John 3:15 - Printer Friendly

ESV: that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

NIV: that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him."

NASB: so that everyone who believes will have eternal life in Him.

CSB: so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.

NLT: so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.

KJV: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

NKJV: that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.

Speaking to Nicodemus, a visiting Pharisee (John 3:1), Jesus explains how His role as Messiah was symbolized by the bronze serpent Moses made in the Old Testament (Numbers 21:4–9). To save the people from death brought on by their own sin, God had Moses construct an image of a snake and place it on a pole. When it was lifted, anyone who looked at it was cured. In the same way, Christ will be "lifted up" on a cross, and anyone who looks to Him in faith will be saved (John 12:32). This not only symbolizes the fact that salvation is completely outside of our own ability, but also that it must be entirely by faith. Looking at an image held high on a pole required no "work" on the part of the Israelites. All it required was faith—but those who refused to express that faith were going to die in their own sins.

Jesus refers to the life being offered as "eternal." This uses the Greek word aiōnios, which means "everlasting," "unending," "forever," or "ceaseless." In other words, this life is absolutely, irrevocably permanent. The result of faith in Christ is not just a rescue from death, but a rebirth (John 3:3) into never-ending life.

John 2:24—3:15 describes a meeting between Jesus and a Pharisee. The last two verses of chapter two highlight the fact that Jesus knew men better than they knew themselves. Nicodemus was the ancient equivalent of a politician, cleric, and professor all rolled into one. Jesus proves that this man doesn't understand religion as well as he'd like to think. In contrast to the loud, public spectacle of clearing the temple, this encounter is a private, nighttime meeting. Their actual conversation was probably longer than the summary recorded here.

John chapter 3 is one of the most important passages in the entire gospel. Many crucial ideas are explained here, including the role of Jesus as Savior. After the loud, public commotion at the temple, John transitions to a quiet, nighttime discussion. The speakers are Jesus and a Pharisee, Nicodemus, who is sincerely interested in understanding Jesus' ministry. These verses make it clear that Christ—and Christ alone—is the means of salvation for the entire world. This text also states that those who reject Jesus are rejecting God.

The gospel of John intends to prove that Jesus is God. Chapter 3 contains some of the most direct, most important concepts in Christianity. The ideas of spiritual rebirth and the necessity of belief in Christ are reinforced by the rest of the information in this gospel. John continues to use contrast, moving from the loud and public temple cleansing to the quiet of this conversation. After Jesus injects humility into a powerful leader, chapter 4 will transition again, as Jesus gives dignity to an outcast stranger.

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.