For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.
John the Baptist spoke these words to defend Jesus as the Promised One sent from heaven, far above himself whose work was only to prepare His way. He whom God sent is Jesus, come from above and above all earthly teachers, speaking God's own message and testimony with full authority supplied by the Spirit. The Father gave Him the Holy Spirit without limit and in fullness for His ministry. He received the Spirit in this fullness because He emptied Himself of self and sought not His own will but the Father's will, loving righteousness and hating iniquity. His followers also may receive the Spirit without measure when the whole heart is surrendered in humble, self-emptied obedience, for the command to be filled with the Spirit is a promise of its fulfillment. Whoever receives His testimony sets to his seal that God is true, and he that believes on the Son has everlasting life by abiding in Christ and living by His words, while unbelief leaves him without life under the wrath of God.
Verse Setting and Witness
The setting is the time when Jesus came from Jerusalem to the region about Jordan, and the people flocked to hear Him while the crowds about John lessened day by day and the number of Jesus' disciples increased daily. Jesus Himself did not baptize but sanctioned baptism by His disciples, and so set His seal upon the mission of His forerunner. The growth of that work stirred jealousy in John's disciples and produced dispute with the Jews over whether baptism avails to cleanse the soul from sin, over whether the baptism of Jesus differed essentially from that of John, over the form of words proper to use at baptism, and over the right of Christ's disciples to baptize at all, leading to the complaint that all men come to Him.
The verse is John's defense of Jesus, identifying Jesus as the Promised One of Israel sent by God, far above John whose work was only to prepare His way. John identified himself fully with the cause of Christ and found his greatest joy in its success, rising above all personal interest and worldly considerations. Jesus, as the One sent from God, speaks the words of God and receives the Spirit without measure, and His testimony and superiority come from God with fully authoritative testimony.
John's witness to Jesus closely reflects Christ's own words. This testimony is almost the counterpart of what Jesus Himself told Nicodemus in their secret interview. His words reveal the glory of the Saviour, confirming His superiority as the Promised One and the authority of His testimony.
Meaning of Its Words
He whom God sent is Jesus, who came from heaven and from above, above all earthly speakers and teachers. Clothed with divinity in humanity He came in humility and poverty to touch humanity as the light and life of the gospel made flesh dwelling among men, a sympathizer who fed the hungry, healed the sick, and went through the cities doing good. Though rejected by His own and by priests and rulers, He spoke most fervently in synagogues and in streets so that His great light was communicated to all, highest and most lowly, and the common people heard Him gladly.
He speaks the words of God in that He speaks God's own words and message. He testifies what He has seen and heard, and His testimony reveals God's truth with wholly authoritative testimony that is fully supplied by the Spirit. His testimony belongs to the message that joins the law and the gospel, and the following verse adds that the Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand, presenting Jesus as the one through whom people come to know God. Whoever receives His testimony sets to his seal that God is true.
God gives not the Spirit by measure unto Him in that God gave Jesus the Holy Spirit without limit and in fullness for His ministry. Searching the Scriptures brings knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ whom God sent, and that knowledge is eternal life. Christ's followers may also receive the Holy Spirit without measure when they are willing to be emptied of self and bring every thought into obedience to Christ, and through this surrender they can discern God's character and accept Christ by faith.
He received the Spirit fully because He emptied Himself of self for the salvation of lost humanity and sought not His own will but the will of the Father who sent Him. His seeking only the will of the Father went with loving righteousness and hating iniquity, for which God anointed Him with the Holy Ghost and with power and with the oil of gladness above His fellows. This fullness Christ is ever ready to impart to those who come to Him with full purpose of heart, so that the church on earth is to receive of His fullness and all need daily to receive the grace of Christ for power in life. The command to be filled with the Spirit is also a promise of its fulfilment, for all fullness dwells in Christ and in Him believers are made full, and God delights to answer the heart that has tasted Christ's love and cries for a deeper draft with much more, doing exceeding abundantly above all that is asked or thought, while every revelation of God increases the capacity to know and to love and imparting to others brings receiving in richer and more abundant measure.
He bore His own testimony concerning righteousness and truth. Though He was the living Word He used the Scriptures to establish the certainty and necessity of His sufferings, death, and resurrection, to overcome Satan's temptations, and to reveal the Scriptures' true meaning.
Christ Whom God Sent
He whom God sent is clothed with divinity in humanity, come from heaven and from above to touch humanity in humility and poverty. He is the light and life of the gospel made flesh dwelling among men, the Word and sympathizing Savior and Advocate with the Father. As sympathizer with humanity He fed the hungry, healed the sick, and went through the cities doing good to men. To everyone who receives Him as Saviour He gives power to become sons and daughters of God.
God gave Him the Spirit without measure because His mission on earth demanded it. He took real human nature and lived human nature, not a make-believe humanity, compassed with infirmities and taking our infirmities, made not only flesh but in the likeness of sinful flesh. His life represents perfect manhood that men in human nature may attain. He worked no miracles in His own behalf, and His divine attributes were withheld from relieving His soul anguish or His bodily pains. Yet His divine nature knew what was in man so He needed not that any should testify to Him of this, and though sinless and fully endowed with the Spirit He acknowledged His dependence on God and continually sought fresh strength and wisdom from Him.
The Bible reveals Him as the Author of salvation and makes known His divinity, including His existence with the Father before coming to earth. His fully sinless life prepared the way and made manifest the entrance into the holiest of all. Though rejected by His own and by priests and rulers, He spoke most fervently in synagogues and in streets so His great light was communicated to all, highest and most lowly, and the common people heard Him gladly.
Spirit Given to Believers
What was given to Jesus without limit is also open to His followers when they are emptied of self, humble and contrite, and bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. Through that surrender they receive Heaven's light, discern the character of God, accept Christ by faith, and share His glory. Made complete in Christ in whom dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, they receive the Holy Spirit without measure as He did. He received fully because He emptied Himself and sought not His own will but the will of the Father who sent Him, and the same gift belongs to all who share His self-emptying.
To Jesus who emptied Himself for the salvation of lost humanity the Spirit was given without measure, and so it will be given to every follower when the whole heart is surrendered for His indwelling. The command to be filled with the Spirit is also a promise of its fulfillment, for all fullness dwells in Christ and in Him believers are made full. Those who earnestly desire the Spirit and by faith stand upon His promises, pleading His pledged word in humble prayer, receive this abundant gift. He is more willing to give the Holy Spirit to those who earnestly desire it than earthly parents are to give good gifts to their children.
The Spirit guides them into all truth and righteousness and holiness, reveals Christ's words with living power, and takes the things of Christ and shows them to the obedient soul emptied of self. So the soul receives the image and superscription of the divine, and Christ is formed within, the hope of glory. Through the merits of Christ believers have access to the throne of infinite power, and by faith in the promises of the Heavenly Father while fulfilling His requirements and asking in faith they can partake of that fullness and reach this height of attainment. With Christ God freely gives them all things, the church on earth is to receive of His fullness, and all need daily to receive the grace of Christ for power in life.
The assurance holds in conflict, for God's special manifestations of the Spirit give strength and wisdom in conflict, manifest His love, serve as a seal of divine approval for the truth, confirm divine guidance, and guide and strengthen believers through trials and opposition so Satan shall have no chance to triumph. God delights to answer the heart that has tasted Christ's love and cries for a deeper draft with much more, doing exceeding abundantly above all that is asked or thought. Every revelation of God increases the capacity to know and to love, while imparting to others brings receiving in richer and more abundant measure.
Belief, Life, and Knowledge
The next verse continues the thought, declaring that the Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand, so that the Son stands loved by the Father and entrusted with authority over all things. Father and Christ are thereby shown as distinct persons, each acting individually, the one loving and giving, the other receiving and ruling.
Whoever receives His testimony sets his seal to the fact that God is true, for His testimony is God's own truth spoken with the Spirit without measure. That testimony belongs to the message that joins the law and the gospel bound up in a perfect whole. It is therefore to be received and looked to for life, since His words are essential to those who believe.
He who believes on the Son has everlasting life, while he who does not believe shall not see life but remains without life under the abiding wrath of God. Believing is not mere nominal faith but faith to a purpose, and unbelief leaves the soul under wrath.
To have that everlasting life by belief is to eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of God, which is to abide in Christ with Christ abiding in him. His words are spirit and life, giving spiritual and eternal life to all who believe and receive them, and where the Word is truly appreciated it will be obeyed. Those words reveal the glory of the Saviour and are to be accepted as words from which there can be no departure.
Searching the Scriptures brings knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ whom God sent, and that knowledge is eternal life. These truths present Jesus as the One through whom men come to know God. To know God and Jesus whom God sent is the power and heart of true education.
Proclaiming and Living It
He whom God sent came from heaven and is above all, speaking the words of God because God gives Him the Spirit without measure, testifying what He has seen and heard. Whoever receives His testimony sets to his seal that God is true, for the Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hands, with everlasting life to him that believes on the Son and abiding wrath to him that believes not. This message is to be sounded by God's people throughout the world so that all may discern the light and walk in the light. It presents the law and the gospel bound up in a perfect whole that is impressed on every opened, contrite heart, giving not mere nominal faith but belief to a purpose that appropriates God's richest gifts and passes the gift to others.
The passage John 3:22-36 is to be read carefully for thorough conviction and a work of repentance wrought in the soul. It calls for speaking kindly, earnest words in season to erring ones, because reproof is too serious and important to trifle with in sporting words. It calls for vigilance because Satan in deceptive style seeks to overcome every soul and flatters himself that his armies are so great and Christ's armies so few that he will stand victor. It holds out the presence of angels of God in every establishment where work in various business lines is carried on to protect every soul from becoming rude in word or actions so Satan shall have no chance to triumph.
He is the light and life of the gospel made flesh dwelling among men, above all earthly speakers, a sympathizer with humanity who fed the hungry, healed the sick, and went through the cities doing good to men. His ministry for men interprets His commission to preach the gospel to every creature. His followers must stay in simplicity of truth, meek and lowly in heart, with all works wrought in Christ, becoming partakers of His nature to work His works, for when a worker departs from simplicity God ceases to use him.
Though sinless and fully endowed with the Spirit without measure, He acknowledged His dependence on God and continually sought fresh strength and wisdom from Him. Finite, erring people therefore need God's help every moment and should trust His guidance, receive His commands in faith, and obey them.
John the Baptist spoke these words to defend Jesus as the Promised One sent from heaven, far above himself whose work was only to prepare His way. He whom God sent is Jesus, come from above and above all earthly teachers, speaking God's own message and testimony with full authority supplied by the Spirit. The Father gave Him the Holy Spirit without limit and in fullness for His ministry. He received the Spirit in this fullness because He emptied Himself of self and sought not His own will but the Father's will, loving righteousness and hating iniquity. His followers also may receive the Spirit without measure when the whole heart is surrendered in humble, self-emptied obedience, for the command to be filled with the Spirit is a promise of its fulfillment. Whoever receives His testimony sets to his seal that God is true, and he that believes on the Son has everlasting life by abiding in Christ and living by His words, while unbelief leaves him without life under the wrath of God.
Verse Setting and Witness
The setting is the time when Jesus came from Jerusalem to the region about Jordan, and the people flocked to hear Him while the crowds about John lessened day by day and the number of Jesus' disciples increased daily. Jesus Himself did not baptize but sanctioned baptism by His disciples, and so set His seal upon the mission of His forerunner. The growth of that work stirred jealousy in John's disciples and produced dispute with the Jews over whether baptism avails to cleanse the soul from sin, over whether the baptism of Jesus differed essentially from that of John, over the form of words proper to use at baptism, and over the right of Christ's disciples to baptize at all, leading to the complaint that all men come to Him.
The verse is John's defense of Jesus, identifying Jesus as the Promised One of Israel sent by God, far above John whose work was only to prepare His way. John identified himself fully with the cause of Christ and found his greatest joy in its success, rising above all personal interest and worldly considerations. Jesus, as the One sent from God, speaks the words of God and receives the Spirit without measure, and His testimony and superiority come from God with fully authoritative testimony.
John's witness to Jesus closely reflects Christ's own words. This testimony is almost the counterpart of what Jesus Himself told Nicodemus in their secret interview. His words reveal the glory of the Saviour, confirming His superiority as the Promised One and the authority of His testimony.
Meaning of Its Words
He whom God sent is Jesus, who came from heaven and from above, above all earthly speakers and teachers. Clothed with divinity in humanity He came in humility and poverty to touch humanity as the light and life of the gospel made flesh dwelling among men, a sympathizer who fed the hungry, healed the sick, and went through the cities doing good. Though rejected by His own and by priests and rulers, He spoke most fervently in synagogues and in streets so that His great light was communicated to all, highest and most lowly, and the common people heard Him gladly.
He speaks the words of God in that He speaks God's own words and message. He testifies what He has seen and heard, and His testimony reveals God's truth with wholly authoritative testimony that is fully supplied by the Spirit. His testimony belongs to the message that joins the law and the gospel, and the following verse adds that the Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand, presenting Jesus as the one through whom people come to know God. Whoever receives His testimony sets to his seal that God is true.
God gives not the Spirit by measure unto Him in that God gave Jesus the Holy Spirit without limit and in fullness for His ministry. Searching the Scriptures brings knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ whom God sent, and that knowledge is eternal life. Christ's followers may also receive the Holy Spirit without measure when they are willing to be emptied of self and bring every thought into obedience to Christ, and through this surrender they can discern God's character and accept Christ by faith.
He received the Spirit fully because He emptied Himself of self for the salvation of lost humanity and sought not His own will but the will of the Father who sent Him. His seeking only the will of the Father went with loving righteousness and hating iniquity, for which God anointed Him with the Holy Ghost and with power and with the oil of gladness above His fellows. This fullness Christ is ever ready to impart to those who come to Him with full purpose of heart, so that the church on earth is to receive of His fullness and all need daily to receive the grace of Christ for power in life. The command to be filled with the Spirit is also a promise of its fulfilment, for all fullness dwells in Christ and in Him believers are made full, and God delights to answer the heart that has tasted Christ's love and cries for a deeper draft with much more, doing exceeding abundantly above all that is asked or thought, while every revelation of God increases the capacity to know and to love and imparting to others brings receiving in richer and more abundant measure.
He bore His own testimony concerning righteousness and truth. Though He was the living Word He used the Scriptures to establish the certainty and necessity of His sufferings, death, and resurrection, to overcome Satan's temptations, and to reveal the Scriptures' true meaning.
Christ Whom God Sent
He whom God sent is clothed with divinity in humanity, come from heaven and from above to touch humanity in humility and poverty. He is the light and life of the gospel made flesh dwelling among men, the Word and sympathizing Savior and Advocate with the Father. As sympathizer with humanity He fed the hungry, healed the sick, and went through the cities doing good to men. To everyone who receives Him as Saviour He gives power to become sons and daughters of God.
God gave Him the Spirit without measure because His mission on earth demanded it. He took real human nature and lived human nature, not a make-believe humanity, compassed with infirmities and taking our infirmities, made not only flesh but in the likeness of sinful flesh. His life represents perfect manhood that men in human nature may attain. He worked no miracles in His own behalf, and His divine attributes were withheld from relieving His soul anguish or His bodily pains. Yet His divine nature knew what was in man so He needed not that any should testify to Him of this, and though sinless and fully endowed with the Spirit He acknowledged His dependence on God and continually sought fresh strength and wisdom from Him.
The Bible reveals Him as the Author of salvation and makes known His divinity, including His existence with the Father before coming to earth. His fully sinless life prepared the way and made manifest the entrance into the holiest of all. Though rejected by His own and by priests and rulers, He spoke most fervently in synagogues and in streets so His great light was communicated to all, highest and most lowly, and the common people heard Him gladly.
Spirit Given to Believers
What was given to Jesus without limit is also open to His followers when they are emptied of self, humble and contrite, and bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. Through that surrender they receive Heaven's light, discern the character of God, accept Christ by faith, and share His glory. Made complete in Christ in whom dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, they receive the Holy Spirit without measure as He did. He received fully because He emptied Himself and sought not His own will but the will of the Father who sent Him, and the same gift belongs to all who share His self-emptying.
To Jesus who emptied Himself for the salvation of lost humanity the Spirit was given without measure, and so it will be given to every follower when the whole heart is surrendered for His indwelling. The command to be filled with the Spirit is also a promise of its fulfillment, for all fullness dwells in Christ and in Him believers are made full. Those who earnestly desire the Spirit and by faith stand upon His promises, pleading His pledged word in humble prayer, receive this abundant gift. He is more willing to give the Holy Spirit to those who earnestly desire it than earthly parents are to give good gifts to their children.
The Spirit guides them into all truth and righteousness and holiness, reveals Christ's words with living power, and takes the things of Christ and shows them to the obedient soul emptied of self. So the soul receives the image and superscription of the divine, and Christ is formed within, the hope of glory. Through the merits of Christ believers have access to the throne of infinite power, and by faith in the promises of the Heavenly Father while fulfilling His requirements and asking in faith they can partake of that fullness and reach this height of attainment. With Christ God freely gives them all things, the church on earth is to receive of His fullness, and all need daily to receive the grace of Christ for power in life.
The assurance holds in conflict, for God's special manifestations of the Spirit give strength and wisdom in conflict, manifest His love, serve as a seal of divine approval for the truth, confirm divine guidance, and guide and strengthen believers through trials and opposition so Satan shall have no chance to triumph. God delights to answer the heart that has tasted Christ's love and cries for a deeper draft with much more, doing exceeding abundantly above all that is asked or thought. Every revelation of God increases the capacity to know and to love, while imparting to others brings receiving in richer and more abundant measure.
Belief, Life, and Knowledge
The next verse continues the thought, declaring that the Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand, so that the Son stands loved by the Father and entrusted with authority over all things. Father and Christ are thereby shown as distinct persons, each acting individually, the one loving and giving, the other receiving and ruling.
Whoever receives His testimony sets his seal to the fact that God is true, for His testimony is God's own truth spoken with the Spirit without measure. That testimony belongs to the message that joins the law and the gospel bound up in a perfect whole. It is therefore to be received and looked to for life, since His words are essential to those who believe.
He who believes on the Son has everlasting life, while he who does not believe shall not see life but remains without life under the abiding wrath of God. Believing is not mere nominal faith but faith to a purpose, and unbelief leaves the soul under wrath.
To have that everlasting life by belief is to eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of God, which is to abide in Christ with Christ abiding in him. His words are spirit and life, giving spiritual and eternal life to all who believe and receive them, and where the Word is truly appreciated it will be obeyed. Those words reveal the glory of the Saviour and are to be accepted as words from which there can be no departure.
Searching the Scriptures brings knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ whom God sent, and that knowledge is eternal life. These truths present Jesus as the One through whom men come to know God. To know God and Jesus whom God sent is the power and heart of true education.
Proclaiming and Living It
He whom God sent came from heaven and is above all, speaking the words of God because God gives Him the Spirit without measure, testifying what He has seen and heard. Whoever receives His testimony sets to his seal that God is true, for the Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hands, with everlasting life to him that believes on the Son and abiding wrath to him that believes not. This message is to be sounded by God's people throughout the world so that all may discern the light and walk in the light. It presents the law and the gospel bound up in a perfect whole that is impressed on every opened, contrite heart, giving not mere nominal faith but belief to a purpose that appropriates God's richest gifts and passes the gift to others.
The passage John 3:22-36 is to be read carefully for thorough conviction and a work of repentance wrought in the soul. It calls for speaking kindly, earnest words in season to erring ones, because reproof is too serious and important to trifle with in sporting words. It calls for vigilance because Satan in deceptive style seeks to overcome every soul and flatters himself that his armies are so great and Christ's armies so few that he will stand victor. It holds out the presence of angels of God in every establishment where work in various business lines is carried on to protect every soul from becoming rude in word or actions so Satan shall have no chance to triumph.
He is the light and life of the gospel made flesh dwelling among men, above all earthly speakers, a sympathizer with humanity who fed the hungry, healed the sick, and went through the cities doing good to men. His ministry for men interprets His commission to preach the gospel to every creature. His followers must stay in simplicity of truth, meek and lowly in heart, with all works wrought in Christ, becoming partakers of His nature to work His works, for when a worker departs from simplicity God ceases to use him.
Though sinless and fully endowed with the Spirit without measure, He acknowledged His dependence on God and continually sought fresh strength and wisdom from Him. Finite, erring people therefore need God's help every moment and should trust His guidance, receive His commands in faith, and obey them.