A VERSE WE TEND TO MISS – JOHN 3:17

A VERSE WE TEND TO MISS – JOHN 3:17

John 3:16 – 17

¹⁶ 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. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

John 3:16 is the most quoted verse in the Bible. It represents God’s agenda in our world in very concise form. This verse underscores humanity’s own powerlessness to avoid destruction; and how God’s love is so great, that He sent his Son on a rescue mission to save anyone who believes in Him from that certain fate.

But what Jesus is telling Nicodemus does not end with verse 16. Verse 17 continues his thought, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” The word “for” connects these verses into one thought or concept. Combined, both of these verses tell us: a) love is the motivation, b) sending Jesus is the action, c) saving the world is the outcome, and d) the means is not condemnation but saving the world through him.

True, Jesus did a bit of condemning himself. Indeed he saved His strongest censure for calling out prideful Pharisees. Interestingly, Jesus has a Pharisee in front of him, whom we believe to be a seeker. He had sought out Jesus at night, presumably so he would not be seen. He says, “God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” He seems to be reassuring Nicodemus that His message is not one of condemnation; rather it is through Him that God intended to accomplish a rescue operation.

Jesus expected his disciples to follow his example. He spent so much of his time in the skid rows of the Jewish cities that he was accused of being a drunk himself. He was criticized for spending time with the rich tax collectors for Rome, who were considered traitors. He ministered to the prostitutes, many of whom had lost their husbands, and had no other means of support. The alcoholics were addicted; the tax collectors were corrupt; and the prostitutes were victims of their circumstances. They all belonged to the “other” in their society, and knew they needed help. Jesus, the embodiment of God’s love, came alongside them and freed them from their bonds.

Today’s society is very similar to the context in which Jesus ministered. There are people in our country who many followers of Jesus consider to be “other”. Alcohol, drug and porn addiction, prostitution, are still with us; but there is also the immigrant, “the stranger within the gate,” who doesn’t look like us. Jesus is telling us in verse 17, that the means of offering His salvation is not through condemning them, but through loving them as he loved.

Let me say, I have great respect and admiration for those Evangelical churches in the United States, who are responding with the love of Christ to the unwanted, the forgotten, the locked out, and the left out. I am also aware of a biased broadcast media, which takes outspoken “Christian” outliers full of condemnation and make headlines out of them, implying that Evangelicals are like them. It is called reductionism. Nevertheless, I also fear that there are all too many congregations that have built firewalls to keep “us” in, and “them,” out. This kind of congregation may not condemn with their words, but they are condemning with their actions. Dare I suggest that such action, whatever the motivation, is not living out John 3:16-17? Do those whom God sent Jesus to save see us as condemning and not loving them like Christ? Have we earned that label?

We often hear people say, “I can’t believe in a God who says that if I don’t do what he wants he will send me to hell.” Where did that statement come from? Could it be that it comes from their experience with us? The question is, what can the Church do to earn back the image of being the place where love for all people and acceptance abounds; where believing in Christ as Savior and Lord is attractive and something to be desired? Words will not be enough!