Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life.This phrase emphasizes the central Christian doctrine of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. The term "believes" implies a deep trust and reliance on Jesus, not merely intellectual assent. The "Son" refers to Jesus, affirming His divine sonship and messianic role. Eternal life is a key theme in the Gospel of John, signifying not just unending existence but a quality of life in communion with God. This promise of eternal life is consistent with
John 3:16 and is a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies about the coming Messiah who would bring salvation (
Isaiah 53:11). The concept of eternal life also contrasts with the temporal and often uncertain nature of life in the ancient world, offering hope and assurance to believers.
Whoever rejects the Son will not see life.
Rejection of the Son is equated with a refusal to accept Jesus' identity and mission. In the cultural context of the first century, rejecting Jesus was not just a personal decision but often a communal and religious stance, especially among Jewish leaders who saw Jesus as a threat to their authority. "Will not see life" indicates a spiritual blindness and separation from the life that God offers through Christ. This echoes the warnings found in the Old Testament about turning away from God (Deuteronomy 30:19-20). The phrase underscores the exclusivity of salvation through Jesus, a theme that is consistent throughout the New Testament (Acts 4:12).
Instead, the wrath of God remains on him.”
The "wrath of God" is a concept rooted in the Old Testament, where it often refers to God's righteous judgment against sin (Psalm 7:11). In the New Testament, it signifies the divine response to human rebellion and unbelief. The use of "remains" suggests that this wrath is not a new condition but a continuation of the state of condemnation that exists apart from Christ (John 3:18). This phrase serves as a sobering reminder of the consequences of rejecting Jesus, highlighting the urgency of the gospel message. It also reflects the justice of God, who is both loving and holy, and who must address sin. Theologically, this underscores the necessity of Christ's atoning work on the cross, which satisfies God's wrath for those who believe (Romans 5:9).
Persons / Places / Events
1.
Jesus Christ (the Son)Central to this verse, Jesus is the Son of God, whose belief or rejection determines one's eternal destiny.
2.
BelieversThose who place their faith in Jesus Christ and are granted eternal life.
3.
UnbelieversThose who reject Jesus and consequently face the wrath of God.
4.
Eternal LifeThe gift granted to believers, signifying a life in communion with God, both now and forever.
5.
Wrath of GodThe divine judgment and righteous anger of God that remains on those who reject His Son.
Teaching Points
The Necessity of Faith in ChristBelief in Jesus is not optional for eternal life; it is essential. This verse underscores the exclusivity of Christ as the way to salvation.
The Reality of God's WrathGod's wrath is not a popular topic, but it is a biblical reality. Understanding this helps us grasp the seriousness of rejecting Christ.
Eternal Life Begins NowEternal life is not just a future promise but a present reality for believers. It transforms our current life and perspective.
The Urgency of EvangelismKnowing the consequences of rejecting Christ should motivate believers to share the gospel with urgency and compassion.
Assurance of SalvationFor those who believe, this verse offers assurance of eternal life, providing comfort and confidence in their faith journey.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of John 3:36?
2.How does John 3:36 emphasize the importance of belief in Jesus for salvation?
3.What does "eternal life" in John 3:36 mean for believers today?
4.How does John 3:36 connect with John 14:6 about Jesus being the way?
5.In what ways can we share the urgency of belief from John 3:36?
6.How can John 3:36 guide our daily decisions and spiritual priorities?
7.What does John 3:36 imply about the nature of belief and eternal life?
8.How does John 3:36 define the consequences of disbelief?
9.What historical context influences the interpretation of John 3:36?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from John 3?
11.Are you in Heaven or Hell?
12.What happens if one rejects belief in God?
13.What defines an eternal state?
14.What happens if one rejects belief in God?What Does John 3:36 Mean
Whoever believes in the SonBelief is not mere agreement with facts—it is wholehearted trust in Jesus, the divine Son sent by the Father (John 3:16).
•John 6:40 says, “Everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life.”
•Acts 16:31 urges, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.”
•John 1:12 reminds us that all who receive Him, who believe in His name, become children of God.
has eternal lifeThe promise is present-tense: eternal life is already the believer’s possession.
•John 5:24 affirms, “Whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not come under judgment.”
•1 John 5:11-13 assures believers that they may “know” they have eternal life right now.
• Eternal life is more than endless existence; it is a restored relationship with God, beginning the moment one trusts Christ (John 17:3).
Whoever rejects the SonTo reject is to refuse, disobey, or remain indifferent toward Jesus. Neutrality is impossible (Matthew 12:30).
•John 3:18 explains, “Whoever does not believe has already been condemned.”
•John 12:48 warns that the very words of Jesus will judge the unbeliever on the last day.
•Hebrews 2:3 presses the question: “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?”
will not see lifeLife here speaks of true, spiritual life now and glorified life forever. Rejecting Christ blocks both.
•1 John 5:12 states it plainly: “He who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
•Ephesians 2:1 describes unbelievers as “dead in trespasses and sins,” unable to perceive God’s life.
•Revelation 20:15 pictures the final outcome: exclusion from the book of life.
Instead, the wrath of God remains on himGod’s righteous anger against sin is not future only; it currently “remains” on the unbeliever.
•Romans 1:18 declares that “the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness.”
•Ephesians 2:3 says we were “by nature children of wrath” before faith in Christ.
•Psalm 7:11 reminds us that God “is angry with the wicked every day.”
The gospel does not create wrath; it reveals the escape from wrath already present. Only Christ absorbs that wrath for us (Romans 5:9).
summaryJohn 3:36 draws a clear line: trust in the Son brings immediate, everlasting life; refusal leaves a person under God’s present and future wrath. Salvation hinges entirely on one’s response to Jesus. Believe, and life is yours; reject, and real life remains out of reach while God’s judgment abides.
(36) Here too we have, in the words of John, thoughts which we have found already (
John 3:15-16), and shall find again (
John 5:24), in the words of Christ Himself.
He that believeth not the Son.--Better,he that obeyeth not the Son. The word, which occurs only here in the Gospels, is not the same as that at the beginning of the verse, and shows that the faith there intended is the subjection of the will to the Son, to whom the Father hath given all things (John 3:35). (Comp. "obedience to the faith,"Romans 1:5.)
Shall not see lifeis contrasted with the present possession of the believer. He has life; the man who disobeys has not, and while he disobeys shall not see life, for he cannot be a subject of a kingdom to whose laws he refuses allegiance. But there is also a fearful positive contrast. There is for him a present possession, which shall also remain.
The wrath of God abideth on him.--Once only in the four Gospels does this term, so full of tremendous meaning, meet us, and that in the Gospel of fullest love, and in a context which speaks of the Father's love to the Son, and of eternal life, which is the portion of all who believe on the Son. It must be so. This wrath (comp.Romans 2:8;Ephesians 4:31;Colossians 3:8;Revelation 19:15) is not the fierceness of passion, nor is it the expression of fixed hatred. It is the necessary aspect of love and holiness toward those who reject love, and wilfully sin. It is not here spoken of as coming upon them, or as passing from them. It abideth, ever has and ever must; for the wrath of love must abide on hatred, the wrath of holiness must abide on sin. But none need hate, and none need live in wilful sin. "He that believeth"--how vast the love and bright the hope of the all-including words--"hath eternal life"! (Comp. Note onJohn 6:56.) . . .
Verse 36. -
He that believeth on the Son hath eternal life (cf. here, vers. 16, 17;
John 17:3;
1 John 5:10). These words, which above every other clause in this "swanlike song," are suffused with a glow that it is difficult to believe issued from the heart of the forerunner, unless we may make the supposition already referred to, that some of John's former disciples had carried to his earlier master the grand refrain of the discourse to Nicodemus. The entrusting of the soul in utter moral surrender to the Son of God,
is life - eternal life. All cruel suspicions of God vanish when the veil is lifted which sin and the corruption of the human heart have hung over the holiest of all. John had passed into a new world when he discovered the true nature of the kingdom - the tempted, humbled, sacrificial, triumphant character of the Son of God. To believe on the Son is to have the life.
But he that is disobedient to the Son. The words
ὁ ἀπειθῶν are, in the English Version, translated "believeth not," and again so in
Romans 11:30, where
ἀπιστεῖν and
ἀπειθεῖν are used interchangeably. The word means one who is (
ἀπειθής distrustful, who refuses to be persuaded, is contumacious and expresses the opposite to faith in active exercise, who repudiates faith on its fiducial and practical side. Nothing is said of those who have had no opportunity of coming to a knowledge of the Son of God. Shall not see life; shall not even see so as to be able to conceive of, much less enjoy, life (Westcott; see ver. 3). There is a
blinding power in disobedience, which prevents those who are actively hostile to the essential excellences and glories of Christ from even knowing what
life is. Life is obviously here and elsewhere more than physical existence, or than its continuance, or than its resuscitation after death; it is the activity of the new spirit, the supernatural and eternal blessedness wrought by "birth of the Spirit." Nor is the calamity referred to a mere negation. John may be said here to have gone beyond the words of the Master in the previous discourse, and, moreover, it is in fiery earnestness that he speaks.
The wrath of God, which has already been called down upon him by his disobedience,
abideth on him. God's
ὀργή had been spoken of by the Baptist (
Matthew 3:7;
Luke 3:7); and the term, wherever used, is far more than "the consuming fire of infinite love," into which many strive to resolve it. It represents active and terrible displeasure revealed from heaven (
Romans 1:18;
Romans 3:5;
1 Thessalonians 1:10;
1 Thessalonians 2:16). Much of the wrath of the Lord is said to be temporary in its character (Wisd. 16:5 Wisd. 18:20); but this is abiding, and, so far as is here revealed, permanent. The most terrible expression in the New Testament is the "wrath of the Lamb" (
Revelation 6:16). The last word of the Baptist, even in the Fourth Gospel, is a word of thunder, and he disappears from view when he has delivered this terrible condemnation on those who are wilfully, actively resisting that Son whom "the Father loves," and to whose hands he has "entrusted all things." The ministry of John is, after all, that of the Elijah, not that of the Christ. To the last word, even if the phraseology has been moulded in the Greek of the fourth evangelist into a closer resemblance to his own vocabulary, and if by his attempt to epitomize what may have taken hours to say in varied phrase, the apostle has unconsciously adopted some of his own favourite terms, yet the message flashes with the fire of the prophet of the wilderness; and men are threatened with the peril of abiding under the wrath of Almighty God.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Greek
Whoeverὁ(ho)Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.believesπιστεύων(pisteuōn)Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 4100:From pistis; to have faith, i.e. Credit; by implication, to entrust.inεἰς(eis)Preposition
Strong's 1519:A primary preposition; to or into, of place, time, or purpose; also in adverbial phrases.theτὸν(ton)Article - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.SonΥἱὸν(Huion)Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5207:A son, descendent. Apparently a primary word; a 'son', used very widely of immediate, remote or figuratively, kinship.hasἔχει(echei)Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2192:To have, hold, possess. Including an alternate form scheo skheh'-o; a primary verb; to hold.eternalαἰώνιον(aiōnion)Adjective - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 166:From aion; perpetual.life.ζωὴν(zōēn)Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 2222:Life, both of physical (present) and of spiritual (particularly future) existence. From zao; life.Whoeverὁ(ho)Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.rejectsἀπειθῶν(apeithōn)Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 544:To disobey, rebel, be disloyal, refuse conformity. From apeithes; to disbelieve.theτῷ(tō)Article - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.SonΥἱῷ(Huiō)Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5207:A son, descendent. Apparently a primary word; a 'son', used very widely of immediate, remote or figuratively, kinship.will not seeὄψεται(opsetai)Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 3708:Properly, to stare at, i.e. to discern clearly; by extension, to attend to; by Hebraism, to experience; passively, to appear.life.ζωήν(zōēn)Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 2222:Life, both of physical (present) and of spiritual (particularly future) existence. From zao; life.Instead,ἀλλ’(all’)Conjunction
Strong's 235:But, except, however. Neuter plural of allos; properly, other things, i.e. contrariwise.theἡ(hē)Article - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.wrathὀργὴ(orgē)Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3709:From oregomai; properly, desire, i.e., violent passion (justifiable) abhorrence); by implication punishment.of GodΘεοῦ(Theou)Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316:A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.remainsμένει(menei)Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 3306:To remain, abide, stay, wait; with acc: I wait for, await. A primary verb; to stay.onἐπ’(ep’)Preposition
Strong's 1909:On, to, against, on the basis of, at.him.”αὐτόν(auton)Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846:He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.
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NT Gospels: John 3:36 One who believes in the Son has (Jhn Jo Jn) 
