God So Loved the World

God so loved the world is the continuing theme of John 3 in our study of the Gospel of John. This section includes perhaps the most Probably the most familiar verse in the Bible: John 3:16, especially in the King James Version.

14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
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.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

(John 3:13-17, King James Version)

It is hard to break up this entire section from John 3 regarding Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus. As a matter of fact it would be good to read this plus the last two Bible devotions together to gain the complete picture.

Probably the most familiar verse in the Bible is John 3:16, especially in the King James Version.

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.

We must be careful that we tie John 3:16 with the verses that come before it and the verses that come after it. After giving His glorious testimony to Nicodemus, Christ proceeds by telling of His coming death on the cross, using a story with which Nicodemus was very familiar. God had sent a plague to the Israelites because of their sin and unbelief, but many were saved from the plague by looking up to the bronze cross with a serpent on it that Moses held before them.

This was a picture of the coming cross of Christ. Christ would conquer the serpent, and conquer death once and for all through His own, perfect, shed blood, so that those who look to the cross would find life everlasting. Jesus' whole purpose in coming to this world was to save a people for Himself.

Always read John 3:16 with John 3:17.

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

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

Christ did not come to condemn the world, as the world was already condemned! He came, rather, that the world, i.e., those who believe upon Christ would not perish, but have everlasting life.

The tragic truth is that everyone has the opportunity to come to Christ, but most do not choose to do so!

What an amazing Lord we have! I cannot begin to comprehend it!

Next: Condemnation - verses 18-21