Chris Newkirk, Pastor of Teaching………………………………. December 10-11, 2016
Advent: Love Made Manifest
John 3:16-18
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
In Christ, the glory of God is made manifest.
In Christ, the love of God is made manifest.
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
“It is atypical for John to speak of God’s love for the world, but this truth is therefore made to stand out as all the more wonderful. Jews were familiar with the truth that God loved the children of Israel; here God’s love is not restricted by race. Even so, God’s love is to be admired not because the world is so big and includes so many people, but because the world is so bad…” Don Carson, Pillar Commentary Series: John
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
“The idea here then is not one of a possible projected condemnation for the unbeliever but the necessity of escaping an already existing condemnation.” Gerald L. Borchert, The New American Commentary Series: John 1-11
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright © 2000; 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.