Christ's Doctrine of Faith: A Study of "Believing" in John's Gospel (John 3:36)

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The thirteenth time the idea of “believing” occurs in John’s Gospel is John 3:36, which reads: “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (KJV).

First, let’s examine the context of this passage. It starts after Christ’s conversation with Nicodemus. Jesus and His disciples come into the land of Judaea, where He stayed with them and baptized. Meanwhile, John the Baptist was also baptizing, in Aenon near Salim, because much water was there. And people came to John to be baptized by him, since he wasn’t cast into prison at this point. A question then arises between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purifying. They then come to John, addressing him as Rabbi and telling him that Jesus was baptizing and that all men were coming to Him. John responds by saying that a man can’t receive anything unless it’s given to him from heaven. John then says that they themselves bear him witness that John said he wasn’t the Christ but that he was sent before the Messiah. The Baptist says that the one who has the bride is the bridegroom, but the bridegroom’s friend, who stands and hears the bridegroom, rejoices because of the bridegroom’s voice, and that this joy of his [John’s] was therefore fulfilled. He says that Jesus must increase, but he must decrease, before going on to say that that He who comes from above is above all, while he that is of the earth is earthly and speaks from the earth, concluding this portion of his speech by saying that He who comes from heaven is above all. He then says that, what Jesus has seen and heard is what He testifies, and no man receives His testimony. John then states though that the one who receives His testimony has set to his seal that God is true, because the One whom God sent speaks the words of God, because God doesn’t give Him the Spirit by measure. The Baptist then says that the Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand, before declaring that the one who believes on the Son has everlasting life, while the one who does not believe the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him instead. This is the context of our text!

Second, what can we learn about faith from this passage? One thing we learn is that faith means to receive Christ’s testimony, or what Christ bears witness to. In verse 31, John the Baptist says that Christ came from heaven. In verse 32, he says that Christ has seen and heard things, and that these things are what Christ testifies about. However, no man receives his testimony, meaning no one believes what Christ bears witness to, but those who do receive His testimony set to their seals that God is true. This is a statement about how all men apart from God’s regenerating grace reject Christ while all those who are the recipients of such grace receive Christ, because John 1:11-13 says that Christ came to His own and His own did not receive Him, but, to as many who did receive Him, which means to believe on His Name, He gave the right to become children of God, who are born, not of blood or the will of the flesh or the will of man, but of God. Verse 34 elaborates on what exactly is Christ’s testimony: the words of God, or the words that He speaks. This is a fulfillment of the Messianic prophecy in Deuteronomy 18:15-19, which reads: “The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken; According to all that thou desiredst of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not. And the LORD said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken. I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him” (KJV). For proof that this Prophet is the Lord Jesus Christ, Acts 3:20-23 says: “And he [God the Father] shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people” (KJV). So, to believe Christ means to receive, or believe, His testimony, which are the words He speaks, which are the words of God. And where do we find His words? The written Word of God, the Bible (2 Timothy 3:15-16). So, we learn that to believe on the Son means to receive the Son’s testimony, which is the Word of God that He speaks, while to believe not on the Son is to not receive the Son’s testimony, or to not receive the Word of God that the Son testifies of.