And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

That whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

John 3:14-17

This text from John 3:16 is possibly the best known verse in the bible; I had never previously considered it in the context of it being a portion of Jesus’ discourse with the Jewish leader Nicodemus, but now, in recognition of this important aspect, I’ve been considering and appreciating, more of Who Jesus was teaching about.

John 3 starts by telling us:

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.”

John 3:1-2

In verse 2 we’re told “this man came to Jesus by night”; The phrase “came to“, expresses the significance of the person identified after the phrase, in this case it is Jesus; if the text had been “this man went to Jesus by night“, then Nicodemus would have been the more significant focal object of the sentence.

The timing of Nicodemus coming in the night to Jesus, is understandable, because many of the Pharisees hated Jesus, and they would have seen and penalised Nicodemus for his association with Him; but more than this:

  • At this time, Nicodemus was at night spiritually,
    • He didn’t yet have the light of God in him.
    • He hadn’t been directed to the light by his peers.
    • He came to Jesus, understanding that “no one can do these signs that” Jesus did “unless God is with him.”, but he didn’t yet know that he was speaking to the very One who is the Light of the world, and who separated light from darkness, after creating the world. Jesus was the only One able to separate Nicodemus from temporal and eternal darkness; Only through Jesus, would Holy Spirit put light within him: v8. The wind bloweth where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but can’t tell where it comes from, and where it goes: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
    • He knew Jesus was at least, a true servant of God, because by addressing Him as Rabbi (Master), he was submitting himself to Jesus’ teaching, but he still couldn’t comprehend Jesus’ answers.
    • He wasn’t in the condition of those described in verse 20, who practice wickedness, hate the light and don’t come to the light, so that their actions may not be exposed;
      No, he intentionally came to the light, searching for answers from the One he knew had God with Him.
      So Jesus responded with the foundational statement:

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Nicodemus couldn’t comprehend the way to be “born again“, because the Spirit of God hadn’t given him understanding to that degree.

But it seems that Holy Spirit had begun to work in him, because he continued to respectfully ask, and Jesus patiently and powerfully, answered his questions. Some Pharisees enquired of Jesus at various times, to catch Him out, in order to condemn Him to death (ref. Mark 12:13, Luke 11:54), but Nicodemus was searching for the light.

  • In verse 2, his coming to Jesus by night, appears to indicate that he hadn’t consulted the Pharisee sect about his desire to enquire of Jesus.
    • A point to be considered from this verse, is that each individual needs to be sure of what they believe, and go personally to Jesus, to develop in their own God granted understanding; personally buying the truth in His Word. Nicodemus went straight to the Word of God, to Jesus.

How can these things be?

In his earlier interaction with Jesus in verse 3, his last question in relation to being born again, was “How can these things be?“. Jesus didn’t hold back on the spiritual answers, despite Nicodemus’ present earthly reasoning; Jesus knew Nicodemus’ condition, and the solution to it, so He delivered spiritual truths revealing the way, including:

  • He taught of His incarnation: Referring to Himself as “Son of man“, Jesus confessed His Deity; as God having taken on the form of a man. This term for God, was known to the Jews through the prophets. In Psalm 80:17-19 we’re told: “Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand, Upon the son of man whom You made strong for Yourself. Then we will not turn back from You; Revive us, and we will call upon Your name. Restore us, O LORD God of hosts; Cause Your face to shine, And we shall be saved!” (ref. Mat 12:8, Mat 13:41, Mat 16:27-28, Mat 18:11…).
  • He taught of His omnipresence, when He spoke of Himself as “the Son of Man who is in heaven.”, though He was on the earth, He was also in heaven, just as He also said in John 17:24 “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me;.
  • Then in v’s14-15, He prophesied of His pending crucifixion for man’s eternal salvation: “even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.“

Continuing to read from v16, Jesus repeated a reasonable portion of what He said in v15, But just before He reiterated it, He said: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,”.

But in v15, Jesus didn’t mention God giving His Son; He first spoke of the means of salvation; through Him being lifted up on the cross, crucified and sacrificed to atone for man’s sin; then in verse 16, He attributed the honour of His sacrificial work to His Father, by saying, that through God’s love for the world, “He gave his only begotten Son,“, “For God so loved the world,“.

The Original Greek New Testament Net translation, puts it this way: “

For this is the way God loved the world:
He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

Jesus’ humility is again evident in these verses, as He refers to Himself as “Him”, ” Son of man” and “His Son”, rather than “Me”, He identified His Father openly, but veiled reference to Himself.

The example of Jesus honouring His Father, should be similarly in the members of the church, but many don’t honour God the Father, or God the Son, as they speak about their own spiritual life; they draw attention to, and elevate themselves, under the cloak of elevating God, they speak boldly of “their gift” or their “acts of righteousness”. But even God the Son didn’t elevate Himself when He spoke of His sacrificial service to the saints in obedience to His Father. This example of humility and reverence of God the Father, is also taught in John 7:16-18, when Jesus identified the difference between those who speak to glorify themselves, and those who speak to glorify God:

Jesus answered them and said, “My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me. If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.

He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him.”

Jesus’ humility is beyond our ability to fully comprehend, but I think humility in our case in this context, isn’t lowering ourselves from a position of excellence in any way like Jesus did, it’s recognising our worthlessness in the flesh, and our righteousness only being in Him. If we compare ourselves with others, we might think of ourselves as being better or worse in any respect, but if we compare ourselves with the man Christ Jesus, we see that in the flesh apart from God’s work, all of us are worthless. But God works in fallen man, to make him a new creation of eternal value.

Servants of God should always direct attention to God the Father and Christ the Son, not man the servant; whether that servant is themself, or someone else; we know there’s no salvation in common man, we’re all just fellow servants with eternal inheritance through Christ.

So in these verses 15&16, although we see Jesus identifying Himself as the way of salvation, He prominently identifies the One who made the way available, and why He made the way available. The focus in both these verses in particular, is not men who are the objects of the mercy; or Jesus the means of the delivery of mercy; the focus Jesus presents, is the love of God the Father; God the Father is glorified through revealing His amazing love through Jesus Christ.

The work of a Servant

Now to consider Jesus, who spoke of Himself as being a servant, not the master. This submissive relationship which He took on in obedience to His Father, is written of in Philippians 2, where starting at verse 4, we’re instructed to speak and act in the interest of others, just as Jesus did; so we’re told:

“Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:”

Philippians 2:4-7

This submissive roll was also recorded in Isaiah 53, where God the Father tells of His righteous servant, who He would send, to provide salvation to many; and then He states, that because of Jesus pouring out His own soul to death in obedience to Him, He will grant Him to be glorified.

He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied:
by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many;
for he shall bear their iniquities.

Therefore I will divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he has poured out his soul to death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Isaiah 53:11-12

So, how can these things be so? Through the love of God!

“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

John 3:17

Praise be to God the Father, through Jesus Christ the only begotten Son.

(By the way, We also get a mention in the Isaiah passage, we’re rightly and mercifully referred to as “the transgressors”, and the “many” whose sin Jesus bore, so that, as we’re told in Romans 9:26 “And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, You are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.”).

A.P.O 24-April-2026