Yohanes 3:12

3:12 If I have told you people ¹  about earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? ² 

Yohanes 4:25

4:25 The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (the one called Christ); ³  “whenever he ⁴  comes, he will tell ⁵  us everything.” ⁶ 

Yohanes 20:18

20:18 Mary Magdalene came and informed the disciples, “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them ⁷  what ⁸  Jesus ⁹  had said to her. ¹⁰ 

[3:12]  ¹ tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied to indicate that the verb is second person plural (referring to more than Nicodemus alone).

[3:12]  ² sn Obviously earthly things and heavenly things are in contrast, but what is the contrast? What are earthly things which Jesus has just spoken to Nicodemus? And through him to others – this is not the first instance of the plural pronoun, see v. 7, you must all. Since Nicodemus began with a plural (we know, v. 2) Jesus continues it, and through Nicodemus addresses a broader audience. It makes most sense to take this as a reference to the things Jesus has just said (and the things he is about to say, vv. 13-15). If this is the case (and it seems the most natural explanation) then earthly things are not necessarily strictly physical things, but are so called because they take place on earth, in contrast to things like v. 16, which take place in heaven. Some have added the suggestion that the things are called earthly because physical analogies (birth, wind, water) are used to describe them. This is possible, but it seems more probable that Jesus calls these things earthly because they happen on earth (even though they are spiritual things). In the context, taking earthly things as referring to the words Jesus has just spoken fits with the fact that Nicodemus did not believe. And he would not after hearing heavenly things either, unless he first believed in the earthly things – which included the necessity of a regenerating work from above, by the Holy Spirit.

[4:25]  ³ tn Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “the one who has been anointed.”

[4:25]  sn The one called Christ. This is a parenthetical statement by the author. See the note on Christ in 1:20.

[4:25]  ⁴ tn Grk “that one.”

[4:25]  ⁵ tn Or “he will announce to us.”

[4:25]  ⁶ tn Grk “all things.”

[20:18]  ⁷ tn The words “she told them” are repeated from the first part of the same verse to improve clarity.

[20:18]  ⁸ tn Grk “the things.”

[20:18]  ⁹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) is specified in the translation for clarity.

[20:18]  ¹⁰ tn The first part of Mary’s statement, introduced by ὅτι (Joti), is direct discourse (ἑώρακα τὸν κύριον, Jewraka ton kurion), while the second clause switches to indirect discourse (καὶ ταῦτα εἶπεν αὐτῇ, kai tauta eipen auth). This has the effect of heightening the emphasis on the first part of the statement.