John 3:16 - A deeper look into what Jesus is saying in this verse, as well as the verses before And the verses after.

 

JOHN 3:16

A deeper look into what Jesus is saying in this verse,

...As well as the verses before

And the verses after.

Everyone knows it. Most can quote it….

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.

Many hold tightly to it for it's the Words of Jesus. 

Yet, so many overlook the Words that Jesus spoke in the preceding verses, as well as the verses that follow after John 3:16. 

At the beginning of John chapter 3, Jesus began to teach Nicodemus and all the Disciples who were with Him that night:

Vs 3 – Verily, verily, (meaning: truly, truly)
EXCEPT (unless) a man be BORN AGAIN,
he CANNOT SEE the Kingdom of God. 

Nicodemus was puzzled, wondering how a grown man could be ‘born again.’ He knew there is no way that a man can enter back into his mother’s womb and be ‘born again.’ He did not understand what Jesus meant.

Jesus explained just a little bit more of what He was saying in verse 5...

EXCEPT (unless) a man
BE BORN OF WATER
and OF THE SPIRIT,
he CANNOT ENTER into the Kingdom of God. 

Jesus continued to explain that He was not talking about a fleshly birth. He was referring to a spiritual birth. Nicodemus must have still appeared to be puzzled as Jesus told him… (John 3:7)

Marvel not (don't be in wonder or amazement)
that I said unto thee,
you MUST BE BORN AGAIN. 

Jesus instructed Nicodemus, His Disciples, and as many who will read and hear His words that we MUST be BORN AGAIN in order to enter the Kingdom of God.

What did Jesus mean when He said we MUST be BORN AGAIN? What did He mean when He said if we are not BORN OF WATER AND of the Spirit, we cannot see nor enter into the Kingdom of God.

Jesus was referring to water BAPTISM when He said ‘born of water,’ and He was referring to receiving the GIFT OF THE HOLY GHOST when He said ‘born of Spirit.’ (continue following along as we look at more Scriptures to support this)

After Jesus told us: MARVEL NOT that I said unto thee, YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN, He continued teaching in the very next verse about the Holy Ghost that would soon come…. (John 3:8)

The wind bloweth where it listeth
(it goes wherever it wants to)

and THOU HEAREST THE SOUND thereof,
but canst not tell whence it cometh
and whither it goeth:

SO IS EVERY ONE THAT IS BORN OF THE SPIRIT.

Jesus was letting them know: you’re going to hear a sound when someone receives the Holy Ghost. He said, “so is EVERYONE that is BORN OF THE SPIRIT.

Nicodemus still did not understand and asked, “how can these things be?” Jesus gently scolded Nicodemus for not understanding what He was teaching… (John 3:10)

Art thou a master (a teacher) in Israel,

and knowest not these things?

Jesus, in essence, is asking him, “how are you a teacher of the Word, someone that others come to for answers concerning the Scriptures, and yet you do not understand what I am saying?” He continued on…. (verse 12)

If I have told you earthly things,

and YE BELIEVE NOT,
how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?

Jesus was explaining spiritual things in earthly terms, and yet Nicodemus still did not understand or believe….yet. (John 7:50 reveals that Nicodemus became ‘one of them’ – a disciple of Jesus who followed Him privately.)

In the next several verses, Jesus revealed details concerning: Who He is; the upcoming crucifixion; how it related to happenings in their own history that they taught; and how it relates to what is about to happen to Him.

In John 3:13, Jesus is revealing details concerning who He is….

And no man hath ascended up to heaven,
but HE THAT CAME DOWN from heaven,
even the Son of man which is in heaven.

In the next few verses, He is revealing how the details in their history that they have been taught were a type and shadow of things that were to come relating to His crucifixion.

14 – And as Moses lifted up the serpent
in the wilderness,
even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
(Jesus is referring to His crucifixion)

15 – That whosoever BELIEVETH IN HIM
should not perish,

but have eternal life.

(Jesus again repeats this in verse 16….)

16 - 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.

If you believe IN Jesus, you SHOULD NOT perish, but that does not mean you will not. Obedience to what Jesus taught must FOLLOW believing.

In John 3:17-20, Jesus is teaching us that He did not come to condemn the world. That was not the reason He was born as a baby in a manger with the cross as His destiny = to die in our place. Jesus came and died on the cross because of His mercy and His love.

He’s wanting every one of us to be saved. He’s not wanting anyone to die lost, but we must obey and follow Jesus’ instructions in the first part of John 3, verses 1-12.

The condemnation comes when we love darkness rather than light….when we love sin more than we love Jesus. John 3:20 warns:

Every one that doeth evil HATETH the light,

neither cometh to the light,

lest his deeds should be reproved.

In other words, that person chooses sin over being set free from it. They refuse to submit to and obey Jesus’ teachings. They do not want to come to the light, because they do not want to hear warnings against their sins. They hate what is good because it does not support or condone their sin….it condemns it.

Jesus said in John 3:21 -

But he that DOETH TRUTH cometh to the light,

that his deeds may be made manifest,

that they are wrought (brought about) in God.

Those that OBEY TRUTH (obey God’s Word), come to the Light so that our deeds reveal that all that we do comes from God.

After Jesus finished teaching these things, He and His disciples went to Judaea where they BAPTIZED as He had just taught them when He warned: EXCEPT a man is BORN of WATER (water baptized) and of SPIRIT (receiving the Holy Ghost), that person CANNOT ENTER the Kingdom of God. Jesus was again showing us that we MUST be BORN AGAIN.

Jesus also instructed in Mark 16:16...

He that BELIEVETH AND IS BAPTIZED
shall be saved; 

Jesus is showing us that there is more to salvation than just believing = we MUST BE BORN OF WATER.

He continued in Mark 16:17....

And THESE SIGNS SHALL FOLLOW

them that believe....
….they SHALL SPEAK WITH NEW TONGUES;

Jesus plainly let us know that signs will follow those who truly believe in Him. He was also revealing what He meant when He taught that we MUST be BORN OF SPIRIT.

Jesus taught in John 7:38-39....

He that believeth on Me,

AS THE SCRIPTURE HATH SAID,
out of his belly shall flow rivers of Living Water.
But this spake He of the Spirit,
which they that believe on Him should receive:
for the Holy Ghost was not yet given;
because that Jesus was not yet glorified.

Jesus was teaching us that if a person BELIEVES on Him, they SHOULD receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. At the time that Jesus was teaching this, the Holy Ghost was not poured out yet because Jesus had not died and rose again.

Those words that Jesus spoke in John 3:1-8 are as important as John 3:16.

John 3:16 is a summary of all that Jesus said in the verses prior, not to nullify them or for them to be ignored.

It is BECAUSE Jesus loved us with a greater love that any have ever known, He chose to die on the Cross to make the way for us to be Born Again.

That could not happen until AFTER Jesus died and rose again. He told us in His Word that the Holy Ghost could not be given until after Jesus was glorified. (John 7:39)

Whosoever believes in Jesus should not perish, because if you believe in Jesus you will read His Words, you will hear His Words, you will seek to understand, and you will obey His Words. 

Jesus said in John 14:15…

If you love Me, KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS.

Keep means: attend to carefully.

If a person claims to love Jesus, they must attend carefully to His commandments. Jesus is not referring to just the 10 commandments. He was referencing all that He has said and taught, which includes His instructions that we MUST be BORN AGAIN of water and of Spirit if we want to enter into the Kingdom. (John 3:1-8)

Jesus said those who come to Him, and not only HEARS what He teaches, but also DOES (perform, fulfill) what He teaches is like a wise man who dug deep, laying the foundation for his house upon a rock. It stood firm and could not be shaken when the floods came because it was founded upon a rock.

Jesus said the opposite for those who HEAR what He teaches but DO NOT DO what He teaches. He said they are like a man who built a house without a foundation. That house FELL and was destroyed when the floods came.

Jesus asked why a person calls Him “Lord” if they are not going to listen and do what He says? (Luke 6:46-49) Lord means: he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding. The owner; one who has control of the person, the master. (Strong’s G2962)

Jesus asked in Luke 6:46….

And why call ye me, Lord, Lord,
(your Owner, the One who has power

and control over you)
and do not the things which I say?

Does Jesus truly have power, control, and ownership over you?

Are you HEARING and DOING the things which Jesus said?

Have you been BORN AGAIN as Jesus instructed?

Have you been baptized since you believed?

Have you received the Holy Ghost and spoke with new tongues since you believed?

Marvel not that Jesus said you MUST be BORN AGAIN (of water and of Spirit) as He instructed in John 3:1-8 directly before He mentioned John 3:16.