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

 "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.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.  He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.  But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen that they have been done in God."

- John 3:16-21

In yesterday's reading, we read about Jesus' time at the first Passover in John's Gospel:   Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, 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.  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."  Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."  Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old?  Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"  Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'  The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes.  So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."  Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?  Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness.  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.  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 should not perish but have eternal life."

"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."  My study bible tells us that this is the essence of the gospel:  "God's gift of His Son as the ultimate expression of His love for the world."   Jesus is telling us about Himself, what He is doing here, but it doesn't come as a statement about Himself alone; this is impossible.  In fact, Jesus' identity comes from relationship to the Father.

"For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.  He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."  A note here reads that "the purpose of Christ's coming is to save; but the result is also condemnation for those who will not believe."  I think it's essential to have some insight into the reasoning here:  if Christ is a key to entry into the Kingdom, then through love of Christ we become Christ-like.  Without that love and trust (the essence of belief in the Greek), how will this be possible?

"And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.  But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen that they have been done in God."  My study bible says here:  "A profound insight:  Goodness and a pure heart welcome the light, whereas evil deeds and malice resist the light and seek to hide in the darkness."

Let us consider the themes of light and darkness.  They will come to us repeatedly in the Gospel of John.  What does it mean to love the light?  Truth is inseparable from this light, as John's Gospel here intimates to us.  So there is a tie to this light with a basic love of truth, a passion (shall we say) for truth in the heart.  It is this basic love, a desire for truth and purity of heart, that leads one to the light -- to desire the light.  It doesn't matter much here where you start; what is important is this love and this truth and this desire for the light in the heart.  John tells us here that there is a desire in the inner life to hide from the light, to avoid this search for God-likeness, in the practice of evil (or "evil deeds and malice" as my study bible phrases it).  To seek to hide from God is a question of the depths of the heart and the inner life.  So this is a place that Christ knows in us, but we cannot necessarily know nor judge in others.  This is a depth of the heart where real choice comes, a place in which we decide what we truly love.  In this case, light and truth are inseparable.  To love God and the light of Christ, is inseparable from a love of truth.  There are many who love Christ and who desire that light.  We cannot judge in what way they love.  At the same time, it is possible to hide while feigning that love.  Here in this passage, Jesus' words are announced directly to the Pharisee Nicodemus.  Let us remember that nothing can stop the love of God and of Christ, wherever it is found, and under whatever circumstance it comes.  Nicodemus will later defend Jesus' legal rights before the Sanhedrin, and risk his position along with Joseph of Arimathea to honor Christ.  We can't judge where the love of God and Christ's light will be found.  These words given in the dark of night (see yesterday's reading) to Nicodemus now proclaim the essence of the gospel to the whole world.