John 3:16
Said quietly, at night, to one man.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
What’s happening here
Nicodemus is a Pharisee and a member of the ruling council, and he comes to Jesus after dark, presumably so no one will see. Jesus tells him he must be born again, which Nicodemus doesn’t understand, and then explains how: as Moses lifted up the bronze serpent in the wilderness so that anyone who looked at it lived, the Son of Man will be lifted up. Verse 16 follows. God loved the world in this way: he gave his one and only Son, so that whoever believes will not perish. The verse is universal in scope and personal in setting, said to a frightened, careful man who eventually helped bury Jesus.
How it gets misread
Not so much misread as detached. Stadium signs make it a slogan; the chapter makes it an answer to a real person’s fear.
How to use it
Read verses 1–21 to anyone who thinks they know this verse. It is better with Nicodemus in the room.
Read it with its neighbors
Context is the whole method. The search shows any verse with the ones around it.
Read John 3 in the search