The Greatest Statement Ever Made - John 3:16

The Greatest Statement Ever Made - John 3:16

Text: John 3:16

SERMON - Jennifer Mears - 6.14.2005

Many great verses in the Bible regarding God’s love for man.

· Two to mention:

1. "…for God is love" (I Jn. 4: 8).

2. "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) KJV

· John 3:16 is memorized, quoted, and referred to perhaps more than any verse in the entire Bible.

· John 3: 16 is also among the most misunderstood verses in the Bible.

· Let’s explore this verse to reveal its meaning and why the verse contains such a great statement.

I. Great because of the one who loved us

A. GOD so loved! God IS Love!

· The eternal God, all knowing, omnipresent, and absolutely holy God who created all that is created – He loved! And God Still LOVES! He is LOVE!

“The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.” -Deuteronomy 33:27 (NKJV)

“ 17: Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: “

18:” That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:” -Hebrews 6:17, 18 (NKJV)

21: “For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings”.

22: “There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.” - Job 34: 21, 22 (NKJV)

44: “For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”

- Leviticus 11:44 (NKJV)

Also Genesis Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 SHOWS:

….. The eternal God, immutable, all knowing, omnipresent, and absolutely holy God who created all that is created – He loved!

II. Great because of whom He loved ...

A. "For God so loved THE WORLD," we are told this through this scripture.

a. The "world" (cosmos) is not the world John said to "love not," but mankind (I John 2: 15, here cosmos is used for the baser elements, see verse

“15: Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

16: For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

17: And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” -I John 2:15-17 (NKJV)

6). ALL Creation ….ALL living, ALL people. We are to live and be in the world but no OF the world (sin, destruction, satan, death, etc)

b. The greatness of God’s love for man is seen in the fact of the total unworthiness of man to be a recipient of God’s love:

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

“Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans.5: 6).

III. Great because of how much he loved

A. "For God SO LOVED…," John wrote.

IV. The extent of God’s love is seen in "that he gave his only begotten Son…." (two pics)

A. The love (agapao) of John 3: 16 is unselfish and seeks the well being of the one(s) so loved. Hence, "he gave." The Father loved so much that he gave his "only begotten Son." JESUS! The Lamb of God to be sacrificed for ALL mankind!

C. Jesus was unique (only begotten is from monogenes, which means one of a kind).

Jesus, The Lamb of God (slide)

§ One of A Kind

§ Spotless

§ Perfect (the only perfect being to walk on this earth)

- Without Sin

- Pure and Holy

- Set Apart

- With Power and Glory

- Declared to be the Son of God

- Destined to hold the keys of life and death

- King of Kings, and Lord of Lords

- Alpha and Omega (The Beginning and The End)

Such an unselfish act for God to sacrifice ("gave") his one of a kind Son for sinful men!

PHP 2:8 “And being found in appearance as a man,

he humbled himself and became obedient to death--even death on a cross!”

Matthew 11:28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you