And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
Spoken to Nicodemus in his night visit, the verse declares that no human has gone up to heaven to bring back knowledge of heavenly things, but the Son of man both came down from heaven and remains in heaven even while speaking on earth. It belongs to Christ's teaching that a person must be born again to see and discern the kingdom of God, and to His rebuke of unbelief in earthly things that refuses to believe heavenly things. Because He alone has stood in God's counsels and dwelt with the Father in oneness and intimacy, He alone has firsthand knowledge of heaven and is qualified to testify of what He knows and has seen. That authority leads directly to the promise that as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness so the Son of man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. It therefore points every seeker, even one of upright moral character, to humble himself, renounce his own righteousness, depend wholly on Christ, and receive a new heart by the Spirit in order to see the kingdom.
Setting and Wording
Jesus spoke these words to Nicodemus in a private night conference, when this honored rabbi and ruler, a learned teacher in Israel, came convicted to Him and truth shone into the chambers of his mind with softening, subduing influence upon heart and mind. The precious instruction was given to him personally in that night meeting, and the word addressed to him stands also as a word to rulers in Israel today. Nicodemus was convicted by it, converted by it, submitted to the leading of the Holy Spirit, began to see the kingdom of heaven, and became a true believer and disciple.
It belongs to the discussion of the new birth and the kingdom of God, in which Jesus taught earthly things about needing to be born again and about the Spirit in order to see and discern the kingdom. After telling earthly things about the new birth that were not believed, He pressed the question how heavenly things will be believed if earthly things are not believed, rebuking unbelief. He answered the question, How can these things be, by rebuking Nicodemus as a master of Israel who should know these things, declaring that He speaks what He knows and testifies what He has seen while men do not receive the witness.
It declares that no human being has ascended up to heaven to report heavenly things, but the Son of man came down from heaven and is in heaven, even while speaking on earth. Christ alone can tell of heavenly things because He came down from heaven while still being in heaven, and no man has ascended up to heaven to speak with such firsthand knowledge. His heavenly origin establishes His authority to tell Nicodemus about heavenly things, since He presents Himself as the One who can testify about them because He came from heaven.
That descent from heaven and presence in heaven is the ground for His testifying of heavenly things, of what He knows and has seen. His words lead straight into the teaching that as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness so the Son of man must be lifted up so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. The saying is part of His words pointing out the way to heaven and what people must do to be saved, and the prediction that He would be lifted up was scarcely understood before His death but after His resurrection was proclaimed as Christ crucified and risen.
Heavenly Witness and Authority
No human being has gone up to heaven to bring back a report of heavenly things, but the Son of man came down from heaven and knows them directly, and therefore He alone is qualified to testify of them while His hearers stand in disbelief. His teaching about the kingdom carries that firsthand certainty, and it remains trustworthy even when it is not accepted. He speaks what He knows and has seen because He has stood in the counsels of God and dwelt in the heights of the sanctuary, living in intimacy and oneness with God and with the Father. In that oneness He possesses all truth and is Himself its source, so what He declares about heavenly things is true.
By that heavenly origin He is the Promised One of Israel, above all who are of the earth, and His superiority rests on having come down from heaven. He is the divine Witness and Teacher sent from God to reveal the Father, speaking God's words of what He has seen and heard, and His mission was not learned in the rabbis' schools but received through oneness with the Father. His words to Nicodemus were scarcely understood at first, yet later events made their meaning plain. That pattern belongs especially to His prediction that He must be lifted up, which the disciples did not grasp before His death but after His resurrection proclaimed as Christ crucified and risen.
He was able to open truths beyond every other discovery, surpassing all other unveilings of knowledge. Yet His teaching was not speculative but practical, aimed at shaping character, and it stands apart from all teachings that conflict with what He came to reveal. Clothed in humanity while retaining His divinity, He stands as Mediator between God and humanity. By giving Himself He makes it possible for human beings to become sons and daughters of God.
Salvation and Response
Christ's words to Nicodemus point out the way to heaven and what must be done to be saved, showing the seeker after truth where to find the new heart needed to see God's kingdom. He who spoke them is the Son of man who came down from heaven and is in heaven, and He foretold that He would be lifted up. The disciples did not understand that lifting up before His death, but after His resurrection they proclaimed Christ crucified and risen. Clothed in humanity while retaining divinity, He stands as Mediator between God and humanity, and by giving Himself He makes it possible for people to become God's sons and daughters. Even a person of good moral character who thinks his life is upright must humble himself under God, renounce his own righteousness, and depend wholly on Christ, entering life in the same way as the chief of sinners.
His light exposes impurity, selfish motives, and hostility to God hidden in the heart, and seeing His purity by contrast exposes human unrighteousness. It shows that only His blood can cleanse sin and renew the heart. What is needed is not learning nor controversy but truth and a new heart. Nicodemus was convicted, converted, submitted to the leading of the Holy Spirit, began to see the kingdom of heaven, and became a true believer and disciple. With the Spirit daily molding and fashioning the heart to give divine insight to perceive the character of that kingdom, he spoke in the Sanhedrin council against its measures for compassing Christ's death.
The word spoken to Nicodemus stands as a word to rulers in Israel today. His testimony of heavenly things makes divine truth knowable during human probation, and those who receive the Word are responsible for sharing it with others. That testimony of what He knows and has seen, which no man who has ascended to heaven could give, provides definite instruction regarding the nature of true higher education, the only education of saving value. That instruction is only feebly comprehended, and its full import can be understood only by one born of water and of the Spirit through sanctification of the Spirit.
God's workers must therefore not enter into controversy when people want to argue but must keep to the affirmative, presenting new light and practical points that bring people in contact with all light. Reasoning upon points of difference without a changed heart produces no saving result but strengthens resistance.
Spoken to Nicodemus in his night visit, the verse declares that no human has gone up to heaven to bring back knowledge of heavenly things, but the Son of man both came down from heaven and remains in heaven even while speaking on earth. It belongs to Christ's teaching that a person must be born again to see and discern the kingdom of God, and to His rebuke of unbelief in earthly things that refuses to believe heavenly things. Because He alone has stood in God's counsels and dwelt with the Father in oneness and intimacy, He alone has firsthand knowledge of heaven and is qualified to testify of what He knows and has seen. That authority leads directly to the promise that as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness so the Son of man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. It therefore points every seeker, even one of upright moral character, to humble himself, renounce his own righteousness, depend wholly on Christ, and receive a new heart by the Spirit in order to see the kingdom.
Setting and Wording
Jesus spoke these words to Nicodemus in a private night conference, when this honored rabbi and ruler, a learned teacher in Israel, came convicted to Him and truth shone into the chambers of his mind with softening, subduing influence upon heart and mind. The precious instruction was given to him personally in that night meeting, and the word addressed to him stands also as a word to rulers in Israel today. Nicodemus was convicted by it, converted by it, submitted to the leading of the Holy Spirit, began to see the kingdom of heaven, and became a true believer and disciple.
It belongs to the discussion of the new birth and the kingdom of God, in which Jesus taught earthly things about needing to be born again and about the Spirit in order to see and discern the kingdom. After telling earthly things about the new birth that were not believed, He pressed the question how heavenly things will be believed if earthly things are not believed, rebuking unbelief. He answered the question, How can these things be, by rebuking Nicodemus as a master of Israel who should know these things, declaring that He speaks what He knows and testifies what He has seen while men do not receive the witness.
It declares that no human being has ascended up to heaven to report heavenly things, but the Son of man came down from heaven and is in heaven, even while speaking on earth. Christ alone can tell of heavenly things because He came down from heaven while still being in heaven, and no man has ascended up to heaven to speak with such firsthand knowledge. His heavenly origin establishes His authority to tell Nicodemus about heavenly things, since He presents Himself as the One who can testify about them because He came from heaven.
That descent from heaven and presence in heaven is the ground for His testifying of heavenly things, of what He knows and has seen. His words lead straight into the teaching that as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness so the Son of man must be lifted up so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. The saying is part of His words pointing out the way to heaven and what people must do to be saved, and the prediction that He would be lifted up was scarcely understood before His death but after His resurrection was proclaimed as Christ crucified and risen.
Heavenly Witness and Authority
No human being has gone up to heaven to bring back a report of heavenly things, but the Son of man came down from heaven and knows them directly, and therefore He alone is qualified to testify of them while His hearers stand in disbelief. His teaching about the kingdom carries that firsthand certainty, and it remains trustworthy even when it is not accepted. He speaks what He knows and has seen because He has stood in the counsels of God and dwelt in the heights of the sanctuary, living in intimacy and oneness with God and with the Father. In that oneness He possesses all truth and is Himself its source, so what He declares about heavenly things is true.
By that heavenly origin He is the Promised One of Israel, above all who are of the earth, and His superiority rests on having come down from heaven. He is the divine Witness and Teacher sent from God to reveal the Father, speaking God's words of what He has seen and heard, and His mission was not learned in the rabbis' schools but received through oneness with the Father. His words to Nicodemus were scarcely understood at first, yet later events made their meaning plain. That pattern belongs especially to His prediction that He must be lifted up, which the disciples did not grasp before His death but after His resurrection proclaimed as Christ crucified and risen.
He was able to open truths beyond every other discovery, surpassing all other unveilings of knowledge. Yet His teaching was not speculative but practical, aimed at shaping character, and it stands apart from all teachings that conflict with what He came to reveal. Clothed in humanity while retaining His divinity, He stands as Mediator between God and humanity. By giving Himself He makes it possible for human beings to become sons and daughters of God.
Salvation and Response
Christ's words to Nicodemus point out the way to heaven and what must be done to be saved, showing the seeker after truth where to find the new heart needed to see God's kingdom. He who spoke them is the Son of man who came down from heaven and is in heaven, and He foretold that He would be lifted up. The disciples did not understand that lifting up before His death, but after His resurrection they proclaimed Christ crucified and risen. Clothed in humanity while retaining divinity, He stands as Mediator between God and humanity, and by giving Himself He makes it possible for people to become God's sons and daughters. Even a person of good moral character who thinks his life is upright must humble himself under God, renounce his own righteousness, and depend wholly on Christ, entering life in the same way as the chief of sinners.
His light exposes impurity, selfish motives, and hostility to God hidden in the heart, and seeing His purity by contrast exposes human unrighteousness. It shows that only His blood can cleanse sin and renew the heart. What is needed is not learning nor controversy but truth and a new heart. Nicodemus was convicted, converted, submitted to the leading of the Holy Spirit, began to see the kingdom of heaven, and became a true believer and disciple. With the Spirit daily molding and fashioning the heart to give divine insight to perceive the character of that kingdom, he spoke in the Sanhedrin council against its measures for compassing Christ's death.
The word spoken to Nicodemus stands as a word to rulers in Israel today. His testimony of heavenly things makes divine truth knowable during human probation, and those who receive the Word are responsible for sharing it with others. That testimony of what He knows and has seen, which no man who has ascended to heaven could give, provides definite instruction regarding the nature of true higher education, the only education of saving value. That instruction is only feebly comprehended, and its full import can be understood only by one born of water and of the Spirit through sanctification of the Spirit.
God's workers must therefore not enter into controversy when people want to argue but must keep to the affirmative, presenting new light and practical points that bring people in contact with all light. Reasoning upon points of difference without a changed heart produces no saving result but strengthens resistance.