The Book of John - 20

Introduction: We have looked at and dealt with the first 15 verses of John 3.

We have seen the World’s Greatest Tragedy and the World’s Greatest Truth.

As we continue in this chapter we come to verse 16 which is the World’s Greatest Text.

Let’s read together out loud verse 16.

John 3:16 “16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Let’s pray.

The importance of this verse cannot be overstated.

As some have said, we will not know till we all meet in glory, how many folks have come to the Lord Jesus Christ for Salvation upon discovery of this verse.

Martin Luther called the 16th verse of chapter 3 the ‘miniature Gospel’ because of how it captures the whole of story of the Bible.

As we begin in this section, it seems that we are leaving the conversation with Nicodemus and the Lord and what we have here is some inspired commentary.

From verse 16 forward the verb tenses change from the present tense in the previous section to what is called the aorist tense in the indicative mood, which signifies a completed past action.

For instance John 3:17 speaks of the Lord’s completed redemptive work looking backwards to His life and ministry. “17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”

Notice in both verses 15 and 16 contain the precious promise of eternal life by believing in Him.

John 3:15 “15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”

John 3:16 “16 ..., that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

The word change in verse 15 from ‘eternal’ to ‘everlasting’ in verse 16 is really no word change at all.

Both words eternal and everlasting are translated from the same Greek word.

The word “have” coupled with eternal life in both verses 15 and 16 allude to two different things.

1. That the promise that eternal life is the present possession of believers.

John 3:36 “36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”

2. That the possession of eternal life is secure and kept by the power of God.

We could say it this way, “they have eternal life and keep on having eternal life” as that verb signifies a continual action.

John 10:27-28 “27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”

As we continue to look at verse 16, we see a summarization of God’s redemptive plan.

As you go through the Bible, we are given truth and it is progressively unfolded.

In Genesis chapter 1, we have God’s creative work summed up.

It is found in 10 statements all using the formula

“And God said...” (Genesis 1:3; 1:6; 1:9; 1:11; 1:14; 1:20; 1:24; 1:26; 1:28; 1:29)

In Exodus chapter 20 we have God’s legislative work summed up. (Commonly referred to as the ten commandments.)

But here in John chapter 3, we have God’s redemptive work summed up.

There are five sets of words we could couple together as we look at this verse further:

“God” and “Son” - This shows us the giver and the gift. God the Father gave God the Son.

When I think about this I am reminded of the angelic announcement found in Luke 2:11 which states, “11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”

And I think of the Isaiah 9:6 “6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: And the government shall be upon his shoulder: And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

“loved” and “gave” - This speaks to God’s full expression of love to us.

The divine proof that He loves us is expressed in Him giving us His Son.

The magnitude of God’s love for us is expressed in the unspeakable gift (II Corinthians 9:15), His only begotten Son.

Since God gave His only begotten Son, man can receive the gift of eternal life by belief in Him.

Romans 6:23 “23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

“world” and “whosoever” - This expresses both the extent and the individuality of the Gospel.

God extends eternal life to the world to those who believe in Him. (The word used is kosmos and signifies not the circle of the globe by rather all the people in it).

The grand design of God is that salvation is available to all.

That familiar verse states II Peter 3:9 “9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

But equally the word ‘whosoever’ speaks of each and every person.

In other words, each individual as they receive the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior receive eternal life.

Salvation is for every person. It is recieved individually.

As John Phillips stated, “it as though that person were the only one in the world.”

“believeth” and “have” - Signifies our faith towards God, and the subsequent guaranteed reception of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

There is nothing more foundational to doctrine concerning Salvation.

Salvation is “5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;” (Titus 3:5-6)

On one occasion it is has been said that someone came up to D.L Moody and said, “I can’t believe.” To which Mr. Moody replied, “Whom can’t you believe?”

When someone exercises saving faith in the Lord, they are not looking to anything or anyone else than the Lord Jesus Christ to save them.

It is this matter of complete trust and turning to God.

“perish” and “life” - These are the two opposites poles and destinations of those who believe and those who do not.

There are those who die in their sins and perish…

John 8:23-24 “23 And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world. 24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.”

There are those who believe in Him and possess unending life with the Lord Jesus Christ.

The word “perish” is the word ἀπόλλυμι (a-poll-lu-mee) apollumi is the same word that is translated as ‘lost’ in other places.

Matthew 18:11 has the same word translated as ‘lost.’

“11 For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.”

We might say, that “the Son of man is come to save that which” perish...

It also gives the idea of ‘to kill’ or ‘destroy’, ‘to suffer loss’ or ‘lose.’

Interestingly, as a side note, it is related to the name Apollyon we find in Revelation 9:11.

These two words ‘perish’ and ‘life’ are opposites and are put in stark contrast one with another.

Merrill C. Tenney had this to say concerning this verse, “God’s positive purpose in Christ is the salvation of the unbeliever…Judgment is the logical consequence of unbelief. As the man who turns his back to the sun deepens by his own shadow the darkness in which he walks, so the unbeliever intensifies the darkness of this own soul by his unbelief. His unbelief is in itself an admission of sin, since he will not come to the light to have his deeds made manifest and evaluated.”

As we look back at the conversation with Nicodemus, we can see God’s design and purpose in this summary verse.

The Lord’s conversation with Nicodemus was to open His eyes to the truth, that He must be born again.

And that could only occur if He believed on the Lord Jesus Christ.

As we have seen up to this point the witnesses, beginning with John the Baptist, over and over again testify to you and me what this verse states.

And that is this:

- God loves us. “For God so loved the world...”

- God’s love is why He gave. “…that He gave...”

- God gave His only begotten Son. “...that He gave His only begotten Son...”

- God design is for all men to believe and receive eternal life. “…that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

This is the truth unfolded.

This wonderful verse begins with the eternal One— God Himself, and ends with unending life.

In the center of the verse is His Son.

When you and I center our lives upon the Savior, we are in harmony with God’s will.

He is the center of everything.

John Phillips made this observation, “God has no plan, no program for this world or any other, no purpose in the universe or in time or eternity, that does not center in His Son. Any measure in which our thinking centers in Christ is the measure in which our thinking is in harmony with the mind of god. Andy thinking that is not Christ-centered is in that measure out of harmony with the mind of God. Our plans and purposes can succeed in the long run only in proportion to whether or not they are centered in God’s Son.”

The last section that we will deal with before we see some statements by the Lord concerning John the Baptist is The World’s Greatest Test.

The entrance of the Lord into the world provides the ultimate test of belief or disbelief.

And this is what we find in verses 17-21.

Notice how the record is set straight in verse 17.

John 3:17 “17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”

We see that the Lord came for the purpose of seeking and saving that which was lost.

When we consider this thought we see that the portrayal of God as a condemning tyrant is to malign the character of God.

One atheist stated this, “The God of the bible is a genocidal psychopath”

Most of the time when folks say things like this, they attempt to cite isolated examples in the Old Testament, without looking at the entire message of the Bible.

Further, as we will see in a few moments, that this is nothing more than an attempt to relieve themselves of their accountability to God.

When we look at the Scriptures in totality, the outstanding presentation of God is that He loves us…even as we see in John 3:16.

Satans tactic even as seen from Genesis 3 is to malign the character of God!

John sets the record straight concerning the first advent of the Lord and God’s redemptive plan.

He did not come to condemn us.

The Bible teaches that we are already in a state of condemnation without Christ, therefore He came not to finally condemn us but to save.

I think that you and I should rejoice, that the Lord Jesus Christ did not come to condemn the world.

“The earth is a rebel planet, one that has gone astray.” - John Phillips

We in our waywardness… “challenge the character of God,...” we challenge, “...His holiness...” and His justice.

The Lord Jesus Christ reveals God’s love toward us!

This is seen in the very words that are used in this marvelous verse.

In verse 16, God the Father gave His only begotten Son.

In verse 17 God the Father sent His Son.

The word translated as sent is the same word which we get the word apostle from, which means “sent ones.”

It especially gives the idea that the Lord sent a message to all of humanity.

As the apostles were sent ones with a message, so our Lord was sent with a message.

What is that message?

The Bible says in that wonderful verse Romans 5:8 “8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

And truly God commended His love toward us!

Verses 18-19 then demonstrate who is condemned.

John 3:18-19 “18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”

This is the world’s greatest test.

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.

Those who do not, according to the word of God are condemned already.

Why?

Notice what the text says,

Because he hath not believed on the name of the only begotten Son.

Because Light is come into the world.

Because men love darkness.

Because their deeds are evil.

King Herod is a classic illustration of a man who loved darkness.

He murdered His wife’s brother.

He murdered His favorite wive’s parents.

He murdered His favorite wife (Mariamme I - one of ten wives).

He murdered both of His sons. (Alexander and Aristobulus)

He murdered the Hasmoneans.

He left instructions upon his death:

1. To execute the recently imprisoned Jewish elders so that the people would be mourning during his death.

2. To execute his another son Antipater.

And yet at that time Light invaded the land, He murdered the babes in Bethlehem.

This was a man who loved darkness rather than light, because His deeds were evil.

The explanation for this love of darkness is shown in verse 20.

It is described as the desire to conceal evil from the judgement of God.

Notice what the Bible says in John 3:20.

“For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.”

As we think about this, we understand that it is not the Light that has caused men to do evil, but rather that the Light exposes the evil deeds of men.

One expositor said, “No wonder that Ahab hated Elijah and Michaiah, that Jehoiachin destroyed the prophets’ roll, that Herodias hated John, and the Pharisees Christ.”

The Bible says two things concerning this man:

He hateth the light.

He does not come to the light.

The same Light is that which men should come to so that they may have life.

John 5:39-40 “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.”

What can dispel darkness in the life of a man? The answer is the Lord Jesus Christ, the Light.

It becomes evident as we close that, He that comes to the light, His works are wrought in God.

John 3:21 “But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.”

This further teaches us that truly righteous works that are acceptable before God are wrought in God.

In other words, right living is not a product of our own sheer effort, but rather is made possible through God’s indwelling presence.

This was the choice before Nicodemus, come to Christ that ye may be born again. Believe in Him… step into the Light.

This requires us to agree with God concerning our sin and receive the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior.

For the Christian, further study is needed in 1 John which speaks to you and me abiding in the Light, that we may have fellowship with Him.