The John 3:16 controversy.
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For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.
Let us begin with controversy. What can be controversial about John 3:16, I hear you ask! It all boils down to quotation marks! There is some debate about this Gospel passage, John 3:14-21. Who is speaking, Jesus or the Gospel writer John? Most Bibles end the quote marks at John 3:15, meaning John writes under divine inspiration what appears to be an explanation of the conversation before John 3:1-15.
I hope to firstly give the context of our Gospel passage and then look at 3:16 and then 3:17-21
Context
John Chpt 3:1-15 narrates the story of Pharisee Nicodemus coming to Jesus at night and the dialogue is recorded.
Famously, Jesus said to this religious leader John 3:7 ‘Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.’ In v10 he challenges the scholar ‘10 You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things?’..14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” End of the quote marks.
Then John, in his own voice, explains to us what Jesus is talking about. It includes one of the most famous verses in the Bible, John 3:16 but because of that a rich passage v17-21 is seldom preached on.
So after giving a bit of context, we will try and cover Jn 3:16 and Jn 3:17-21 today.
John explains that Nicodemus believes in Jesus because of the things he did rather than truly BELIEVING in HIM.
John 3:2 “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
Nico’s Jesus is a construction of a good man who did good deeds and taught deep truths. Jesus challenges him saying what he needs is a personal ‘born again’ relationship with Jesus. To have abundant life and eternal life, Nico needs what only Jesus can give him – a gracious work of God in his heart to transform him spiritually from darkness to the glorious light of knowing JC and to truly believe.
In Jn 3:15 the conversation is ending and Jesus pops a picture in Nico’s mind. The bronze serpent of Numbers 21. Jesus uses theology to get through to the scholar in the same way that he used parables to put pictures in the minds of non-academics.
In Numbers 21 where the Israelites had sinned against God cried out to Moses who made a bronze serpent that was lifted up. The people who looked on it lived.
In John 3:15 Jesus said to Nicodemus, ‘As Moses lifted up the serpent the Son of man must be lifted up that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”
So every time Nicodemus reads and teaches Numbers 21 he will remember this conversation just like pictures in parables draw people into the Kingdom.
Let us look at 3:16 and then 3:17-21
John 3:16-21
John, in his own voice, explains to the reader what Nicodemus was in danger of doing. Believing in Jesus without actually understanding that JC was sent because of God’s great love for us…
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.’
This speaks of a God who loves so much that he gave. Notice these two strong verbs: Loved and Gave. God is a loving, giving God.
I have 3 daughters who are all married. When the right time came, each of those 3 men came to me and asked for my blessing to ask for their hand in marriage. What amazed me was that those 3 men without 2 pennies to rub together gave each girl a sparkling diamond ring. How could they afford it? They loved so much that they gave. It is a poor illustration of Almighty God who loves you, me, the world, so much that he gave. It is not that God loves you because Jesus lived a sinless life and died for you, it is that Jesus died for you because God loves you. We can sing ‘Jesus loves me this I know,’ but we don't often sing ‘Abba Father loves me this I know.’ But he does, so much. In John 16:27 in the upper room at the last supper, Jesus says the Father himself loves you. Despite all the Bible’s emphasis on the love of God, not many believers believe in the immensity or the magnitude of God's love for us. So much that he gave his only son.
John 3:17-21
Then John 3:17-21 explains the dangers of not truly believing in Jesus as God’s Son. In Nico’s case, acknowledging Jesus’s good words and good deeds is not enough.
John 3:14, ‘the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
You can't believe that God is love and then pick and mix from all religions to make up your own God or make God in your own image. God draws us out of self-centred darkness and embraces us in the arms of the crucified Christ who was lifted up at Calvary. Everyone who believes hes eternal life.
John 3:18 says there is no limit to God’s love except by self-exclusion by those who will not believe that Jesus is God’s gift to us. God’s purpose in sending Jesus was not for condemnation. His purpose was to love and give [those 2 verbs again] - Gift of Christ and gift of eternal life. It is not God who chooses that any should perish….but those who do not believe in Him bring condemnation on themselves, they will perish according to John 3:16, it is the converse of ‘whoever believes, will not perish.’
By way of illustration, if an art critic chooses to mock a classic work eg Van Gogh’s ‘Sunflowers’. It is not the classic work that is condemned, it is the Art Critic himself. His mocking unbelief has brought the condemnation on himself.
God loved the world so much that he gave (Jesus) the only way to eternal life [2 verbs]. That is ‘the world’s only hope, your friends and family’s only hope. People may say I will find my own way to God, but there is no other way. The response we must make [2 verbs]: Believe and Receive [like Numbers 21]. Believe in one who was lifted up on the cross and receive healing and be saved for all eternity. If you have already believed and received, tell God today that he is your everything.
If you have not truly believed you have not received his abundant life nor eternal life. We can put that right today. Let’s Pray.
