John 3:14-18
John 3:16 is perhaps the best-known scripture in the entire Bible. From the earliest age, many children memorize this verse and carry it with them for the rest of their lives.
It’s not unusual that when considering this verse, we primarily think of it as referencing the crucifixion of Christ...where Christ gave Himself for our sins. And, clearly by Jesus speaking about the “Son of man be[ing] lifted up” (John 3:14), He is, in fact, speaking about the crucifixion. But, that is not ALL that is in view in this passage!
According to John 3:17, the “giving” of His Son also involved His incarnation...His birth in Bethlehem. When Jesus said that God sent His Son “into the world,” He clearly speaks of His birth in Bethlehem. Of course, apart from the Bethlehem manger, there could have been no crucifixion for our sins.
Actually, when reading John 3:16 it is important for us to remember the broader context in which it is given. It is best when considering this text to keep the entire passage, especially John 3:14-18, together as a unit.
This section of the text (3:14-18), coming in the larger context of Nicodemus’ approach to Jesus at night, tells us the agency God used to bring mankind salvation...JESUS. John 3:17 explains the purpose and intention for God sending Jesus into the world…”that the world through Him might be saved.” And, John 3:18 is a pointed reminder of why any of this is necessary for people in today’s world.
Where we must specifically focus is on the “love” that motivated God to send His Son for us from Heaven to Bethlehem. A proper understanding of this “love” almost invariably alters the way people view this famous verse. It enables them to rightly magnify and worship the One Who is deserving and not ourselves. Christmas is truly the season of love, but the greatest love ever shown is the “love” on display in the manger.
To grasp this verse in a clearer way, we must first look at how John speaks about the “world” (κόσμος), which he says God loves. This term (κόσμος), refers most often to the various elements that make up the world system...the ethical, philosophical and cultural values and ideals that are hostile to God and His revelation.
In John 3:16, however, the “world” is even more specific, referring to the created order, especially human beings and their affairs that are in rebellion to their Maker. John only uses this term for “world” in a neutral sense a few times. Most of the time when he speaks of the “world” he uses it with a negative connotation, showing the evil that permeates the “world.” For instance...
He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. (John 1:10)
The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil. (John 7:7)
And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. (John 14:16-17)
Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?” (John 14:22)
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (John 14:27)
I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me. (John 14:30)
If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. (John 15:18-19)
And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment… (John 16:8)
Speaking of Jesus’ death...
Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy. (John 16:20)
These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. (john 16:33)
I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. (John 17:6)
I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. (John 17:9)
John’s overwhelming perspective about the “world” is that it is hostile toward God, as well as toward Christ or His followers. Given his perspective on the “world,” is it any wonder that he laters says…
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. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15-17)
You may be wondering what’s the significance of all this to the Christmas story. The answer is that God didn’t love the “world” because the world was so good and grand. On the contrary, God loved the “world” even though the “world” was alienated from Him, hated Him, persecuted Him, crucified Him, and still is His avowed enemy.
In our day of self-love, where people hold to such a high view of themselves, our tendency is to think that God loves mankind because they are of such great value that He can’t help but love them. But, the truth is that there is nothing lovely about any of us, nor anything that should attract Him to us.
It is true that each of us is made in the image of God and in that sense we are valuable. But, that image was horribly marred when Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden. Since that time every human being has come into this world dead in trespasses and sins. We have all gone astray and turned everyone to our own way. As a result, we are cut off from God and abiding under His condemnation (cf. John 3:18). The poison of sin is already coursing through our “veins”, bringing death to us all. We’re not waiting on our judgment to be rendered...we’ve already been found guilty. All that awaits is for our sentence to be fully executed against us.
You see, unless you have this perspective on the reality of your own spiritual condition, you will never fully appreciate the true meaning of John 3:16.
God sending His Son in Bethlehem must never be seen as His endorsement for an evil and hostile “world.” Rather, God’s gift of His Son in human flesh is a testimony to the character of God, Whom the scripture says is “love” (1 John 4:16). Listen to this entire passage from 1 John 4.
In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins...And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. (1 John 4:9-10,16)
Actually, John 3:16 says less about our value and more about God’s virtue...that is displayed in His love for us (somehow we’ve turned this around in our popular theology). He chose to set His love on us when we wanted nothing to do with Him. He sought us out even when there was no warrant for His showing us love. God has every right to condemn us to an eternity separated from Him, but He chose to seek our reconciliation with Him through the most costly and loving gift ever offered...His one and only Son!
God’s love is to be admired by us this Christmas, not because the world is so big and beautiful He had to love us. Rather, His love is to be admired because the world is so ugly and sinful, yet He pursued us with His love, anyway. God’s love in Bethlehem and on Calvary says more about Who God is than it says about Who we are. This is not a love that we could ever earn or be worthy of experiencing on our own. This love is so GREAT it was given to those that could never earn it and still have trouble fully comprehending it.
Someone might ask, how is it that God can love the “world” and yet we as believers in Christ are commanded to not love it (cf. 1 John 2:1`5-17)? The answer is found in that we are told not to love this “world” with a selfish love of participation. God, on the other hand, loved the “world” with a selfless, sacrificial love of redemption.
What we should be feeling and seeing this Christmas season is the magnanimous love of our God that overcomes all of our reticence and resistance to receive it. As one author states, “The force of (John 3:16) is not that the world is so vast that it takes a great deal of love to embrace it, but rather that the world has become so alienated from God that it takes an exceedingly great KIND of love to love it at all.”
But, loving us is exactly what God did when He sent His Son to Bethlehem to be the Savior of the “world.” This season should always serve as a reminder that God is lovingly pursuing us, even though we don’t deserve His love.
- God wants to love us and make us His children!
- God wants to secure His children in His love so they can live with peace and joy until they see Him face to face.
What a contrast between God’s love and the cultural love of Santa Claus. Listen to the words of his most famous song…
“You better watch out,
You better not cry,
You better not pout,
I'm telling you why,
Santa Claus is coming to town.
He's making a list,
And checking it twice,
Gonna find out who's naughty and nice,
Santa Claus is coming to town.
He sees you when you're sleeping,
He knows when you're awake,
He knows if you've been bad or good,
So be good for goodness sake!
O! You better watch out!
You better not cry,
You better not pout,
I'm telling you why,
Santa Claus is coming to town.”
There’s one thing for sure this Christmas season...YOU ARE LOVED BY GOD...not because you’ve been “nice,” nor because you’ve been “good.” YOU ARE LOVED BY GOD...because He is a great and loving God Who is pursuing you...in spite of you!!
Now, that’s a love you can rest in and enjoy this Christmas season and all year long.
- You can run, but you can’t hide from God’s love.
- If you’ve messed up...you’re still loved by Him.
- He doesn’t love you for what you’ve done or who you are. He loves you because of Who He is...GOD IS LOVE!
