this time Jesus was the One whom the Lord would lift up and grant mercy through. In Jesus' earthly days the people of Israel were still rebelling, but this time there was a different intercessor.
#Kids bible verse john 3 16 full#
To get the full extent of this picture we need to remember Israel's pattern when they left Egypt: the people would rebel, the Lord's judgment would come, Moses would intercede on their behalf, and the Lord responded mercifully ( NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible). The Israelites knew this was the only way they could be saved from this certain death by venom. Looking at the snake on the pole was an act of faith, and when they looked they were healed by God. To receive healing, they had to look at a bronze snake on a pole. 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. 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. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son" ( John 3:14-18). For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. "'Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.' For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Why Did Jesus Use an Old Testament Reference to Explain His Point? But they didn’t have the strength to carry Nicodemus to salvation. Oh, they laid the groundwork, a foundation, if you will, for the truths Jesus was presenting. Jesus, in essence, told Nicodemus that all his years progressing in Judaism, all the time he spent reciting prayers and participating in festivals, accounted for nothing. Can you imagine how confusing Jesus’ statement must have been? I’m not just talking about the whole rebirth analogy, but consider as well the message conveyed to this well-educated, well-trained, and presumably “righteous” man. You see, we must remember whom Christ was speaking to, what kind of life he lived, and how Nicodemus was accustomed to relating to God-through religious works. Initially, one might call His words a redirect, but Jesus was probing something deeper.
To which Jesus replied, “ Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again” ( John 3:6). Beneath his words of affirmation, of wonderment, Nicodemus appears to be investigating Jesus’ identity. He’d probably heard many truths Jesus spoke as well, all of which seemed to have triggered a driving question: Who are you? Perhaps you’ve asked God that yourself. Nicodemus obviously knew of the miracles Jesus had performed. This statement suggests a few things: Nicodemus was familiar with Jesus, most likely respected Him, and recognized that He indeed came from God, just like John 3:16 later states. For no one could perform the signs You are doing if God were not with him” ( John 3:2). “ Rabbi,” he said, “ we know that You are a teacher who comes from God. One night, presumably after many of his colleagues were home in bed, a Pharisee named Nicodemus from the Jewish ruling council came to Jesus.
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. It reads, “For God so loved the world,” or, as the NLT puts it, “This is how God loved the world: He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” There’s so much to unpack in those words, but first, we need to understand the historical and literary context surrounding them. John 3:16 can easily run through our brains without much cognizant thought, but have we paused to consider what it truly means? Have we contemplated the depth of truths packed within this verse, preserved by God Himself, throughout countless generations? 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.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." - John 3:16
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