A Study of John's Gospel

John 3:17-18: God Sent His Only Son to Save the World

"Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other." -Isaiah 45:22

The fact is we are all born condemned under the curse of sin, but God has provided a way of escape. God is a loving God. God the Father sent God the Son not to condemn, but instead to bring salvation, hope and light to humanity that is hopelessly languishing under the curse of sin and stumbling about in spiritual darkness.

To be clear, God the Father and God the Son are in perfect unity on all decisions. This was not "child abuse" as some people say when they first hear God "gave His only Son." God is Light, and in Him is no darkness at all. Jesus is God. He is the full representation of God and He chose to lay down His life. No one took it from Him. The incarnation, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is a willing act of selfless love. It is the greatest example of love that exists in all of time and space. He did it to display His glory for all to see, and because of His endless love for us.

Jesus does also speak of condemnation though, and that is important. In order to appreciate the salvation offered by Jesus to everyone, we must understand that everyone needs to be saved. Jesus speaks of salvation in light of the condemnation humanity is under in this passage in the same way He does in John 12:46-48, "I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day."

This provides a good transition to verse 18 where we learn that while Jesus did not come to judge and condemn the world, those who do not believe in Him are condemned "already". This is the reality of our situation. He did not come to judge and condemn in this first coming, but the fact is we are all condemned already. He came to save us from the condemnation we are already under. While many people take offense at this, this is not unloving to say. This is a gracious and loving message from our Lord. Just as it is loving for a doctor to inform their patient they need life saving surgery to remove a tumor, it is gracious and loving for the Son of God to tell us of our spiritual deadness and the salvation unto new, eternal life available only in Him.

Do not be offended that there is only One Way. If you were drowning in the ocean and a rescue boat came to save you, you would get in the boat. You would not cross your arms and ask why only one boat was sent. There is only One Way to be saved, and that is through belief in Jesus Christ, "the only Son of God." We must never marvel that there is only one way. We should marvel at the fact that there is any way to be saved at all. It took the blood of the Divine to save us. There is no higher price that could possibly be paid than that. If the life of God's only Son was not enough to pay our debt for sin, then nothing is. But praise be to God, that His Son Jesus Christ is the all sufficient substitutionary sacrifice for not only our sin, but the sin of the whole world (1 John 2:2).

Importantly, while Jesus did not come to judge and condemn in His first coming, He will come a second time to judge and condemn the earth for sin. He will eradicate sin and death and establish His Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven wherein there will be no more sorrow, pain or death forever. There will be only full and overflowing joy and pleasure. But only those who have repented of their sin and received Jesus Christ as Lord will live in this real, material, eternal paradise. Everyone who rejects Jesus, rejects His free gift of salvation from condemnation unto eternal life. (See Revelation 21:1-8)

The fact is sin is a violation of God's Law (1 John 3:4), and we need only look at the brokenness of our world to see what sin does, and why God in His perfect holiness and love will tolerate none of it in His Kingdom. But the good news is, while we cannot save ourselves, for all who have repented of their sin and believed in Jesus Christ, "There is now therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1). And also from Romans 8:34 we learn, "Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us." This condemnation we are all born under and can do nothing to atone for is completely gone for everyone who believes in Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

For Christians, while we still battle against sin, and stumble, Jesus has paid the price for our sin past, present and future. While salvation happens in an instant, the work of sanctification is a process through which the Holy Spirit works in us day by day to make us more and more like Him. And even as we stumble in sin in this world, confessing and repenting along the way, there is no condemnation for us. Jesus took 100% of the punishment we deserve on the cross and now He is at the right hand of God the Father, in the throne room of Heaven, where He intercedes for us. When we do stumble, our Advocate (1 John 2:1) Jesus Christ the Righteous, declares us righteous. He took our sin and condemnation fully on Himself on the cross, and gave us His perfect righteousness. Now, even when we stumble into sin, "If we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).

This is the good and glorious news Jesus is declaring to Nicodemus during this secret, night time conversation. As Nicodemus wrestles with concepts that dismantled His worldview and understanding of himself, Jesus declares to him the unmatched and boundless love of God for not only him and the Jewish people, but for all of mankind.

Have you believed in the only Son of God? The fact is we all stand condemned before God. None of us are any better off than anyone else. As I write this I am no better than those who have not believed. I am simply one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread; the Bread of Life. Do not take offense at this. As Jesus Himself said in Luke 7:23,"And blessed is the one who is not offended by me." Jesus tells us of our condemnation because of our sin in order to tell us of His endless love and way of salvation provided through His selfless death and glorious resurrection. Do not reject this King of Glory. He loves you and He died to save you from eternal suffering and for eternal joy in close relationship with Him. As His image bearers He has given us the dignity of choosing whether or not to respond to His call. Choose Life.

"Whoever has the Son has life, whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life."

1 John 5:12

"Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him."

John 3:36

"because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved."

‭‭Romans‬ ‭10‬:‭9‬-‭10‬

Application (How does this change how I think, act and pray?):

From this passage we learn everyone is born condemned under the curse of sin. But we also learn God loves us anyway, and He sent His only Son to bear our condemnation Himself, and give to us who believe in Him, eternal life. Like the ark God used to keep Noah's family safe from His judgment of the earth in the worldwide flood, all those who are in Jesus Christ by faith, will be kept safe from the far greater condemnation that Jesus will bring upon the world at His second coming.

We must see this for the profound expression of God's loving heart that it is. The fact is we are condemned already, but the glorious reality is that God loves us and gave His only son to save us. All that is required to be saved from the condemnation we justly deserve, is to repent of our sin and "believe in the name of the only Son of God."

Self Reflection:

Do I understand it is loving for Jesus to warn me of the condemnation I have been born into in order to help me understand my need for Him to save me?

What does the giving of God the Son by God the Father in order to save the world tell me about the nature of God's love for me?

How does the eternal condemnation I deserve help me to better understand the weight of God's love seen in His selfless sacrifice on the cross where He took the full punishment for not only my sin, but the sin of the whole world (1 John 2:2)?

#Save #Condemn #SonofGod #Believe #JesusChristisLord