John 3:19

3:1-8 Nicodemus was afraid, or ashamed to be seen with Christ, therefore came in the night. When religion is out of fashion, there are many Nicodemites. But though he came by night, Jesus bid him welcome, and hereby taught us to encourage good beginnings, although weak. And though now he came by night, yet afterward he owned Christ publicly. He did not talk with Christ about state affairs, though he was a ruler, but about the concerns of his own soul and its salvation, and went at once to them. Our Saviour spoke of the necessity and nature of regeneration or the new birth, and at once directed Nicodemus to the source of holiness of the heart. Birth is the beginning of life; to be born again, is to begin to live anew, as those who have lived much amiss, or to little purpose. We must have a new nature, new principles, new affections, new aims. By our first birth we were corrupt, shapen in sin; therefore we must be made new creatures. No stronger expression could have been chosen to signify a great and most remarkable change of state and character. We must be entirely different from what we were before, as that which begins to be at any time, is not, and cannot be the same with that which was before. This new birth is from heaven, ch. 1:13, and its tendency is to heaven. It is a great change made in the heart of a sinner, by the power of the Holy Spirit. It means that something is done in us, and for us, which we cannot do for ourselves.

Something is wrong, whereby such a life begins as shall last for ever. We cannot otherwise expect any benefit by Christ; it is necessary to our happiness here and hereafter. What Christ speak, Nicodemus misunderstood, as if there had been no other way of regenerating and new-moulding an immortal soul, than by new-framing the body. But he acknowledged his ignorance, which shows a desire to be better informed. It is then further explained by the Lord Jesus. He shows the Author of this blessed change. It is not wrought by any wisdom or power of our own, but by the power of the blessed Spirit. We are shapen in iniquity, which makes it necessary that our nature be changed. We are not to marvel at this; for, when we consider the holiness of God, the depravity of our nature, and the happiness set before us, we shall not think it strange that so much stress is laid upon this. The regenerating work of the Holy Spirit is compared to water. It is also probable that Christ had reference to the ordinance of baptism. Not that all those, and those only, that are baptized, are saved; but without that new birth which is wrought by the Spirit, and signified by baptism, none shall be subjects of the kingdom of heaven. The same word signifies both the wind and the Spirit. The wind bloweth where it listeth for us; God directs it. The Spirit sends his influences where, and when, on whom, and in what measure and degree, he pleases.

John 3:19 . This is further explained in the following, αὕτη … τὸ φῶς . The ground of the condemnation lies precisely in this, that since the coming of Christ and His exhibition of human life in the light of the holiness and love of the Father, human sin is no longer the result of ignorance, but of deliberate choice and preference. Nothing can be done for a man who says, “Evil, be thou my good”. The reason of this preference of darkness and rejection of Christ is that the life is evil, ἦν γὰρ κ . τ . λ .

This That is, herein consists the judgment. The prefacing a statement with this is, and then defining the statement by ὅτι or ἵνα, that, is characteristic of John. See John 15:12; John 17:3; 1 John 1:5; 1 John 5:11, 1 John 5:14; 3 John 1:6. Light (τὸ φῶς) Rev., correctly, the light. See John 1:4, John 1:9. Men (οἱ ἄνθρωποι) Literally, the men. Regarded as a class. Darkness (τὸ σκότος) See on John 1:5. Rev., correctly, the darkness. John employs this word only here and 1 John 1:6. His usual term is σκοτία (John 1:5; John 8:12; 1 John 1:5, etc.), more commonly describing a state of darkness, than darkness as opposed to light. Were (ἦν) Habitually. The imperfect tense marking continuation. Evil (πονηρὰ) Actively evil. See on Mark 7:22; see on Luke 3:19.

{7} And this is the {r} condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. (7) The only reason why men refuse the light that is offered to them is wickedness. (r) That is, the cause of condemnation, which remains in men, unless through God's great benefit they are delivered from it.

19. this is the condemnation, &c.—emphatically so, revealing the condemnation already existing, and sealing up under it those who will not be delivered from it. light is come into the world—in the Person of Him to whom Nicodemus was listening. loved darkness, &c.—This can only be known by the deliberate rejection of Christ, but that does fearfully reveal it.

This is the reason, the evidence and great cause of condemnation, that light is come into the world. Christ is the Light, foretold by the prophet, Isaiah 9:2 42:6 49:6 . He is styled, in the beginning of this Gospel the true Light, John 1:4 ; that is, he hath in perfection all the excellent qualities of light; the power to enlighten the minds of men in the knowledge of saving truth, to warm the affections with the love of it, to revive the disconsolate, and to make the heavenly seed of the word to flourish and fructify in their lives. This Light is come into the world; that signifies not only his incarnation, but his revealing the merciful counsel of God for our salvation, which the clearest spirits could never have discovered; he has opened the way that leads to eternal life. But men loved darkness rather than light; they preferred, chose, and adhered to their ignorance and errors, before the light of life, the saving knowledge of the gospel. Their ignorance is affected and voluntary, and no colour of excuse can be alleged for it; nay, it is very culpable and guilty, by neglecting to receive instruction from the Son of God. Because their deeds were evil; the vices and lusts of men are the works of darkness, the fruits of their ignorance and errors; and they are so pleasant to the carnal corrupt nature, that to enjoy them securely, they obstinately reject the light of the gospel; this aggravates their sin and sentence.

19 . And this is the condemnation ] Rather, But the judgment is this ; this is what it consists in: comp. John 15:12 , John 17:3 . and men loved darkness , &c.] The tragic tone again (see on John 1:5 ). Both words should have the article, loved the darkness rather than the light . An understatement; they hated the Light. There is probably no allusion to Nicodemus coming to Jesus by night. He chose the darkness, not because his deeds were evil, but because they were good. He wished to conceal, not an evil deed from good men, but a good deed from evil men. deeds ] Better, works here and John 3:20-21 .

John 3:19 . Ἡ κρίσις , the judgment [condemnation]) i.e. the cause of judgment.— τὸ φῶς , the Light ) After the mention of life, the mention of light follows, as in ch. 1. The Light, Christ. See what follows. In John 3:19 , the hypostatical [personal] Light [Jesus Christ, its embodiment] is praised: afterwards, in the latter part of John 3:19 , in antithesis to darkness, of which there is no hypostasis [personality], and in John 3:20-21 , the discourse treats of Light indefinitely in the thesis, but so as that, in the hypothesis, it answers chiefly to the hypostatical [personal] Light.— ἠγάπησαν , loved ) They did not pay back love for the love on God’s part, John 3:16 .— μᾶλλον , rather than ) The comparison is by no means inappropriate. The loveliness of the light struck them with admiration; but they were held fast in the love of darkness. Comp. John 5:35 , “He was a burning and a shining light; and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light.” A similar comparison occurs, ch. John 12:43 , “For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.”— πονηρά , evil [maligna, evil-disposed ]) This is indeed worse than φαῦλα , vile [worthless, wrong], John 3:20 .

(19) And this is the condemnation. —For “condemnation” read judgment; for “light” and “darkness,” the light and the darkness. The object is salvation, not judgment ( John 3:17 ); but the separation of the good involves the judgment of the evil. The light makes the darkness visible. Both were before men. That they chose darkness was the act of their own will, and this act of the will was determined by the evil of their deeds. “The light shineth in the darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not.” (Comp. Note on John 1:5 .) The words are general, but they must have had, for him who then heard them, a special force. It was night. He had avoided the light of day, and like men who go forth to deeds of darkness under cover of darkness, he had come in secrecy to Jesus. His own conscience told him that he was in the presence of a Teacher sent from God (John 3:2); but he has checked the voice of conscience. He has shrunk from coming to this Teacher in the light of day, and has loved the darkness of the night.

This is the condemnation - This is the cause of condemnation; or this is the reason why men are punished. That light is come - Light often denotes instruction, teaching, doctrine, as that by which we see clearly the path of duty. all the instruction that God gives us by conscience, reason, or revelation may thus be called light; but this word is used especially to denote the Messiah or the Christ, who is often spoken of as "the light." See Isaiah 60:1; Isaiah 9:2. Compare Matthew 4:16; also the notes at John 1:4. It was doubtless this light to which Jesus had particular reference here. Men loved darkness - Darkness is the emblem of ignorance, iniquity, error, superstition - whatever is opposite to truth and piety. Men are said to love darkness more than they do light when they are better pleased with error than truth, with sin than holiness, with Belial than Christ. Because their deeds are evil - Men who commit crime commonly choose to do it in the night, so as to escape detection. So men who are wicked prefer false doctrine and error to the truth. Thus the Pharisees cloaked their crimes under the errors of their system; and, amid their false doctrines and superstitions, they attempted to convince others that they had great zeal for God. Deeds - Works; actions.