JOHN 3:16-17
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(3:

16) God, Love, of: there is the evidence of God’s love—God gave His only begotten Son. Note several points.
1. God demonstrated His love in the most perfect way possible: He gave His only begotten Son to the world. As God,
He is perfect, which means His love is perfect. Therefore, God not only loves, but He so loves. He loves to perfection, loves
to the ultimate degree. Whatever the ultimate degree and the perfect act and expression of love is, God shows it. Without
question, the greatest act of love is the sacrifice of a man’s own life; therefore, God sacrificed the life of His own Son to save
man.

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (Jn.15:13).

2. The word gave (edoken) has a twofold meaning. God gave His Son to the world, and He gave His Son to die. The
idea of sacrifice, of great cost, is in both acts. It cost God dearly to give His Son up to the world and up to the cross.
a. He gave up His Son to be separated from Him, allowing Jesus to leave His presence, to leave the majesty
and glory, worship and honor of heaven.
b. He gave up His Son to be separated from Him, allowing Jesus to come to earth...
Into a world that was... Into a world full of...
fallen darkness selfishness
depraved hostility greed
wicked bitterness immorality
rebellious wrath barriers
revolting anger sin
apostae war shame

c. He gave up His Son to be separated from Him, allowing Jesus to die for the sins of men.

“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chas-
tisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed” (Is.53:5).
“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the
Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Is.53:6).
“In due time Christ died for the ungodly” (Ro.5:6).
“He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with
him also freely give us all things?” (Ro.8:32).
“Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor.15:3).
“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the
righteousness of God in him” (2 Cor.5:21).
“Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift” (2 Cor.9:15).
“Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is
written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree” (Gal.3:13).
“But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death,
crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every
man” (Heb.2:9).
“So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him
shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation” (Heb.9:28).
“Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins,
should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed” (1 Pt.2:24).
“For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring
us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit” (1 Pt.3:18).

3. A most glorious evidence of God’s love is that God took the initiative to save man. Man did not seek to save him-
self; God sought to save him. God gave His Son so that we might be forgiven and saved. God is the seeking Savior.
God is not... God does not...
angry hate men
unloving have to be persuaded to love men
unforgiving have to be convinced to forgive men

“The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting
love: therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee” (Jer.31:3).
“But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were
dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved)” (Eph.2:4-5).

4. The most glorious truth is that God gave His only begotten Son. This is the most remarkable proof of God’s love. It
magnifies and shows how great His love really is. He was willing to give the thing most dear to His heart in order to save the
world. Note this: God even planned to give His Son throughout eternity.

“Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and
by wicked hands have crucified and slain: whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of
death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it” (Acts 2:23-24).


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