The True Understanding of John 3:16

Brethren, if I asked you what is the favorite scripture of Protestants and evangelicals that you see, decals, you see billboards, what scripture would that be? That's right. John 3, 16. That's a fallback scripture. I'll read it to you in case you've forgotten it. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. Yet, as you will see, it is also one of the most misunderstood scriptures in the Bible. What it says to traditional Christianity is that if a person doesn't believe in Christ, they are doomed to perish and be in hellfire forever. And it's many times used as a rallying cry. Why do you have to get to those Africans in those remote villages? Because if they don't believe in Christ, they will perish. They say, well, God so loved the world. So that's the world that's out there. And if people don't believe in Christ, there's only one ending, one result, and that is everlasting fire. I'm sure you've heard sermons like that. They're still being used today. But thankfully, that is not the right understanding of this scripture. As a matter of fact, there is a key element that if people don't understand about that scripture, they're not going to understand it right. And so we have wonderful news that no, the whole world is not going to perish if in this life they don't ever believe in Jesus Christ. It's not like they're doomed forever. And unfortunately, you go to these places and in the churches and they will say, well, that's too bad for these people out there in China or in India. As a matter of fact, two-thirds of the entire world, which are about eight billion people now, and so we have two-thirds of those who do not believe in Christ. They're either Buddhists or actually after traditional Christianity, the second greatest group of religious people are the Muslims. And they don't believe in Christ as their Savior. Neither do the Hindus, which is the third largest group at all. And then you have the Buddhists and many others. So what happens to them? Is this scripture condemning all of them and that there is no chance, even if they die, never knowing the name of Jesus Christ. And what about all the people who live before Jesus Christ's time? From the time of Adam and Eve, all the way to the flood where you had millions and millions of people that perished in that flood. And what happened after that when mankind started repopulating the earth? All the way to the time of Jesus Christ. And yet, were they just having bad luck when they were born? Where they were born? Is God truly a respecter of persons? It just depends that a person had to know about Christianity to have a chance. And of course, after Christ's death, you still had the great majority of mankind who never knew about Jesus Christ. And still, to this day, don't know it. So you see, the key to the understanding of this scripture is knowing God's plan of salvation through those seven feast days. That is the key understanding that each one of those feast days has to do with how God is calling people.

And He is not calling all the people today to salvation. And that if we don't understand how each one of the feasts of God are these stepping stones. They are steps in the way of the plan of salvation. That mankind is going to have an opportunity. That they are not all going to perish if in this life they never accept Jesus Christ. And as many would have it like myself, my father wasn't much of a Christian at all. He basically didn't believe in too much.

And he died that way. Well, is he then condemned for eternity to be suffering in an everlasting fire? No, that is not the case. So we're going to look at that scripture today to truly understand what it says. And it is eye-opening. It really helps us grasp that God is a God of love. He truly does love all of mankind and not just a special little group that gets saved. And then the rest are condemned forever. So we're going to go over John 3 16. But with that key element of understanding that there are several resurrections. That mankind is not condemned after they die to end up in an everlasting hell. But that there is a second resurrection when these deceived people and uncalled people will have an opportunity for salvation. And we're going to see it clearly in the scriptures. So let's go to the first part of John 3 16. It says, for God so loved the world. The term here is the broadest in the Greek term cosmos. It means the entire world. It's not talking about one geographical section. It's talking about the entire world. So yes, God is concerned about the Africans. He is concerned about the Chinese. He is concerned about those in India, many of them living in squalor that usually are not going to have much of a life at all. Just survival. But He loves all.

So it's interesting when we look at John 3 16 first, when did it take place? Can we understand? When was John 3 16 given? Notice in John chapter 2. Let's go to John chapter 2 verse 23 because the context is important. John chapter 2 verse 23. It says, now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover. This is the first Passover during His ministry that is recorded.

He was there during the feast.

Many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did. But Jesus did not commit Himself to them because He knew all men and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man. So even though there are a lot of people praising Him, but He understood what was truly inside their hearts. In the next verse, John chapter 3 verse 1, during that time of the Passover week, by the way Passover week means day of Passover and then the seven days of unleavened bread. That's when He was attending there. And who showed up? Nicodemus. There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with Him. So it's important to understand that it was during the Passover time when this had taken place. And He's talking to Nicodemus. I'm not going to go into the whole story, but He says in verse 11, most assuredly I say to you, we speak what we know and testify what we have seen, and you do not receive our witness. You as leading Jews, if I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended to heaven, but He who came down from heaven, that is the Son of Man who is in heaven. So Christ is the only one that has come down from heaven, and He also ascended up in heaven. But this idea that you have all of this heavenly host of people, that's not biblical, because it says He is the only one that is there right now. In verse 14, And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world. And that's where we are at. So we understand the context now. It's the context of the Passover. Christ knew that another two Passovers, and He was going to become the Passover Lamb. He was saying that God was going to give mankind the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and it was for all people. And yet, 98% of the people who have ever lived have never come across the knowledge of the truth, and they have not been able to truly receive God's Spirit and be, in the future, part of that first resurrection. It's a very small minority, but Christ died for all of mankind. And so He's telling Nicodemus here that, yes, you're going to see how God is going to give His only begotten Son to mankind. So let's go to the second point, which is in the verse, that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish. The term perish here means to totally be destroyed. It doesn't mean just slap on the wrist, or no, it is talking about a judgment. It's the same verse and the same word used in Matthew 10.28. Keep your finger here in John 3, and then let's go to Matthew 10.28.

He uses the same word here about destroy and perish. It says, verse 28, And do not fear those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul, but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. So it's talking about that a person, if they are not eventually converted, they will end up perishing in this way. So God the Father, if you notice in this part, is the one who initiates the plan of salvation. It isn't Jesus Christ. It is God who so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. So God is intimately involved in this. That's why we always want to put God the Father first. Jesus Christ is second in that term. He is the mediator. He is there, but God the Father is ultimately in charge. Jesus Christ is the centerpiece of this plan. He's carrying it out, but God the Father is the one who initiated it. Christ died for all, not just for some. That only begotten Son is not some privileged gift for just a few people. It's for everyone.

But the key is that judgment is not limited to this life, or else it would be a very poor result. If you look at the majority of human beings, they have never come to the knowledge of truth, and to accept Jesus Christ and believe truly in Him. There is a future resurrection. And what about mankind? Is it fair for them to be able to come to the knowledge of the truth, and to come to believe in Jesus Christ and what He really stands for when we know Satan is involved? We know Satan is involved. He is the deceiver. He is the one that disguises Himself. Look at what it tells us in 1 John chapter 5 verse 19.

1 John chapter 5 and verse 19. It says, We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.

Yes, it's not just a few that have been deceived. The whole world has been deceived, and the great majority don't even know they are deceived. They think they're doing just fine with their lifestyles or with the traditional ideas that they have. They don't know how far they are from the truth of God. Notice another scripture in Revelation chapter 12 and verse 9.

Revelation 12 verse 9. So the great dragon was cast out. That serpent of old called the devil and the Satan, who deceives the whole world. Yes, so of course mankind is deceived and following false teachings all the time. But that does not mean they are condemned forever. Thanks to God, God opened our mind. Or else we would have continued in our vain form of life. We would not have really come to the understanding of the truth at all. Notice in John chapter 3 when we come back to it. It goes on to say in John 3 verse 20 and 21. What is God talking about when he's talking about believing in Christ? Is that just his name? Is that just calling him Lord? No. Notice what John defines here. He says, for everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light. Does not come to the truth, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth, in other words, applying the truth, comes to the light that his deeds may be clearly seen that they have been done in God. So it has to do with coming to the knowledge of truth.

And so God here is saying he has a plan for mankind. He has given his son and they will come to the understanding of the truth one day. So this takes us to where it talks about that they will not perish, but the third point, but have everlasting life. It means eventually to be resurrected and have the opportunity to be part of that kingdom of God, to be saved, to be able to change what they did in this life, and then have their sins forgiven. It's not just for a few. Notice what it says in 1 Timothy 2 verses 3 through 6. This basically sums up God's plan of salvation. 1 Timothy 2 verses 3 through 6. It says, For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man Jesus Christ, who gave himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time. So we see people that maybe they're not coming to the knowledge of the truth, even in our own families. It doesn't mean that they're going to follow in this time, but it doesn't mean they are eternally lost. They will have an opportunity to come to the knowledge of the truth. It's just that right now in Satan's world, with him deceiving people, hardening their hearts, most are not going to have an opportunity to be part of that first resurrection, but they will be part of that second resurrection. And so I want to go over that part of the plan of salvation. Let's go to Revelation chapter 20.

Revelation chapter 20. After Jesus Christ has come down, Revelation 19 talks about Christ coming down in the clouds and defeating the nations.

And then Jesus Christ is going to put away Satan and his demons. Verse 1 of Revelation 20. And I want this to be cleared up because there are some that think that Satan is actually going to be part of that second resurrection, and he's going to be able to continue tempting and deceiving people.

But notice here, it's very clear the chronology involved. Revelation 20 verse 1, it says, Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. Some people think, well, what kind of chain can hold Satan? Well, it's a spiritual chain because we're talking about spirit beings. And of course, physical things are much weaker, but God has spiritual things, a spiritual chain that an angel grabs, and it keeps Satan and his demons in this pit.

He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things, he must be released for a long time during the Second Resurrection?

No, for a little while. The word there, micro-chronos, means a small period of time. So what we have is basically three periods. One is the thousand-year period, then we have a small gap where Satan is going to be released, and punished, and removed, and then we have the third period, which is the Second Resurrection. So we have two opportunities for salvation. One is during the millennium, for all those that are still physical beings, during that thousand-year period, and the second period is for the great majority of mankind, when they are resurrected, the unconverted, the deceived, they will have the opportunity, but Satan will not be there.

He's only there for that small amount of time. Notice it goes on to say, here at the beginning of the thousand-year period, and I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. This word judgment is very important, because it's the same one that is mentioned in John 3. It's talking about the capacity to evaluate the fruits and the results and be able to make decisions and sentences. So these are given the authority now to evaluate things. It says, judgment was committed to those who had been, and then many of them were martyred, beheaded for their witness to Jesus, and some died just for the Word of God, for following the Word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, the false teachings, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands.

And as you know now with artificial intelligence, it's even going to be easier to mark a person. It's not even going to be necessary to have it. It's a physical mark that you see. It can be invisibly embedded, and with special lights, they'll know who's who, just like they're doing more now with all kinds of identity mechanisms and searching for people.

So we know that's going to be part of the future. And it talks about these faithful, and they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. So these are the ones that are part of that first resurrection. Those are the ones that are called in this life and who are survivors of the faith, because many are called, few are chosen at the end. They don't stick with it. And we know it's why God doesn't call that many people, because there is a high percentage that just do not persevere.

They fall away. There are many types of tests throughout a person's life, and there are many stumbling blocks. One is heresy, accepting heresy, and started going off the deep end, and starting to just drop these wonderful truths that we know.

There's also a person can get offended and just say, I don't want to meet, I don't want to be together, and they eventually turn cold and look warm and just fade back into the world. All kinds of different things. But here are the ones who are faithful. They are going to receive that reward to reign with Christ. But notice what it says. Verse 5, But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. And so we have a second resurrection, which is the one that's not part of the first. These are people not being called now.

These are the dead that are going to be resurrected after that thousand-year period. And then it talks about the first resurrection again. It says, This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power. They're not going to be judged anymore. They already were judged in this life. And if they're faithful, they're resurrected. They'll never have to worry about dying again. But they shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with him a thousand years.

So now we have the little gap of time. We don't know exactly how long, but it's a short time. It said, Therefore, little time, Satan is loosed. Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth. That means across the entire world. Gog and Magog. These are the symbolic, rebellious nations, as the first message brought out about sedition and rebellion. Well, these are the ones that do so against God.

And it says, Together, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea.

People still are going to listen to Satan during that period of time, that little gap, that some will not be converted, even that last generation of the millennium. Some of them will have just had such an easy time of it that when Satan comes, oops, I put off my baptism. Oops, I don't have God's Spirit. And they will be deceived again. And it says, verse 9, They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, talk about Jerusalem, and fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them, just like it did when Christ came back the first time. The devil who deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet, and you notice here it's in the cursive, are, because that does not appear in the text, because they already perished.

And they, talk about Satan and his demons, will be tormented day and night forever and ever. That's their fate, because they are spirit beings. And from what we understand, that's where their ultimate fate will be. They will be expelled. They will no longer be part of the universe and be out there in outer darkness forever. It goes on to say, verse 11, After that period is closed, is over, verse 11, Then I saw a great white throne, and him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away, and there was found no place for them. So now is the time which is called the great white throne judgment for all of those dead that were not part of the first resurrection. So here you have all of these nations. You have the Africans, Chinese, all of the Aztec Indians, all the people that have ever lived who did not come to the knowledge of the truth and never received God's Spirit. This is their time. It says, verse 12, And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God. So that person cannot stand unless they are resurrected. So here is a resurrection of the dead, and it talks about great and small. So from the greatest generals and presidents and kings to the most insignificant little child that has ever lived. And books were open. There's only one set of books that are used in the Bible to judge people, and that is God's Word. So it will literally be open to their mind as God opened it to our minds to come to the understanding of the truth. As a Catholic, back in when I was a young teenager, I had a Bible, but it didn't make any sense to me. I had no desire to study it. And yet, when God called me at 17, all of a sudden, that was what I wanted to do more than anything in the world, was to understand God's Word. And it was the most wonderful. It was transformational.

One week I was keeping Sunday. I was doing everything the rest of the high school kids were doing. The next week, I was keeping the Sabbath. I was understanding about God's Holy Days. The first time I attended church was on the Feast of Trumpets. And I understood the knowledge of what Trumpets actually means, the Feast of Trumpets, the coming of Jesus Christ. That's what is symbolized in that day. And I tell you, after all the decades of studying, there's nothing more wonderful than studying God's plan of salvation, how he's going to carry things out. It's better than any science fiction you will ever read in your life. And so continuing on here, it says that the books were opened. The word is biblia in the Greek. It's also in the Spanish. We have our biblia, which is the books of Scripture. The biblia was opened and it says here, and another book was opened, which is the Book of Life.

That little phrase there is one of the most important phrases to deal with the resurrection, because it means that just like the Book of Life is open to us now, where your name is recorded once you receive God's Spirit and you get to be called to that first resurrection. Well, the people in the second resurrection, they are going to have a chance to have their names written in the Book of Life. Remember what it tells us there in Philippians chapter 4. Let's go to Philippians chapter 4 real quickly.

Philippians 4, it says in verse 2, I implore Yodia and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. These are two church members, lady church members. Somehow they had offended each other and gotten a little bit out of kilter with each other. Paul is just writing, let's make up, let's forgive and forget.

He says in verse 3, I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the Gospel with Clement also and the rest of my fellow workers whose names are in the Book of Life. So whose names are in the Book of Life? Those who are of the church, who have been baptized, who have received God's Spirit. And now in the second resurrection, and again, we can think of all our ancestors, how many people we are going to enjoy as you watch their names being written in the Book of Life, that they are not going to perish forever. So that's what we call the second resurrection. We really don't know how long it's going to be. Isaiah 65 20 gives an idea that it could be a hundred year period, but we're not sure about that. But whatever period, it's long enough for the people to decide whether they are going to follow God or not. They're not going to be held accountable for the deception, for what they messed up with in their lives. They will have to repent of that, be baptized, receive God's Spirit, have their names written in the Book of Life, and be faithful. It's long enough that you see the fruits. You see, this is not some whimsical thing that's going to happen, and then all of a sudden people are just going to quit on you, or they're going to quit on God, or they're going to quit on assisting, or attending, or whatever it is. Though they're going to be faithful to the end.

And then the fourth point, where it talks about, after it talks about having an everlasting life, the next verse, John 3, 17, it says, for God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. So the word condemn here is the same word that I've talked about before, crino, where we get the word critic. Now, critic doesn't necessarily mean something negative. A critic can give you a good mark as well, but it's somebody that evaluates a work and determines its worth and value. And so here it's talking about this period of evaluation. Yeah, people are going to have to go before God. They're going to have to ask forgiveness for their sins, repent, but it's an evaluation period that takes place during those different resurrections we've talked about. So salvation will not be for only a few. That's why it's so important to understand the Feast of God and that eighth day after the seven-day feast, which represents tabernacles, and the millennium, you have the eighth day. We call it also the last great day period, which has to do with the second resurrection. People don't understand that as long as they don't keep God's feast days, because you need a reminder. We have seen what happens when you quit observing these days. You forget about God's plan of salvation. You start letting the world get in and immerse you in all of these false gospels. So it's not just a matter of reading about it or accepting it. But what did John 3, 18, and 19 talk? Those who practice the truth. That's what is believing in Christ, believing in God.

So what will happen to these people? The same thing. When they're resurrected in a second resurrection, just like it says for us, Romans 3, 23, all have sinned and have come short of the glory of God. They all fall short of the glory of God. So everybody's in the same boat. It's just, when are you called? You're being called in the first resurrection or the second resurrection. Those are the two windows of opportunity that mankind will have to be part of the kingdom of God. With that little gap in between where Satan is going to be released for a short period of time. But it's not going to last during that second period of opportunity for salvation. So let's summarize the points we have covered and how to apply them in our lives.

First, John 3 16 does not mean that most what most people think. It does not mean, like traditional Christianity, that if you don't accept Christ now, you're condemned to perish and to end up in hellfire. So don't listen to those sermons. Don't listen to all that preaching where they're trying to get that false gospel into your mind. You know better. Secondly, only with the understanding of the different judgment periods can it be properly understood. What John 3 16 says, not just in this life, but in the second resurrection, which makes it fair for all who have the opportunity then to choose. So you see my father and others and so many, I'm looking forward to seeing him in the second resurrection, seeing him come to the knowledge of truth. And we know a lot of people and good people, as some that weren't very good, whatever their lives took, they'll come to see themselves and an opportunity to repent.

So it's important to understand God's plan of salvation through those seven feasts. And by the way, one is coming up. It's just two months away and we're going to be keeping the Passover. And so it's good to start preparing now because we know John 3 16 is for the entire world. It's not just for a few that are going to be keeping Passover. We're going to have billions of people keeping Passover one day. And won't that be encouraging? And people will come and say, boy, you were able to keep that while you were a physical human being? You were able to do this? They're going to forget all about their false teachings. They're going to be so excited as we get excited every time that Passover comes around and we begin that seven feast cycle during the year.

And fourthly, we have the blessings of understanding what John 3 16 actually means. God's love truly does extend to all of mankind and not just a precious few.

And the majority of mankind will have an opportunity to be part of that kingdom.

And lastly, we should be comforted and thankful as we come to the Passover to know what John 3 16 actually means and how billions of people will one day take the Passover as we do today. That's why we don't have to worry about condemning the world and feeling like, oh, this world, they're just not listening and they're going to perish and they deserve to perish forever. That's not the case. We have a loving God who has a much better plan for mankind.

And so, brethren, it's encouraging that little famous scripture that we hear so often. It's one of the most misunderstood ones and we should give thanks to God that we truly understand what God meant.