God So Loved ...
A Sermon on John 3:16
Originally preached Feb. 24, 1957
Scripture
16¶ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Sermon Description
Martin Luther famously said of John 3:16, “it is the Bible in miniature.” In this sermon on John 3:16 titled “God So Loved…,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones adds, “John 3:16 is a synopsis of theology.” Dr. Lloyd-Jones combats a number of ways this verse has been misused by both Christians and non-Christians. The latter often cite it to argue for universalism, while the former uncritically repeat the verse without ever considering the truth. While these errors are folly according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, he takes aim especially at Christians who use this verse in order to pit the “plain” gospel message against theology and doctrine. As Dr. Lloyd-Jones argues in this sermon, one cannot do justice to this verse by neglecting doctrine because the entire verse is packed with theology. Moreover, Dr. Lloyd-Jones expounds the great doctrine of the love of God from this particular verse. He corrects misconceptions of God the Father’s attitude toward the world. In addition, he argues, one cannot understand the greatness of the love of God as shown in salvation until they know the utter sinfulness of fallen humanity and the great glory of God giving His only begotten Son.
Sermon Breakdown
- The sermon begins by acknowledging John 3:16 as the most well-known verse in the Bible but notes that it is also frequently misused and misunderstood.
- The first misuse of John 3:16 that is addressed is using it as an incantation by repeating it without truly understanding or reflecting on its meaning.
- The second misuse addressed is interpreting it to mean that God's love is so great that everyone will be saved regardless of belief or actions. But the verse clearly states that only those who believe in Jesus will have eternal life.
- The third misuse addressed is pitting John 3:16 against theology and doctrine. But the verse is packed with doctrine including revelation, the Trinity, the person of Christ, sin, wrath of God, grace of God, atonement, and justification by faith.
- The sermon then transitions to addressing the true meaning of John 3:16 by looking at God's love in the context of the doctrines contained within the verse. The first doctrine addressed is revelation - Jesus is revealing truth to Nicodemus that he did not know before.
- The second doctrine addressed is the Trinity - the verse refers to God the Father, the Son, and implicitly the Holy Spirit.
- The third doctrine addressed is the person of Christ - the verse refers to Jesus as the only begotten Son, affirming his deity, eternal sonship, and unique relationship with the Father.
- The fourth doctrine addressed is sin and the fall - implied by the use of the word "world" which refers to humanity in a state of sin and under the influence of evil.
- The fifth doctrine addressed is the wrath of God and punishment of sin - implied by the word "perish." God punishes sin.
- The sixth doctrine addressed is the grace of God - God gave his only Son to provide salvation.
- The seventh doctrine addressed is the atonement - implied by the word "gave." God gave his Son to die on the cross to atone for sin.
- The eighth doctrine addressed is justification by faith - "whosoever believes in him" shall have eternal life, not by works but by faith.
- The sermon then focuses on expounding on God's love as expressed in John 3:16, noting that God's love is infinite and eternal, far beyond human understanding. To begin to understand it, we must understand what the verse means by "the world" and "his only begotten Son."
- "The world" refers not to the physical world but to humanity in a state of sin, under the influence of Satan. The verse shows that God loves even humanity in this wretched, sinful state.
- "His only begotten Son" refers to Jesus as the uncreated, co-eternal Son of God. God sending his Son into the sinful world shows the depth of his love.
- The word "gave" refers to God giving his Son over to death on the cross. God did not spare his Son but poured out his wrath on him to provide salvation for us. This demonstrates the depth of God's love.
- In conclusion, we cannot fully understand God's love apart from understanding what John 3:16 means - that God gave his Son to die in our place to save us from the punishment we deserve. We must believe in Jesus to have eternal life.
Sermon Q&A
Questions and Answers about Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon on John 3:16
What does Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones say is the most common misuse of John 3:16?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, one of the most common misuses of John 3:16 is when people treat it as an "incantation" - simply repeating it without truly considering its meaning. He says, "There are some people who just use it as a kind of incantation. They just like to repeat it because it's such a wonderful and such a beautiful statement. And they just go on repeating it without ever, rarely facing it, without ever considering it, without ever analyzing it." Another major misuse he mentions is interpreting it to mean that everyone will be saved regardless of what they believe or how they live.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say about the relationship between John 3:16 and theology?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones strongly rejects the idea that John 3:16 is simply a "simple gospel" that stands in opposition to theology or doctrine. He calls this view "ridiculous and fatuous" and identifies eight major theological doctrines contained within this single verse: revelation, the Holy Trinity, the person of Christ, sin and the fall, God's wrath and punishment, God's grace, atonement, and justification by faith alone. He describes John 3:16 as "a synopsis of theology" and "the Bible in miniature."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones explain the meaning of "world" in John 3:16?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that "world" in this context doesn't mean the physical universe but rather "humanity" or "human nature" in its fallen state. He describes it as "the realm in which Satan works and exists and dominates," characterized by "lust and passion and greed and jealousy and envy, malice, bitterness, hatred." The greatness of God's love is magnified when we understand that He loves humanity despite our fallen, sinful condition.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say about God the Father's role in salvation?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that God the Father is the active agent in salvation, not merely a passive observer. He states: "It is God the Father who provides salvation. It is God the Father who conceived it and planned it. It is he who has sent his son into the world." He refutes the misconception that depicts Christ as pleading with an unwilling Father to forgive humans, clarifying that "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son" shows the Father's initiative in salvation.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones teach about the meaning of "gave" in John 3:16?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that "gave" in John 3:16 refers specifically to God giving His Son to death on the cross. He connects it with Romans 8:32, "He that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all," explaining that God "gave him up to the agony and the shame and the suffering of Calvary." He emphasizes that God "spared him nothing" and "poured out the vials of his wrath upon him" as Jesus bore the full punishment for sin.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe the importance of the word "so" in John 3:16?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies "so" as the operative word in the verse that indicates the magnitude of God's love. He explains that we can only understand the greatness of this love by considering two elements: first, what the "world" truly is (fallen, sinful humanity), and second, who the "only begotten Son" is (the eternal, co-equal Son of God). The love is demonstrated in that God would send His perfect Son from heaven into this sinful world and ultimately to the cross.
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasize the context of John 3:16?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that John 3:16 begins with the word "For," indicating it's not an isolated statement but a continuation of what came before. He states: "John 3:16, far from being an isolated verse or statement, is rarely but a continuation of what our Lord has been saying from the 11th verse of this particular chapter." Understanding the verse in its context is essential for proper interpretation, as it connects directly to verses 14-15 about Moses lifting up the serpent in the wilderness.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones teach about the uniqueness of Christ as "only begotten Son"?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones distinguishes Christ as God's "only begotten Son" from other "sons of God" mentioned in Scripture. He explains: "Men are referred to in the Bible sometimes as sons of God. Yes, but they're created sons of God. The angels are sometimes referred to as sons of God, but the angels were created. Here is one of whom we say, not created, only begotten, uncreated, existing in the bosom of the father from eternity to eternity. Co-equal. Co-eternal God, as the father is God, God, the eternal son."
The Book of John
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.