Undeniably John 3:16 seems to be almost everywhere. But what can we learn from unpacking John 3:16 and God’s love? A lot, in fact! In this post then I will unpack John 3:16 so that you can have a full, in-depth understanding of what it stands for.
What Does John 3:16 Mean?
The phrase John 3:16 is a reference to the Bible and here is the corresponding Bible quotation: “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.” John 3:16.
The actual phrase John 3:16 is an example of what is known as Bible notation and it is a reference to a Bible quotation as we have seen.
For as it is, the Bible is a collection of books. And each book in the Bible consists of one or more chapters, and each chapter has numbered sections called verses. So, the Bible notation “John 3:16” refers to the book of John, the 3rd chapter, and the 16th verse of Chapter 3.
Who is God?
When we come to the question of who is God, often there is confusion and a lack of clarity. But it is easy to get a good grasp of who God is in just a few words, so don’t despair!
On reading the Bible, you will find that “God” (Genesis 1:1) and “the Godhead” (Acts 17:29) are interchangeable names in the Bible for a divine Family made up of three Persons. So, God is indeed a Person or, rather, Persons, and not a thing or things.
And God describes Himself in the Bible by saying that He is “God, that cannot lie” (Titus 1:2) and “God is love.” 1 John 4:8. That is to say, each of the three members of the Godhead has a character of love that is identical to the character of the others. In fact, the love in God’s heart is the only definition of true love in the universe.
And, No, there are not three Gods! Why? Because the members of the Godhead never contradict each other at any time, that is, we can say that they speak with one voice. For there has never been nor ever will be any disagreement or contention among them. Therefore, we can say, “there is one God.” Mark 12:32.
Furthermore, each Person in the Godhead, the divine Family, is “without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life.” Hebrews 7:3.
And the names of these three Persons in the Godhead are “the Father” (Matthew 11:27), “the Son” (Psalm 2:12) also called Christ (Matthew 1:1), and “the Holy Spirit.” Psalm 51:11.
So then, with this understanding of who God is, a related question is, Who is Jesus? The name Jesus was given to Christ when He was born as a baby boy on earth over 2,023 years ago.
The Backstory to John 3:16
The Godhead, the Family of three divine Persons, lived in love, joy, peace, and harmony. And there came a time when the love in their hearts caused them to create intelligent beings with a character of love just like God’s.
Among these intelligent beings were the angels who live in heaven with God and there was love, joy, peace, and harmony, in the entire universe.
However, an angel in heaven named “Lucifer” (Isaiah 14:12) rebelled against God and, therefore, did evil, which is sin. Lucifer also caused some of the other angels to sin by rebelling against God.
And Lucifer, whose name God changed to “Satan” (1 Chronicles 21:1) and his “evil angels” (Psalm 78:49) became permanently fixed in their wicked ways. Therefore, “God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to [wait for] hell [to come in the future], and delivered them into [symbolic] chains of darkness [where there is no knowledge of the love of God], to be reserved unto [God’s] judgment [Day].” 2 Peter 2:4.
And so, God says, “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer [Satan]” (Isaiah 14:12), both you and your “evil angels!” Psalm 78:49.
“For God So Loved the World” John 3:16
Now, after God had created the earth, God also created the first human pair, a man named Adam and a woman named Eve.
And Satan, “the tempter” (Matthew 4:3), tempted Eve to rebel against God and she did rebel and, therefore, sinned. Eve, in turn, tempted Adam to rebel against God which he did and he too, therefore, sinned.
“And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression [in sin].” 1 Timothy 2:14. Here we see that Adam who was aware of Satan’s deceptions chose to rebel against God. Why? Because Adam placed his love and desire for his wife, Eve, ahead of his love for God.
And so, God says, “By one man [Adam] sin entered into the world, and [eternal] death [which is to annihilated by God] by sin; and so [eternal] death [which is annihilation] passed upon all men [upon every human being], for that all [human beings] have sinned.” Romans 5:12. In other words, every human being has sinned because they have inherited Adam and Eve’s disposition to sin.
And “the wages of sin is [eternal] death [which is to be annihilated by God]; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23.
Why? Because in accordance with John 3:16, God says, “Yea, I have loved thee [the human race] with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” Jeremiah 31:3.
For God is He “who will have all men [all humanity] to be saved [from eternal death], and to come unto the knowledge of the truth [from God]” (1 Timothy 2:4) such “that we should be holy and without blame before him [God] in love.” Ephesians 1:4.
Yes, the reason why God seeks to save all humanity is because “God so loved the world.” John 3:16.
“That He [God] Gave” John 3:16
The core declaration, the essence of John 3:16 by God is “That He [God] gave.” John 3:16.
What is John 3:16 referring to when it speaks of God’s gift? It is that God is “He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.” Psalm 15:4.
Therefore, “the Word [Christ, who was God’s thoughts made visible and audible,] was made flesh [was born in human flesh], and dwelt among us [the human race], (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten [the one and only Son] of the Father,) full of grace [full of the blessings of God] and truth [from God].” John 1:14.
So, John 3:16 is expressing the idea that God, “having yet therefore one son [Christ], his wellbeloved, he [God] sent him [Christ to the earth as a man].” Mark 12:6.
That is, John 3:16 means that we as human beings can say of God in truth, We are “seeing [that] thou [God] hast not withheld thy son [Christ], thine only son from [us, the human race]” (Genesis 22:12), “the only begotten Son [Christ], which is in the bosom of [who is near and dear to the heart of] the Father.” John 1:18.
Thus, the gift from God that John 3:16 refers to is that “if, when we [the human race] were enemies [of God], we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son [Christ for the sins of the whole world], much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his [Christ’s holy and blameless] life [of love].” Romans 5:10.
Ultimately, then God’s gift referred to in John 3:16 points to the fact that “He [God] that spared not his own Son [Christ from death], but delivered him [Christ] up for us all [for all the human race], how shall he [God] not with him [Christ] also freely give us [the human race] all things?” Romans 8:32.
“His [God’s] Only Begotten Son” John 3:16
When John 3:16 refers to “His [God’s] only begotten Son” (John 3:16), it refers to Christ of whom “the LORD [God] hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou [Christ] art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek [who was a priest of God in ancient times].” Psalm 110:4.
That is, Christ was born as a man to be a priest of God with one key difference. For Christ “he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague [of God on the entire human race of eternal death, which is to be annihilated by God for one’s own sins,] was stayed [was stopped].” Numbers 16:48.
So then, as John 3:16 implies, “the LORD [Christ, who was raised from the dead to live again,] hath chosen Zion [the assembly of all those people who have allowed God to put His love in their hearts and, hence, have stopped sinning]; he [Christ] hath desired it for his habitation [His dwelling place]. This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it.” Psalm 132:13, 14.
In a real sense then, John 3:16 refers to the fact that Christ voluntarily chose to be given by God to the human race forever. That is, for all time to come in the future, the configuration of the Godhead has been changed in order to save the human race from extinction. What love is this! Isn’t God marvellous?
“That Whosoever” John 3:16
John 3:16 speaks of “whosoever” which means anyone, that is, every human being. Anyone? Yes, as a human being it means you are included!
“For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons [who does not practice favouritism], nor taketh reward [nor takes bribes].” Deuteronomy 10:17.
In other words, as John 3:16 says, “There is no respect of persons [no partiality] with God.” Romans 2:11.
Thus, in accordance with John 3:16, “the grace of God [the unmerited favour of God] that bringeth salvation [that leads to the saving from eternal death (annihilation) and instead leads to eternal life] hath appeared to [has been bestowed upon] all men [every human being].” Titus 2:11.
How is this so? Well, of all the infinite blessings of the grace of God through Christ, the greatest is that “he [Christ] is the propitiation [the merciful, divine sacrifice]…for the sins of the whole world.” 1 John 2:2. And because of this Jesus Christ made it possible for every human being to receive eternal life from God.
“Believeth On Him [Christ]” John 3:16
John 3:16 speaks of believing in Christ, but this is more than just a mere intellectual acknowledgement of the salvation that comes to humanity through Christ.
This belief in Christ according to John 3:16, this saving faith in Christ, is to set one’s mind to obey Christ’s words, “If ye love me [Christ], keep [obey] my [Christ’s] commandments.” John 14:15. Now everyone receives the gift of faith from God but without repentance people have a superficial faith and not saving (correct) faith that takes proper hold of God’s truth by the working of the Holy Spirit.
Now, since Christ’s commandments are recorded in the Bible which is the word of God, and Christ is God, the saving faith of John 3:16 is to obey the whole Bible through yielding to the Holy Spirit so that you have “repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” Acts 20:21. For then you will be forgiven of all sins and cleansed from sin by God and, thus, you will have been “justified” (Romans 5:1), that is, you are then in right standing before God.
And the word of God, the Bible, says, “O…thou [the human race] hast destroyed thyself; but in me [Christ] is thine help.” Hosea 13:9.
How? The human race can say in truth of God, “Thou [God] wilt light my candle [will show me God’s ways of love]: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness [of mind in its sin and wickedness]…It is God that girdeth [builds me up] me with [moral] strength, and maketh my way perfect [in love].” Psalm 18:28-32.
Thus, John 3:16 is a call to every human being to “let thine eyes look right on [keep your eyes focused on God’s ways of love], and let thine eyelids look straight before thee [do not deviate from the path of righteousness]. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways [of perfect love] be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left [from God’s ways of love]: remove thy foot [turn away] from evil.” Proverbs 4:25-27.
“Should Not Perish” John 3:16
John 3:16 says that whosoever believeth in Christ should not perish, for God “is able to destroy [annihilate] both soul [all that a person is, including the mind,] and body in hell [such that they cease to exist, such that they perish].” Mathew 10:28.
That is, God is merciful to the human race, in that, “the Lord [God] is not slack [not negligent or slow to act] concerning his promise [to punish sins with eternal death (annihilation)], as some men [some people] count slackness [reckon to be negligent]; but is longsuffering to us-ward [to us the human race], not willing that any should perish [should be annihilated by God], but that all should come to repentance [to godly sorrow for their sins].” 2 Peter 3:9.
And “repentance [leads] unto [eternal] life.” Acts 11:18. This then is what John 3:16 means when its says that believers in Christ should not perish.
“But Have Everlasting Life” John 3:16
John 3:16 speaks of everlasting life for believers in Jesus Christ. This is good news!
Now God expands on His thought given in John 3:16 in the entire Bible, which will prevent anyone from making an error in knowing the way to eternal life.
So God amplifies John 3:16 by saying, “To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, [to them the gift from God of] eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth [from God given in the Bible], but obey unrighteousness, [they will receive from God] indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man [upon every human being] that doeth evil…But glory, honour, and peace, to every man [every person] that worketh [does] good.” Romans 2:7-10.
Therefore, let us all shout for joy and say, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us [the human race] with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ!” Ephesians 1:3.
Related Blog Posts
What is the Bible? Who Wrote the Bible?
The Bible and Each Kind of People
What is Grace and How Does It Work?
The Self-Deceived and the Bible
Human Nature and Holiness
For Further Study
- Bible Study Principles
- Victory in Christian Warfare
- Know Your Bible in 50 Days: A Guide to All 66 Books
There are new blog posts every two weeks on a Monday at 12:01 a.m. in timezone UTC-5 (GMT-5).
Image: Alex Bodini at unsplash.com.
Leave a Reply