Jesus gave the supreme example of this kind of love by giving His own life on behalf of the sins of the world (John 3:16; Hebrews 12:2). Have you ever been to a sporting event where John 3:16 seemed to be broadcast by a player or by fans in the stadium? As recorded in the Book of Numbers, a book Nicodemus would have been extremely familiar with, the Israelites chose rebellion and were punished for it in the form of venomous snake bites. Judge for yourself by reading these passages: Psalm 37:9-11; 46:8, 9; 72:7, 8, 16; Isaiah 35:5, 6; 65:21-23; Matthew 5:5; John 5:28, 29; Revelation 21:4. Here is the passage together with some of its context: John 3:14-18 "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. John 3:16 is arguably the best known verse in the Bible. John 3:16-19. He will in turn take over and draw them closer to Him. In other words, when John 3:16 says that God loves the world, it means that He loves every person, head for head, equally. John 3:16, KJV: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not … Light hurts. Let me give you two steps you can take. The idea that God loves all of us so much that he would make such an immense sacrifice seems unimaginable, and yet, it’s something that this particular Bible verse makes very clear. Don't you want to live in such a world? One night, presumably after many of his colleagues were home in bed, a Pharisee named Nicodemus from the Jewish ruling council came to Jesus. But His love has provided a means so that the guilty can be purified, forgiven and justified. 21:4-9). . What is the meaning of “world” in this passage? It’s a simple message that means a great deal. What Does it Mean that "God So Loved the World" in John 3:16? Why? See John 6:33; John 17:21. John 3:16 follows this rich and theologically dense explanation of sin and salvation. To illustrate the point further to Nicodemus, Jesus referenced the bronze snake Moses raised in the wilderness, back when the Israelites wandered in the desert vacillating between rebellion and repentance (Num. Nicodemus obviously knew of the miracles Jesus had performed. Related words: Austin 3:16; books of the Bible; Jesus piece; The Ten Commandments; Tim Tebow Now, considering all Jesus suffered, all God watched Him suffer, for you and I, evaluate the beginning of John 3:16 again, “This is how God loved the world,” and everyone in it. It begins with the well know phrase about Jesus, " For God so loved... What John 3 16 really means, may surprise you. Or perhaps he retreated, contemplated, and wrestled with his sin and pride, before finally finding the courage to surrender. For no one could perform the signs You are doing if God were not with him” (John 3:2). The offer was free. Most importantly, how do we live in the reality that John 3:16 presents—that God, who is love, actively demonstrated His love through Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, and through Him, offered salvation to all mankind. What does John 3:16 mean? 1 John 3:16(NASB) Verse Thoughts Many believers like to focus on the love of Jesus because they think that this will cause unbelievers to get saved but they prefer to allow Christ's death, burial and resurrection to be side-lined in a blurry background, in case it offends or puts the unbeliever off the Christian faith! That’s hard because it pricks against our pride. If you’ve thought that you saw this verse you were likely not mistaken, it’s actually been found in a number of different sporting events. “He gave His one and only Son.” Through His death, Christ revealed what pure, unfathomable love looks like. Gospel of John of the New Testament, Chapter 3, Verse 16, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life." We want to provide easy to read articles that answer your questions about the meaning, origin, and history of specific verses within Scripture's context. John 3:16 is a widely quoted Bible verse that summarizes the cornerstone Christian belief that their God sacrificed his son for the salvation of humanity. They chose pleasure in the moment over the peace and joy of a relationship with God. It’s also something that is simple to explain to those who have never seen it before. Tim Tebow wore eye black with the inscription “John 3:16” in … In Christ, we see a love so intense, so sacrificial, so incomprehensible, it makes all human expressions seem frivolous in comparison. We find John 3:16, perhaps one of the clearest presentations of the gospel, tucked in a conversation between Jesus and a prestigious religious ruler. "For God so loved the world...". A. So, just why is this particular Bible verse so popular? 9 Easy Ways to Share the Word of God with Others, 10 Ways to Become a Better Christian in this Season. Start discovering life's biggest questions by streaming the Gospel Broadcasting Network today. Yet, this is not what God originally intended. A dear friend in Christ asked me what my favorite bible verse was, and I said gosh I have so many but I told her John 3:16 because it reminds me what God has done for us, and keeps me in line with asking for forgiveness of my sins, and I accept Jesus into my heart as my Savior and am blessed that we have been promised salvation for such little effort, and Jesus shed his blood for me. There is a perfect harmony between the different attributes of God. Drawing from the insights of Warfield, there are four possible answers. It shows up on signs, cards, posters, billboards, t-shirts and even at football games. When we step into God’s light he’s going to illuminate some painful parts of our life. Oh, they laid the groundwork, a foundation, if you will, for the truths Jesus was presenting. Regardless, we know Christ revealed a beautiful picture of love, of grace, and the freedom of complete absolution. John 3:16, ESV: "“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." How should we live in light of John 3:16?