children of Joseph and Mary after the birth of Jesus. Other views are that of Epiphanius (they were children of Joseph by a former marriage) or Jerome (they were cousins). The tradition of Mary’s perpetual virginity appeared in the 2nd century and is difficult to explain (as J. H. Bernard, St. John [ICC], 1:85, points out) if some of her other children were prominent members of the early church (e.g., James of Jerusalem). But this is outweighed by the natural sense of the words.

[3:12]  ¹⁹ tn Or “take care.”

[3:12]  ²⁰ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 2:11.

[3:12]  ²¹ tn Grk “that there not be in any of you.”

[3:12]  ²² tn Or “deserts,” “rebels against.”

[3:12]  ²³ tn Grk “in forsaking the living God.”