John 3:33 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true.

NIV: Whoever has accepted it has certified that God is truthful.

NASB: The one who has accepted His testimony has certified that God is true.

CSB: The one who has accepted his testimony has affirmed that God is true.

NLT: Anyone who accepts his testimony can affirm that God is true.

KJV: He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true.

NKJV: He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true.

Only Jesus came from heaven to earth (John 3:13). For that reason, there is no other valid source of spiritual truth (John 3:12). Jesus brings us knowledge which is far superior to any other teacher or any other claim (John 3:31–32). However, most people will not accept it (Matthew 7:14). John previously used an exaggeration called hyperbole by saying that "nobody" accepts Jesus' message (John 3:32). Here, he puts this in context. Accepting Jesus as the Light (John 1:9–10) means admitting our sin (John 3:19). Rejecting Christ means rejecting God (1 John 5:10). Some will accept, but only those willing to admit that God is correct.

However, those who do accept Jesus are accepting God (John 3:16). Such persons "set their seal" to the gospel, the ancient equivalent of a signature. Those who express faith in Christ are fully, officially investing their trust in Him alone. This leads to eternal life, as well as spiritual growth (John 1:12). A person cannot truly understand spiritual things without this salvation (1 Corinthians 2:14). Repeatedly, the Bible explains that the only way to be saved is through Jesus Christ (John 3:18, 36; 14:6).

John 3:31–36 describes how Jesus' ministry is from God, but almost everyone will reject it. Verse 36 is an important footnote to the core gospel message seen in John 3:16–21. Those who put their faith in Christ will be saved, but those who reject Him will face the wrath of God. This passage emphasizes the exclusivity of the gospel: there is, emphatically, no other way to obtain heaven but through faith in Jesus Christ. "Testimony," and the need to believe it, are also crucial in this text.

John chapter 3 is one of the most important passages in the entire gospel. Many crucial ideas are explained here, including the role of Jesus as Savior. After the loud, public commotion at the temple, John transitions to a quiet, nighttime discussion. The speakers are Jesus and a Pharisee, Nicodemus, who is sincerely interested in understanding Jesus' ministry. These verses make it clear that Christ—and Christ alone—is the means of salvation for the entire world. This text also states that those who reject Jesus are rejecting God.

The gospel of John intends to prove that Jesus is God. Chapter 3 contains some of the most direct, most important concepts in Christianity. The ideas of spiritual rebirth and the necessity of belief in Christ are reinforced by the rest of the information in this gospel. John continues to use contrast, moving from the loud and public temple cleansing to the quiet of this conversation. After Jesus injects humility into a powerful leader, chapter 4 will transition again, as Jesus gives dignity to an outcast stranger.

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.