John 3:16 Sermon notes

Sermon Text

John 3:16 ESV

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

in Greek (reading)

16

“

For

For (gar) God (ho theos) so (Houtōs) loved (ēgapēsen) the (ton)

h

God

world (kosmon) that (hina) He gave (edōken) His (ton)

so

loved

i

gar ho theos Houtōs ēgapēsen ton kosmon hōste edōken ton

the

world

only (ton monogenē) Son (huion) that (hina) whoever (pas ho)

,

9

j

that

he

believes (pisteuōn) in (eis) Him (auton) should not (mē)

gave

only Son ,  that whoever believes in him should not

his

gar

ho theos

perish (apolētai) but (alla) have (echē) eternal (aiōnion)

Houtōs

ēgapēsen

ton

kosmon

hōste

perish but ton monogenē huion hina pas ho pisteuōn eis auton mē apolētai alla have eternal life . echē aiōnion zōēn

life (zōēn)

edōken

ton

only

Son

,

that

whoever

believes

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

in

him

should

not

k

perish

but

ton monogenē

huion

hina

pas ho

pisteuōn

eis

auton

ton monogenē huion hina pas ho pisteuōn eis auton mē apolētai alla have eternal life . echē aiōnion zōēn

mē

apolētai

alla

have

eternal

life

.

echē

aiōnion

zōēn

gar ho theos Houtōs ēgapēsen ton kosmon hōste edōken ton

a. (gar) (ho theos) (Houtōs) (ēgapēsen) (ton) (kosmon)

b. (hina) (edōken) (ton) (ton monogenē) (huion)

(kosmon) that (hina) He gave (edōken) His (ton)

only (ton monogenē) Son (huion)

c. (hina) (pas ho) (pisteuōn) (eis) (auton) (mē) (apolētai)

believes (pisteuōn) in (eis) Him (auton) should not (mē)

d. (alla) (echē) (aiōnion) (zōēn)

John 3:16 ESV

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

perish (apolētai) but (alla) have (echē) eternal (aiōnion)

You can find “” printed on the bottom rim of every drink cup at In-and-Out Burger.

Ronald Reagan stated that his favorite Bible verse was . He quoted it or part of it many times while he was president.

World-class driver Devin Jones tours with Monster Jam and has “” painted on the side of his monster truck, Barbarian.

Country music favorite Keith Urban included the reference in his hit song “John Cougar, John Deere, .”

Duck Dynasty’s Si Robertson adds “ & 17” to his signature when he signs autographs.

Charles Schultz wrote the reference into a Peanut’s comic strip.

In 2009 Tim Tebow, who played for the Florida Gators, painted “” on his eye black before a televised championship football game which had 94 million viewers who searched online.

There are many other references I can point out in popular culture that have used this verse openly.

The problem I believe is found in overlooking the profound truth and the context of the verse because it is speaking directly at our problem and solution before God.

Questions like: Why did God have to give His only Son and what does it mean to perish get set aside and the focus becomes only on the love of God and that He can give eternal life.

As with every passage in Scripture we must remember the context in order to be faithful in our reading of God’s holy word.

Background and Context

Jesus in our passage is speaking to Nicodemus.

(zōēn)

We learned last week that Nicodemus was a ruler of the Jews who was from the Pharisees.

At the end of chapter two we read that Jesus saw a belief without faith.

John 2:23–25 ESV

23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. 24 But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people 25 and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.

There were those who believed in the signs Jesus did but they had a belief only in the signs Jesus did.

Jesus did not entrust Himself to them. Meaning that they did not have a saving faith in Him.

We saw that Nicodemus was an example of one who had a belief without faith.

He said in ,

John 3:2 ESV

2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”

Nicodemus believed that Jesus was a teacher who came from God and that God was with him.

But Jesus directly dealt with Nicodemus when He answered a statement in ,

John 3:3 ESV

3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

The following passages reveal more of Nicodemus’ problem.

He was a man with an ascent or a belief without faith in Jesus Christ.

And what Jesus begins to do is what we should all do when someone shows to have a professed faith without saving faith, Jesus shared the gospel.

In , He tells Nicodemus his core problem.

John 3:11 ESV

11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony.

Nicodemus is refusing to believe with not receiving the testimony of Jesus Christ.

He is doing this while believing in the signs Jesus did.

Then in verses 13-15, He begins to unfold to Him the gospel.

John 3:13–15 ESV

13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

After exposing his problem in needing to be born again, Jesus gives him the solution to his problem.

Which was that he needed to receive the testimony of Jesus being the only begotten Son sent into the world to save those who are perishing in their sins.

is showing us what Jesus said to a man who had a belief without faith and trust in Christ Jesus.

We are covering only today because it has an enormity of truth in it and we need to clarify what the world has watered down and confused.

Outline

1. For God so loved the world

a. The love of God

We see John the writer here using ( theos).

world (kosmon)

Used about 86 times in the gospel of John, it is first used in the very first verse of this gospel.

John 1:1 ESV

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

It is used in the gospel of John for the Father and the Son.

In verse 1, the Word that was with God was God. Speaking of the Word that became flesh which was Jesus Christ.

In our text today, God here is the Father who was sending His Son.

The love of God spoken here specifically speaks of the Father who so loved the world.

Question: But what does it mean for God to love?

This particular word for love (ēgapēsen) is used two other times in the gospel of John. In total about 12 times in the New Testament.

The two other times used in the gospel of John is:

John 13:1 ESV

1 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

John 15:9 ESV

9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.

John uses this term to specifically speak of the Father and the Son’s love.

John also uses it in . Again, speaking of God’s love.

The root use of this word comes from agape.

There are four greek uses for the word love.

Phileō. Which speaks of affection, fondness, or liking.

Storgē. Which has its basis in one’s own nature. It speaks of a natural affection or natural obligation to love.

Eros. This love is erotic love. Which speaks of an overmastering passion that seizes and absorbs itself into the mind.

This love is erotic love

Agapē. It is a love of esteem, of evaluation. It has the idea of prizing. It is the noblest word for love in the Greek language. This is not kindled by the merit or worth of it’s object, but it originates in it’s own God-given nature. This is what John meant when he wrote “God is love.”

Eros is a love of passion, an overmastering passion that seizes and

The love here in our text speaks of a love that is not kindled by the merit or worth of the person. And one that comes from God.

absorbs itself into the mind.

Love (in ) is an expression of compassion that originates from God’s own character and it is not contingent on anyone or anything.

The ultimate expression of this love is shown in God’s giving.

Giving out of His own will and purpose is the expression of God’s compassion.

This is the love of God.

Question: So with that in mind what does it mean for God to love the world?

b. God loving the world

It is important to note that there is a love for the world that many have mistakenly believed.

1 John 2:15 ESV

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

So there is a love for the world that is not the love of the Father.

In order to define love you have to define it, not by whop receives it but by the person giving of it.

The one who is giving love is the starting point to define the love given.

Example 1 (The love of man)

Do not love the world or the things in the world.

Question: Who is told here not to love the world?

Answer: People. People who are still being sanctified. In whom sin can still tempt.

Man cannot love the world because the world has temptations that will appeal to:

1 John 2:16–17 ESV

16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

1 John 2:16

Man loving the world will only produce a desire for the flesh, desires for the eyes and a pride of life.

Loving the world can only end up with a love that is not a love that comes from God the Father.

The one who is giving love here, which is sinful man, is the starting point to define the love given. Namely, a desire for the things of the world.

And it will prove that the love of the Father is not in them.

So. loving the world does not mean approval or that there is good in the world.

In fact in , we see that all that is in the world is sin which proves that the love of God is not what we think when we read “For God so loved the world.”

Example 2 (The love of God)

We have to temember that the one who is giving love is the starting point to define the love given.

If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

God is the One here giving love. And God cannot be tempted with evil ().

So God can love the world and not be tempted and He does not approve of the world when loving the world.

Jesus knew in of those who did not receive Him as not having the love of the Father in them.

God loves the world but it does not mean that those in the world have the love of the Father in them. They do not have the love of the Father.

examples

The love of the Father is not in you

the wrath of God abides in you

2. that (hina) He gave (edōken) His (ton) only (ton monogenē) Son (huion)

John 3:36 ESV

36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

God loves the world but it does not mean that wrath of God is removed from them.

The love that God has for the world has to mean that God out of His own character and apart from any merit, shows compassion in the giving of His Son to the world.

Think about this

God’s love is contingent upon His own character. The question has to be asked why does God love?

only (ton monogenē) Son (huion)

It is important to know that the world here means people who are in darkness.

John 12:46 ESV

46 I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.

This is usually the case of how John uses the term.

Later in , Jesus says:

John 3:19 ESV

19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.

John 3

The darkness (the world) is full of the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life.

People who are in darkness are those whom the Father loved.

Which doesn’t mean approval of them but rather their need for saving.

Question: Does God love everyone?

Answer: God loves everyone in that He has shown mercy in withholding the full extent of His wrath. But He does not apply the atoning work to everyone. This is only to those who come to saving faith.

Which is why He sent His only Son.

believes (pisteuōn) in (eis) Him (auton) should not (mē)

2. He gave His only Son

a. God gave

We see here that God gave.

More specifically the Father gave His only Son to the world that He loved.

The ultimate expression of God’s love is shown in the giving of His only Son.

Giving out of His own will and purpose His compassion is shown by the giving of His only Son.

b. God the Father gave His only Son

3. that whoever believes in Him should not perish

perish (apolētai)

a. Whoever believes in Him

b. Belief in Him will make a person imperishable

life (zōēn)

4. but (alla) have (echē) eternal (aiōnion) life (zōēn)

a. The result of a belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God is eternal life

b. The point of the gospel of John