The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.
The Father and the Son are distinct, and in love the Father has placed all things and supreme authority over all into the Son's hand. The Son is the One sent from heaven above all earthly men, who clothed divinity with humanity to touch humanity and who speaks God's words because God gives Him the Spirit without measure. That entrusting makes Him Creator and sustainer of all in heaven and earth and exalted Lord of the dead and living in whom all fullness dwells, with authority over judgment and over every gift and the disposal of heaven's treasures to redeem the world from the curse of Adam's fall. He was given all things and all power to carry out His Father's will by dispensing rich gifts, imparting His own righteousness and the covenant blessings He died to purchase, with power to give everlasting life. Whoever believes on Him receives everlasting life and power to become sons of God, while whoever rejects Him does not have life but remains under God's wrath, so receiving His testimony and beholding Him by faith is the sinner's life business.
Witness and Context
The saying was uttered by John the Baptist in defense of Jesus when John's own hold on the people was waning and the disciples of Jesus were increasing daily about the Jordan. With evidence of Christ's power before him, John lived by the truth that all things were given into the Son's hand, refusing ambition, refusing self-pity and grief at being superseded, and turning attention fixed on himself to Jesus irrespective of personal interest and above all worldly considerations. Though lessening crowds left him still able to hinder Christ's work, he would not yield to Satan's temptation working through his disciples' jealousy over baptism, knowing that to encourage envy and dissension would impede the gospel. He identified himself fully with the cause of Christ and found his greatest joy in its success.
In that witness he called himself only the friend of the bridegroom who rejoices in the bridegroom's success and place, while Jesus is the bridegroom. He testified to Jesus' superiority as the One sent by God from heaven and above all, above all earthly men, the Promised One of Israel whose way John had come to prepare and whose ministry should succeed his own. The entrusting of all things to the Son proves that heavenly origin and supreme authority.
That testimony is almost the counterpart of the testimony given to Nicodemus in the secret interview, sermon to the Pharisees clearing the way for Christ's ministry, with John's testimony and Jesus' own testimony joined and corresponding in the same reformatory work. In its immediate setting the Son is the One sent by God who testifies what He has seen and heard, who speaks God's words because God gives Him the Spirit without measure, who clothed divinity with humanity and came in humility to touch humanity so that highest and lowest could have His light. The surrounding words identify Him the same way as the One sent by God, speaking God's words and receiving the Spirit without measure.
The next verse joins this entrusting to destiny, for whoever believes on the Son has everlasting life and is saved through Him, while whoever rejects Him does not have life but remains under God's wrath. Belief brings everlasting life, and unbelief leaves the soul under wrath. The Father and the Son are distinct, each acting as an individual. The saying belongs to John's testimony that God's people are to sound throughout the length and breadth of the world so all may discern the light and walk in the light, presenting the law and the gospel and binding the two together in a perfect whole.
All Things Entrusted
The Father's love for the Son is shown in entrusting all things into His hand, giving Him supreme authority over all things as the One sent from heaven and above all. That entrusting includes judgment, and it is seen in God giving Jesus as a sin offering for the world. After Christ humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross, the Father placed all fullness in Him and highly exalted Him with a name above every name.
He was made Creator and sustainer of all things in heaven and earth, and by His death and resurrection He became Lord of both the dead and the living, the One in whom dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily so that believers are complete in Him. The Father entrusted the world to the Son to redeem it from the curse and disgrace brought by Adam's fall, so that through Christ alone fallen people find access to God and through Christ alone God communicates with them. The Father gave Christ authority over every gift and the disposal of heaven's treasures so that Christ could carry out His Father's will.
He was given all things and all power in order to dispense rich gifts to men, imparting the priceless gift of His own righteousness to the helpless human agent and the covenant blessings and benefits He died to purchase to every soul who believes on Him. This authority belongs with the Son's power to give everlasting life, grounding the call to believe in the Son.
Believe and Receive
The Father loves the Son and has placed all things in His hand, and the Son whom God sent speaks the words of God with the Spirit given without measure, testifying what He has seen and heard in heaven. He who came from heaven is above all earthly men, having clothed divinity with humanity and come in humility to touch humanity so that the highest and the most lowly could have His light. To receive His testimony is to set a seal that God is true, and to abide in Christ is to receive His words and obey them. His word is everything to the one who believes it and must be accepted and believed, for believing on the Son gives everlasting life while rejecting Him leaves the soul without life under God's wrath. To receive Him and believe on Him is to receive from His fullness power to become sons of God, grace for grace, and everlasting life.
Searching the Scriptures leads to knowing God and Jesus Christ whom He sent, which is eternal life, because the Scriptures testify of Christ. That knowledge is the foundation of true education, and this authority belongs with the Son's power to give everlasting life. The Father has given all things and all power into His hands so that He may dispense rich gifts to men, imparting His own righteousness to the helpless human agent and the covenant blessings and benefits He died to purchase to every soul who believes on Him. The verse therefore calls sinners away from looking to man and from trusting and expecting help from man, to make it their life business to behold the uplifted Saviour and by faith to accept and claim the merits it is their privilege to claim, in whom hopes of eternal life are centered. It is truth as it is in Jesus, the message of justification through faith in the Surety and the third angel's message to be sounded by God's people so that all may discern the light and walk in the light, where he who believes on the Son receives everlasting life.
The chapter belongs with the need for spiritual rebirth and is recommended for careful reading by those who have not been born again, pointing to Christ who gave Himself to redeem humanity and enable people to become sons and daughters of God. The passage of John 3:22-36, including the Father giving all things into the Son's hand, is to be read carefully in every establishment where work in various business lines is carried on. Such reading is to bring thorough conviction and a work of repentance in the soul. It meets Satan's deceptive seeking to overcome every soul while boasting that his armies are great and Christ's armies are few, and it cooperates with the angels of God present to protect every soul from rudeness in word or action lest Satan triumph.
The Father and the Son are distinct, and in love the Father has placed all things and supreme authority over all into the Son's hand. The Son is the One sent from heaven above all earthly men, who clothed divinity with humanity to touch humanity and who speaks God's words because God gives Him the Spirit without measure. That entrusting makes Him Creator and sustainer of all in heaven and earth and exalted Lord of the dead and living in whom all fullness dwells, with authority over judgment and over every gift and the disposal of heaven's treasures to redeem the world from the curse of Adam's fall. He was given all things and all power to carry out His Father's will by dispensing rich gifts, imparting His own righteousness and the covenant blessings He died to purchase, with power to give everlasting life. Whoever believes on Him receives everlasting life and power to become sons of God, while whoever rejects Him does not have life but remains under God's wrath, so receiving His testimony and beholding Him by faith is the sinner's life business.
Witness and Context
The saying was uttered by John the Baptist in defense of Jesus when John's own hold on the people was waning and the disciples of Jesus were increasing daily about the Jordan. With evidence of Christ's power before him, John lived by the truth that all things were given into the Son's hand, refusing ambition, refusing self-pity and grief at being superseded, and turning attention fixed on himself to Jesus irrespective of personal interest and above all worldly considerations. Though lessening crowds left him still able to hinder Christ's work, he would not yield to Satan's temptation working through his disciples' jealousy over baptism, knowing that to encourage envy and dissension would impede the gospel. He identified himself fully with the cause of Christ and found his greatest joy in its success.
In that witness he called himself only the friend of the bridegroom who rejoices in the bridegroom's success and place, while Jesus is the bridegroom. He testified to Jesus' superiority as the One sent by God from heaven and above all, above all earthly men, the Promised One of Israel whose way John had come to prepare and whose ministry should succeed his own. The entrusting of all things to the Son proves that heavenly origin and supreme authority.
That testimony is almost the counterpart of the testimony given to Nicodemus in the secret interview, sermon to the Pharisees clearing the way for Christ's ministry, with John's testimony and Jesus' own testimony joined and corresponding in the same reformatory work. In its immediate setting the Son is the One sent by God who testifies what He has seen and heard, who speaks God's words because God gives Him the Spirit without measure, who clothed divinity with humanity and came in humility to touch humanity so that highest and lowest could have His light. The surrounding words identify Him the same way as the One sent by God, speaking God's words and receiving the Spirit without measure.
The next verse joins this entrusting to destiny, for whoever believes on the Son has everlasting life and is saved through Him, while whoever rejects Him does not have life but remains under God's wrath. Belief brings everlasting life, and unbelief leaves the soul under wrath. The Father and the Son are distinct, each acting as an individual. The saying belongs to John's testimony that God's people are to sound throughout the length and breadth of the world so all may discern the light and walk in the light, presenting the law and the gospel and binding the two together in a perfect whole.
All Things Entrusted
The Father's love for the Son is shown in entrusting all things into His hand, giving Him supreme authority over all things as the One sent from heaven and above all. That entrusting includes judgment, and it is seen in God giving Jesus as a sin offering for the world. After Christ humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross, the Father placed all fullness in Him and highly exalted Him with a name above every name.
He was made Creator and sustainer of all things in heaven and earth, and by His death and resurrection He became Lord of both the dead and the living, the One in whom dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily so that believers are complete in Him. The Father entrusted the world to the Son to redeem it from the curse and disgrace brought by Adam's fall, so that through Christ alone fallen people find access to God and through Christ alone God communicates with them. The Father gave Christ authority over every gift and the disposal of heaven's treasures so that Christ could carry out His Father's will.
He was given all things and all power in order to dispense rich gifts to men, imparting the priceless gift of His own righteousness to the helpless human agent and the covenant blessings and benefits He died to purchase to every soul who believes on Him. This authority belongs with the Son's power to give everlasting life, grounding the call to believe in the Son.
Believe and Receive
The Father loves the Son and has placed all things in His hand, and the Son whom God sent speaks the words of God with the Spirit given without measure, testifying what He has seen and heard in heaven. He who came from heaven is above all earthly men, having clothed divinity with humanity and come in humility to touch humanity so that the highest and the most lowly could have His light. To receive His testimony is to set a seal that God is true, and to abide in Christ is to receive His words and obey them. His word is everything to the one who believes it and must be accepted and believed, for believing on the Son gives everlasting life while rejecting Him leaves the soul without life under God's wrath. To receive Him and believe on Him is to receive from His fullness power to become sons of God, grace for grace, and everlasting life.
Searching the Scriptures leads to knowing God and Jesus Christ whom He sent, which is eternal life, because the Scriptures testify of Christ. That knowledge is the foundation of true education, and this authority belongs with the Son's power to give everlasting life. The Father has given all things and all power into His hands so that He may dispense rich gifts to men, imparting His own righteousness to the helpless human agent and the covenant blessings and benefits He died to purchase to every soul who believes on Him. The verse therefore calls sinners away from looking to man and from trusting and expecting help from man, to make it their life business to behold the uplifted Saviour and by faith to accept and claim the merits it is their privilege to claim, in whom hopes of eternal life are centered. It is truth as it is in Jesus, the message of justification through faith in the Surety and the third angel's message to be sounded by God's people so that all may discern the light and walk in the light, where he who believes on the Son receives everlasting life.
The chapter belongs with the need for spiritual rebirth and is recommended for careful reading by those who have not been born again, pointing to Christ who gave Himself to redeem humanity and enable people to become sons and daughters of God. The passage of John 3:22-36, including the Father giving all things into the Son's hand, is to be read carefully in every establishment where work in various business lines is carried on. Such reading is to bring thorough conviction and a work of repentance in the soul. It meets Satan's deceptive seeking to overcome every soul while boasting that his armies are great and Christ's armies are few, and it cooperates with the angels of God present to protect every soul from rudeness in word or action lest Satan triumph.