✝ Gospel

John 3:16

John 3 :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.

— NIV
Speaker: Jesus

Context

Part of Jesus's conversation with Nicodemus about being "born again" and the nature of salvation.

John 3:16

Perhaps the most famous verse in the New Testament, summarizing the core message of Christian salvation.

Significance

This verse encapsulates the Gospel message in a single sentence:

  • God’s motivation: love for the world
  • God’s action: giving his Son
  • The means of salvation: belief
  • The alternative: perishing
  • The promise: eternal life

Context

This verse comes from Jesus’s nighttime conversation with Nicodemus, a Pharisee and member of the Jewish ruling council. The discussion centers on spiritual rebirth and how one enters the kingdom of God.

Universal Scope

The phrase “the world” (Greek: kosmos) emphasizes the universal scope of God’s love—not limited to one nation or people, but extended to all humanity.

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