“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (v 16)
– this verse has long been celebrated as a powerful, succinct, declaration of the gospel…
“For God so loved the world” – God did not wait for the world to turn to him. He loved and gave his only Son to the world, when it was still the world. The Jews of that day rarely thought that God loved the world. Many of them thought that God only loved Israel. The universal offer of salvation and life in Jesus was revolutionary…
“He gave his only Son” – this describes both the expression and the gift of God’s love. God didn’t just feel for the plight of a fallen world: he gave the most precious thing to give: his only Son.
“Whoever believes in him” – this describes the recipients or beneficiaries of God’s love. God loves the world, but the world’s people do not benefit from that love until they believe in Jesus, the Father’s gift. To ‘believe in’ means much more than intellectual awareness or agreement: it means to trust in, to rely on, and to cling to…
“Should not perish” – this describes the intention of God’s love. God’s love actually saves people from eternal destruction. God looks at fallen people, does not want them to perish, and so in his love he extends the gift of salvation in Jesus Christ.
“But have eternal life” – this describes the duration of God’s love. The love we receive among people may fade or turn, but God’s love will never change. He will never stop loving his people, even unto the furthest distance of eternity.
The idea behind ‘eternal life’ means much more than a long or never ending life. Eternal life has the idea of an amazing, incredible, overwhelming quality of life, God’s kind of life. It is this kind of life that will be enjoyed for eternity…