In the context of Jesus’ discussion with Nicodemus ending with verse-12, arguably the most quoted text in the Bible is not what we call Jesus’ words, but is, rather, the testimony of the author of this Gospel narrative. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Few statements are so meaningful, and fewer still contain such depth of meaning. How much does God love the world in which all of us are numbered? Such love is defined and expressed only by how much he loves his Son, whom he gave for our preservation, and not only to preserve us for a season, but to give us eternal life.
While it can be said that many love this world, often that means they lust after the things of this world. Do we really love the people, the good and the evil people, the violent and the peaceful, the cowards and the courageous, the helpless, the orphaned, the homeless, as well as those who will not share what they have, so all would have enough? Do we really love the unthankful, the traitors, the belligerent, those whose greed for more results in wars that take the lives of young men and women, whom we know and love, and of these even from among our own families? Do we really love these folks, all of them—the wicked and the righteous, the conservative and the liberal, the fascists, the communists, the white, the brown and the black? Do we, could we embrace them all as brethren? Jesus did, and he came to flesh (to men) out from the love of our heavenly Father (John 1:14, 18), for “God so loved the world… (John 3:16).
It is interesting to see it said that Jesus didn’t come into the world to judge us (John 3:17) but to save us, the whole world! Yet, so often we are told that Jesus intends to judge this world, but this isn’t so. At least it isn’t so according to the author of this Gospel narrative. The fact is, the world has been judged already (John 3:18), and that judgment was carried out in Eden (Genesis 2:16-17; 3:22-24). The world is in darkness (Ephesians 6:12; 1John 2:9, 11), and we don’t know God without knowing Jesus (Matthew 11:27; Luke 10:22). The whole world is without Light and is unable by itself to come into the light, because it loves the darkness (John 3:19), which darkness exists only because we don’t know God (Matthew 4:16; cp. Genesis 3:22-24). Do you see the unending cycle? We live in darkness, because we don’t know God, and we don’t know God because we live in darkness. How can we ever escape or release ourselves from this dreadful, unending cycle of life or is it the unending cycle of death? We come into the Light, by coming to know Jesus (John 12:35), a real live, flesh and blood person, who was a part of the history of mankind, during the first century AD (John 1:14)! This God (John 1:1) took part in flesh, human history (John 1:14), and showed us what God (his Father who sent him) is like (John 1:18).
So, what is God like? This Gospel narrator claims Jesus (God in the flesh, showing us what God the Spirit is like) didn’t come into the world to judge the world (John 3:17). Nevertheless, the New Covenant text does speak of Jesus coming in judgment of his enemies (John 5:22, 27; 9:39; Matthew 26:64; cp. Matthew 24:30; 25:31). That judgment had to be carried out against the Jews who crucified the Lord and without ever expressing any repentance, continued to persecute Jesus’ followers (Matthew 23:31-36). That judgment was carried out in 70 AD in the destruction of the Temple at Jerusalem. Thus, Jesus (God in the flesh) ended his Old Covenant with the Jews by destroying their Temple and their nation. Moreover, when he came, he also judged the whole world, in that all nations became his nations (Revelation 11:15). All one’s allegiance is owed now to him alone. While the king remains king, Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16; cp. 1Timothy 6:15), and this is what has been put in place since 70 AD. The authorities of this world no longer have the supreme power to keep the folks they rule in the darkness they live in, because the authorities of this world don’t wish to know God (Romans 1:28).
God (Spirit or in the flesh) did that. He came that we might have life and have life in abundance (John 10:10; 12:47), in other words, God came into the world in order to breathe life into our death doomed existence (Genesis 3:22-24) by bringing us all out of the darkness (John 12:46) we seem to love and cling to with all our strength (John 3:19). What that looks like and how it gets done is what this Gospel is all about.
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