John Series Part 14 Revelation 5 God’s Great Love John 3:16–17 Series

John Series Part 14 Revelation 5 God’s Great Love John 3:16–17

(3:16–17) Introduction: this is the world’s most well-known Scripture. Brief and to the point, Jesus revealed God’s great love.

1. The fact: God so loved (v.16).

2. The evidence: God gave (v.16).

3. The purpose: to save (v.16).

4. The proof: God sent His Son (the Incarnation) (v.17).

5. The means: through Him (v.17).

1 (3:16) God, Love of: God so loved the world. He loved the whole world. Note several facts.

a. The idea that God loves the whole world is a new idea. The Jews believed God loved the religious (the true Jew) and hated the non-religious (the Gentiles). The same thoughts are held by many in every generation, especially by religionists. The fact that God truly loves is shocking to many. Some wonder and others question how God could possibly love the …

• vile person

• murderer

• immoral person

• wife beater

• child abuser

• prostitute

• thief

• alcoholic

• street person

• oppressor

• enslaver

• bitter, vengeful

Thought 1. God loves every man, not just the religious and the good. He does not love only the people who love Him. He loves everyone, even the unlovely and the unloving, the unbelieving and the obstinate, the selfish and the greedy, the spiteful and the vengeful.

“And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd” (Jn. 10:16).

“For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Ro. 10:12–13).

“Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (1 Ti. 2:4).

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Pe. 3:9).

b. The basis of God’s love is His nature. God is love (1 Jn. 4:8, 16); therefore, He loves. He acts, demonstrates, and shows His love.

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Ro. 5:8).

“He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.… And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him” (1 Jn. 4:8, 16).

c. Love acts; it expresses itself. Love does not sit still, doing nothing. It is not dormant, complacent, inactive. If love actually exists, it has to act and express itself; it has to do something good. Love is loving; that is, love is always demonstrating love to others. Therefore, God’s love acts and reveals Him to be love.

Thought 1. God wants man to know His love. He wants to reach everyone in the world with His love.

“Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us” (1 Jn. 3:16).

“In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him” (1 Jn. 4:9).

(3:16) God Loved: past tense. A past, proven fact. An outline of the greatness of God’s love is seen in this verse. (1) Height: God loved. (2) Depth: so loved. (3) Length: God gave. (4) Breadth: whosoever.

2 (3:16) God, Love, of: there is the evidence of God’s love—God gave His only begotten Son. Note several points.

a. God demonstrated His love in the most perfect way possible: He gave His only begotten Son to the world. As God, He is perfect, which means His love is perfect. Therefore, God not only loves, but He so loves. He loves to perfection, loves to the ultimate degree. Whatever the ultimate degree and the perfect act and expression of love is, God shows it. Without question, the greatest act of love is the sacrifice of a man’s own life; therefore, God sacrificed the life of His own Son to save man.

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (Jn. 15:13).

b. The word gave (edoken) has a twofold meaning. God gave His Son to the world, and He gave His Son to die. The idea of sacrifice, of great cost, is in both acts. It cost God dearly to give His Son up to the world and up to the cross.

1) He gave up His Son to be separated from Him, allowing Jesus to leave His presence, to leave the majesty and glory, worship and honor of heaven. (See note—Mk. 9:2–3.)