God so loved

Who is Jesus? part 43 – John 3:12-21 part a

Does the phrase “I gifted it to him” bother anyone else like it does me? I don’t recall using ‘gift’ as a verb during school or in my early adult life, but now terms like ‘gifting’ and ‘gifted’ are common. To me, it feels like a fancy way of saying gave or giving. It suggests that their gifting is somehow superior because it was free, because saying ‘I gave it to him’ can also mean ‘lent it,’ as such, it shows their generosity. However, all giving is free; that’s the essence of it, even if it is not permanent, as the work degifting implies. The term “gifting” in its modern context seems to originate from regifting, where you pass on an unwanted gift, such as one from last Christmas. It’s essentially giving something that didn’t cost you anything.

¹² If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? ¹³ No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.

¹⁴ And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁵ that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 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. 

¹⁹ And this is the judgement: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. ²⁰ For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. ²¹ But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

John 3:14-21

There is a structure to these three chapters. They are one big chiasmus. Chiasm, meaning crossing over, is a poetic form used in nearly all Psalms and is a repetition of similar ideas in the reverse sequence. Where there is a central section, here marked X, that is usually the focus of the poem.

A. John 2:1-11 Miracle at Cana – Water into wine.
B. 2:12-22 Temple cleansed – new Temple of his body.
C. 2:23-3:13 We must be born from above.
X. 3:14-21 God so loved the world that He gave His Son.
C’. 3:22-4:3 Christ comes from above.
B’. 4:4-46 Temple to be replaced by a new place of worship.
A’. 4:46-54 Miracle at Cana – healing of a nobleman’s son.

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This is the centre of the Cana Cycle and influences everything that follows. It has two parts: one is positive, an invitation and the other is negative, a warning. I’ll focus on the positive aspect here and will discuss the warning in the next post. I’m also approaching this in 4 parts, from the inside out. Here are the first two of them.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son

John 3:16 is one of the most well-known verses in the Bible. The first part of this verse is central to Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus and the Cana Cycle. Jesus is a free gift from God, which cost the Father greatly and cost Jesus everything. Paul encourages us to follow Jesus’ example of humility.

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, ⁷ but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. ⁸ And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Philippians 2:5-8

Later in John’s Gospel, he presents Jesus’ crucifixion in a unique way compared to other writers, describing it as Jesus’ crowning as King. But here, in Chapter 3, the focus is on love, using the Greek word ἠγάπησεν egapesen, which comes from the root word agape, indicating a selfless act of love that doesn’t require anything in return. This is shown as a single, complete event rather than an ongoing process. God’s love is offered freely to us, regardless of our response.

Whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

The second half of verse 16 is similar to verse 15, bookending the words, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life,” and providing its context. God sent his Son into the world to give us life, as noted in the first chapter, where it states that Jesus is the life that brings light to everyone. Jesus enlightens us, but if we focus only on that, Christianity seems similar to Buddhism, which is one thing these two religions share.

But John chapter 3 goes further than that. It goes even further than what John wrote in chapter 1 where it says that all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. (John 1:12). John is slowly building up a picture of who Jesus is: whoever believes in him may have eternal life.(John 3:15). This is how God loved the world, by sending his only begotten Son, (all who believe in him are children of God, but Jesus is special, he is God).

This is so important that it is said twice the same way, there is only one difference, the second time it adds two words in Greek, ἀπόληται ἀλλ, apoletai all, “should not perish but” in English. There is no mention of eternal death here. The contrast is between death, ceasing to exist, and living forever if you believe in the Son of God.

‘Believe’ is a funny word; it changes meaning according to context. If I said, “I believe in Santa,” it would be saying that I believe that Santa exists. In that context, Satan believes that Jesus exists, too. ” Even the demons believe –and shudder,” (James 2:19).

But I could say, “I believe in Keir Starmer.” (I’m using the current UK Prime Minister as an example, not because I agree with his actions, nor disagree with the policies of other parties.) This statement doesn’t mean you believe Starmer exists, but that you trust him in his work. Believing in Jesus is similar; faith in Jesus is demonstrated by trusting him. It involves a commitment to him as Lord and Saviour, trusting in his death and resurrection as the atonement for sins and the way to eternal life.

But it’s not only that. We become Christians as individuals, but we live out that belief in a community of fellow believers and with others in the world. So we follow his teachings and embrace the call to love God and neighbour, rather than adhering to a narrow set of dogmatic beliefs or a specific understanding of Jesus’ divinity. For some, being in the community happens first, for others, the start is an individual commitment. Both are good and i believe both are necessary.

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The other two points are about the Son lifted up and believing inthe only Son of God.

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