💫WEB · John 3:16
What does John 3:16 mean?
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life."
— John 3:16 (World English Bible)
Surrounding context
No one has ascended into heaven, but he who descended out of heaven, the Son of Man, who is in heaven.
As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
For God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through him.
He who believes in him is not judged. He who doesn’t believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.
This is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their works were evil.
Explanation
John 3:16 is one of the most quoted verses in the Bible, and its meaning is worth slowing down to consider carefully. In plain language, the verse says that God's love for humanity was so great that it moved him to action: he gave his Son so that people who place their trust in him would not face spiritual ruin, but would instead receive life that lasts forever. The verse presents a cause and effect relationship — God's love is the cause, the giving of the Son is the result of that love, and eternal life is offered to those who respond in faith.
The context of this verse matters a great deal. It comes from a conversation Jesus had with Nicodemus, a Pharisee and member of the Jewish ruling council, who came to Jesus at night to ask him questions (John 3:1-2). Jesus had just explained the necessity of being "born again" or "born from above" in order to see the kingdom of God. He then referenced the Old Testament account of Moses lifting up a bronze serpent in the wilderness so that those who looked at it would be healed (John 3:14, referring to Numbers 21:8-9), explaining that the Son of Man would likewise be "lifted up" — a foreshadowing of his crucifixion. Verse 16 flows directly out of this discussion, explaining why God would send his Son to be lifted up in this way: because of his love for the world. The Gospel of John was written, as John himself states later, "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name" (John 20:31), and this verse encapsulates that purpose.
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