1. Jesus came from above. He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all (John 3:31).
This immediately distinguishes Jesus from all of us. We belong to the earth. This is our home. But Jesus came from above. That is, he did not originate from the human line of descent. He came into the human line when he came to us from heaven. Your life began when you were conceived in your mother’s womb. But that was not true of Jesus. Before he was ever conceived in the womb of the virgin, Mary, he shared the life of God in heaven.
2. Jesus gave testimony as a witness. He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony (John 3:32).
Our culture is constantly telling us that “everyone has their own opinion and it’s arrogant to claim that one opinion is better than another.” But there is another category that functions in a different way from opinion, and that is testimony. In a court of law, the role of the witness is to testify to what he or she has seen or heard.
That is exactly how Jesus is described here: “He bears witness to what he has seen and heard” (as the one who comes from heaven). Jesus’ teaching is not an opinion to be considered; it is a testimony to be believed. He did not come into the world to bring a theory for us to evaluate. He came from heaven to tell us about his home, and when he spoke, it was from experience.
Which of these do you find more challenging? Why?
