God So Loved the World
TRANSLATION
(16) “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son so that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (17) For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but rather to save the world through him. (18) No one who believes in him is condemned, but those who do not believe stand condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
(19) “And this is the verdict: light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. (20) All who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. (21) But all who live by the truth come to the light so that it may be clearly seen that what they have done has been carried out in the sight of God.”
OBSERVATION
This segment contains what is likely the most quoted verse in the New Testament, John 3:16. Surely it is one of the clearest statements of the Gospel to be found anywhere. Repetitions in this segment show that it should be divided into two segments. In the first (vss. 16-18), “God” is linked with “Son” in each of the verses, “world” is found four times (vs. 16 and three times in vs. 17), “whoever believes in him” twice (vss. 16 & 18) along with “believed” (vs. 18), and “condemn(ed)” three times (vss. 17 & 18). In the second paragraph (vss. 19-21), “light” occurs five times in all the verses, “deeds” twice (vss. 19 & 20), as well as additional repetitions of “world” (vs. 19) and “God” (vs. 21).
OUTLINE
I. God sent his Son into the world so that all who believe in him might be given eternal life. (16-18)
II. Unbelievers who reject the light remain in darkness and under God’s condemnation. (19-21)
IDEA STATEMENT
Those who place their faith in the Son whom God has sent receive the gift of eternal life while those who refuse to believe remain in darkness and under God’s condemnation.
APPLICATION
Few passages spell out the terms of the Gospel as simply and clearly as John 3:1-21. In the opening verses of the chapter, we find Nicodemus groping in the dark, hoping that Jesus might clear up his confusion. By the end of their conversation, Jesus has explained the new birth in the clearest terms. John never tells us whether Nicodemus accepted Jesus’ words or not, but we do know that he helped prepare Jesus’ body for burial after the crucifixion. There is every reason to believe that both he and Joseph of Arimathea had, at some point, believed the Gospel and become Jesus’ disciples, probably in secret for their personal safety (Jn. 19:38-41).
John 3:16 remains a favorite verse for many. It contains two themes. First, it tells us what God in his great love has done, namely, provide his only Son as a sacrifice for our sins. Then, it tells us what we must do, namely, place our faith in Christ as Savior so that we might receive the gift of eternal life God unconditionally offers to all who believe in what his Son has accomplished.