No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man [the one who is in heaven]
John 3:13
The Trinitarian Reading Analyzed
This text is usually used as a preexistence argument to show that Jesus “came down from heaven,” which must mean he existed in heaven before his incarnation on the earth.
There is much that can be taken from this verse.
No one has ascended into heaven
Many people believe Enoch was taken to heaven due to Genesis 5:24. “God took him.” Elijah is said to have been taken by a whirlwind into heaven (2 Kings 2:11). Is it true that no one has ascended into heaven? Many believe that the saints went to heaven when they died before Christ came. Is this compatible with what Jesus said here?
except he who descended from heaven
In other words, “the only one who has ascended into heaven is the one who descended.” Has Jesus ascended into heaven? What about John 20:17, “do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended?”
The Son of Man
The son of man is necessarily a human title for Jesus. “Adam” mean “man,” and Jesus being the son of man means he’s the son of Adam. His origination comes from man. See the genealogy of Luke 3, or note Matthew 1:1, and 18, which speaks of the “origin” or “generation” (Greek word genesis) of Jesus from man. The son of man is a human being. Did a human being “descend from heaven?” Did a human being “ascend” into heaven at this point?
the one who is in heaven
This is a textual variant, it’s found in some translations such as the KJV. There’s strong evidence for this longer reading in the manuscripts (A[] Θ Ψ 050 Ë1,13 Ï latt syc,p,h). While some important manuscripts lack the phrase, generally textual critics consider it to be a later addition to the text due to the reading being too hard. How are we to understand that Jesus is claiming to be in heaven, as he is standing on earth speaking to Nicodemus? Some manuscripts reflect this difficulty by changing the tense to “who came from heaven” (0141 pc sy[s]) or “who was in heaven” (e sy[c]). Not understanding why this text would fit with the passage is generally not a good reason to assume it is an omission. This becomes a theologically biased textual omission based on a possibly flawed understanding of the text. As we will see, the traditional interpretation of this text is heavily flawed, and as a result, the confusion over this text becomes very much a misguided argument. Once we understand the meaning of this passage, the meaning of this phrase becomes clear, and the internal contextual difficulties dissolve. For the sake of this post, the longer reading is preferred.
Context
John 3:2
John 3 begins with Nicodemus approaching Jesus. John takes care to note that Nicodemus was a Pharisee, and a member of the Jewish ruling council, who approached “by night.” John’s gospel is full of dualism, and the light/dark contrast plays out very often. This is a double entendre. Nicodemus is said to come by night, physically, so as not to be seen by his fellow Pharisees coming to Jesus. It is indicative of his nature at this point. And we see his character develop throughout the gospel. Secondly, it is spiritual. Nicodemus is coming in spiritual darkness. This is revealed by another literary device John uses in a moment. Nicodemus says “We know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform these signs unless God is with him.” It is interesting to note the plural pronoun, “we.” We Pharisees know you come from God. He also does not claim that they believe he is God, or claiming to be God, but that “God is with” him (think of what this means for Matthew 1:23). The signs Jesus does shows God is with him. Nicodemus is correct.
John 3:3
In verse 3, Jesus answers him and says “unless a person is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Many people think that Jesus has changed subjects. However the text says that Jesus is “answering” Nicodemus. What Jesus said is in response to what Nicodemus said. Ask yourself: ‘How does Jesus’ response answer Nicodemus?’ Jesus’ phrase “born again” is a double entendre as well. The Greek word for “again” also means “from above” (compare this to John 3:31). It’s not a question of which meaning Jesus meant, he meant both. You must be born a second time, from above. Perhaps this would best be translated in an amplified manner, “you must be born again from above to see the kingdom of God.” However, Nicodemus’ reply shows that he did not catch the second meaning. He only understood the immediate physical meaning, “born again.” Jesus says you must be born again to “see the kingdom of God.” To “see” can mean to “see with the eyes” or to “see with the mind.” Here, Jesus again is portrayed as using a double entendre which means both. This is a response to what Nicodemus said because Nicodemus is referencing the signs Jesus performs in John 2:23. When Jesus performed these signs, to a man of flesh, he can only see these signs as the works of a teacher from God. To a man of spirit who can see the deeper layer, they are seeing the kingdom of God. It should be noted that this is the only conversation in John’s gospel which mentions “the kingdom of God” directly in words. While the kingdom is a central message of all the gospels, this is the only place in John’s gospel where “the kingdom of God” is expressed directly. When Nicodemus says “We know you come from God because no one can do these signs unless God is with him.” Jesus’ reply to this is to tell Nicodemus that more is needed to see the spiritual aspects of these signs. He must be born of the Spirit to see the spiritual kingdom. When Jesus is healing, he is doing more than getting rid of a physical infirmity, he’s demonstrating a time when sickness, hunger, and pain will be no more. To perceive this kingdom, you must be born of the spirit. Jesus goes on to elaborate on this.
John 3:4
In verse 4, we see the “misunderstanding question,” a literary device of John. He commonly uses people in his gospel to ask questions which show that they did not understand what Jesus was saying. This is a way to reinforce that people could not understand Jesus’ spiritual language before the Spirit was poured out (see John 2:22 for example). Jesus speaks in a spiritual way, and his audience typically only understands him in a physical way, and this leads to their misguided questions which show they can’t understand him. This ties into John’s focus on Spirit Christology. Nicodemus’ misguided question is, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” He takes the expression “born again,” to mean a literal child birth from his mother. His response almost seems snarky and sarcastic, which is odd, given that he just called Jesus a teacher, “rabbi.” Jesus is speaking of a man who is old being born again from another parent. But this is a spiritual birth of the kingdom which Nicodemus cannot see or understand. Nicodemus’ response perfectly proves what Jesus said in verse 3 to be correct. “You must be born from above to perceive the kingdom of God.”
John 3:5
In verse 5, Jesus answers Nicodemus again with an almost identical statement. It is a synonymous parallelism to his previous statement. He says in response to what Nicodemus said, “unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” Instead of saying “born again,” he says “born of water and Spirit.” This is how someone is born again. Not of a woman, or the will of man. Yes, when a man is born of a woman, her water breaks, and this is a symbolic parallel to this water of baptism. The water of baptism is a refining washing water but it also is a water of new birth. We must also be born of the Holy Spirit. Born again by the Spirit of our Father. That’s how we become his child. We are born of him. This is how a man can be born again even when he’s old. Jesus also says, “he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” This is more than just to see it. He’s now speaking of entering that kingdom. “How can a man be born again when he is old?” When you are born again, you are not just born of new parents, you are born of a new location. If a man is born in Canada, he is Canadian. If a man is born in India, he is Indian. If a man is born of the Spirit, he is from heaven. He is born into the kingdom of God.
John 3:6
Verse 6: “Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.” This statement is pretty self explanatory. Your second birth is not a birth of flesh. A man does not crawl back into flesh to be born of flesh again. A man is to be born of Spirit and become Spirit. That is what he is. The kingdom of God is a spiritual kingdom.
John 3:7
Verse 7: “Do not wonder that I said to you, ‘It is necessary for you all to be born from above.'” The “you” here is plural, thus the translation “you all.” It is necessary to be born from above. Everyone. Because if we are not, life is not granted to us. We are not saved. It seems only natural that to have life, we must have the Spirit of life upon us.
John 3:8
Verse 8: “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” More double meanings instantly spring up in this verse. The word for “wind” and “spirit” are the same Greek word. Pneuma. The Greek word for “sound” also means “voice” or “language.” The word for “blow” also can mean “breathe.” When Jesus says “the wind blows where it wished, and you hear its sound,” he could also be saying, “the spirit blows/breathes where it wishes, and you hear the voice of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes” (Compare John 20:22). The language of the Spirit. Can Nicodemus hear the sound of the spirit? No. He is not born again. Just as the wind comes and goes and you don’t know where it comes or goes, “so it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” Jesus says in the gospels “you do not know where I come from or where I am going” (John 6:42, 7:27, 8:14, 9:29, 30). For those of us who have been born again, the world does not know who our Father is (see John 8:19, 55), the world does not see the kingdom of heaven, and do not know where we come from, or where we are going. Once we are born of Spirit, we are Spirit, and the world does not know where we are going when we die. The world does not know that we have been born a second time when we are old. The crowds constantly questioned Jesus. “Isn’t this the son of the carpenter? Isn’t he from Galilee? He is from Nazareth. Aren’t his mother and brothers with us?” They do not understand that Jesus is not from his family of flesh anymore. As he told them, “those who do the will of my Father, these are my mother and brothers and sisters.”
John 3:9-12
Verse 9: “Nicodemus answered and said to Him, ‘How are these things able to be?'” Nicodemus does not have the Spirit to understand him. And yet Jesus’ response is very harsh. Verses 10-12, “You are the teacher of Israel, and do you not know these things? Truly, truly, I say to you that we speak that which we know, and we bear witness to that which we have seen, and you people do not receive our witness. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?” Nicodemus being a teacher of the law (what a Pharisee quite literally is), how can he not know of the coming kingdom which Jesus speaks of? If Nicodemus cannot understand the earthly things, for example, that he needs to be born again, a second time, of water, then how can he understand the spiritual things? Seeing the kingdom of God. Being born of the Spirit.
We finally come to the verse in question. Now that we have a build up and a context, the meaning should be much more obvious to us.
John 3:13
“No one has ascended into heaven”
Ascending into heaven is what happens when you are born again from above. Heaven above. You ascend into heaven. Heaven is opened to you. You are now from heaven. “Seated with Christ in the heavenly places.” At this point in time, when Jesus is speaking to Nicodemus, he alone has been born again. He is God’s “only” begotten son. Begotten of the spirit (born and begotten are translated from the same Greek word and mean the exact same thing). The Spirit was not poured out until Jesus was glorified, John 7:39 tells us. No one has been born again except…
except he who descended from heaven, the Son of man
When did Jesus descend from heaven? Was this at his conception in the womb of Mary? No. Was “the Son of man” descending on the virgin Mary? No. He descended from heaven when he was sent into the world. When he was born again and received the Spirit of God at the Jordan River, he was then sent into the world to preach. See Luke 4:18 and 21. When the Spirit was poured out on Jesus he “was sent to preach.” He says “today, this scripture is fulfilled.” Yes “today” Jesus was sent into the world to preach, and this is after his baptism. Jesus himself was born of water and Spirit before all. Jesus was born again. The Spirit descended and remained on him (John 1:32) and he was sent into the world. Jesus says in John 17:18, “just as you sent me into the world, I send them into the world.” Just as. Meaning, in the same way he was sent, he sends us (see also John 2:21-22, the same thing is happening to the apostles). Did Jesus send his apostles into planet earth and incarnate them from some metaphysical existence in heaven? No. But did He send them from heaven into the world? Yes. When he breathed the Spirit onto them, they themselves ascended into heaven. Heaven was opened to them. They are not of this world. They are born of Spirit. And they are sent into the world as sheep among wolves.
The one who is in heaven
Is Jesus in heaven? Yes. He’s sent into the world but heaven is open to him (John 1:51). He is a member of the kingdom of heaven. This is where his birth certificate is from. He’s a member of heaven. We too are in heaven in our spirit when we become born again.
People are reading this passage as if Jesus is responding to Nicodemus’ questions by telling Nicodemus he had a preexistence in heaven and descended down into earth as a baby, and this has something to do with Nicodemus’ being born again of the Spirit. The conception of Christ in the womb of Mary was a type of the new birth. Being conceived of the Spirit to be given the right to be a son of God. Being born as a baby from the womb, we are born again with a new parent. Just as a child is given flesh, we are given the Holy Spirit. Jesus is telling Nicodemus that he must do what Jesus himself did. He must be born again of the spirit to enter heaven and see the kingdom of God. The kingdom as in heaven which we pray to come also to earth. Now that Jesus has been glorified, we have also ascended into heaven as children of God. And yes, we descend from heaven as well when we are given our great commission to go into the world and preach. We are in the world, but not of the world. We are of heaven.
If you are like Nicodemus and can’t understand heavenly things, this won’t make sense to you. The fleshly idea of a spirit being incarnating into flesh, that may make sense to you. But the idea that you can be born of the Spirit and heaven be opened to you, may be foreign. It may be as crazy to you as the idea of an old man crawling back into the womb of his mother. How will you understand spiritual things? YOU ALL must be born from above. Did “the Son of man,” a son of Adam, ascend into heaven before his death? Yes. He was born again. Did “the Son of man” descend from heaven? Yes he did. He was sent into the world. In John 6:38 when Jesus said he has come down out of heaven to do the Father’s will, how did he come down from heaven? In John 6:51 when he says that his flesh came down out of heaven, is this true? Did a man of flesh come down out of heaven? Yes, he did. In John 6:62 when he says “what then if you see the son of man ascending to where he was before,” was “the Son of man” in heaven before? Yes, this fleshly man was. He ascended into heaven at his new birth. Have you? Would this offend you to hear that the Son of man was in heaven?