John 3:13 - Printer Friendly

ESV: No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.

NIV: No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven--the Son of Man.

NASB: No one has ascended into heaven, except He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man.

CSB: No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven--the Son of Man.

NLT: No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man has come down from heaven.

KJV: And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

NKJV: No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.

The term "Son of Man" is one of Jesus' favorite names for Himself. He will refer to Himself using this title several times in the Gospels. This is a phrase which all Jewish people would have recognized (Daniel 7:13). It connects Jesus to Old Testament prophecy. In John 1:51, Jesus used this term while describing angels ascending and descending. Here, He is saying that no person has ever gone to heaven and returned. The only person present on earth who was once in heaven is Christ Himself. In verses 11 and 12, Jesus explains that a person who won't believe earthly claims won't believe heavenly ones, either. If Nicodemus, or anyone else, rejects what Jesus says about heaven, there isn't any other source to which they can go. This is one of the places in John chapter 3 where Jesus makes a claim to "exclusivity." This, in short, means that Jesus is the one and only way to God—there are no other options.

John 2:24–3:15 describes a meeting between Jesus and a Pharisee. The last two verses of chapter two highlight the fact that Jesus knew men better than they knew themselves. Nicodemus was the ancient equivalent of a politician, priest, and professor all rolled into one. Jesus proves that this man doesn’t understand religion as well as he’d like to think. In contrast to the loud, public spectacle of clearing the temple, this encounter is a private, night-time meeting. Their actual conversation was probably longer than the brief summary recorded here.

John chapter 3 is one of the most important in the entire gospel. Many crucial ideas are explained in this passage, including the role of Jesus as Savior. After the loud, public commotion at the temple, John transitions to a quiet, nighttime discussion. 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 is meant 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 need to believe 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 gospel of John was written by the disciple John, decades later than the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. 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”—in order to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in all of the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.

Accessed 4/30/2024 4:04:01 PM