John 3:16- For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. The Greek word for only begotten suggests a one and only Son, it does not necessarily convey the idea of a birth because Jesus was already with God when creation was made (And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth – Genesis 1:26). 

Jesus was already the Son of God, but through Him, we became children of God. Love is both an attribute of God and a description of His being. He alone is the epitome of divine love and the source of all true love. God’s love is not restricted to any one nation or any spiritual elite. The World includes all creation; no one is let out, all has been given the invitation of salvation through His Son. To believe is more than an intellectual agreement that Jesus is God. It means to put our trust and confidence in Him that He alone can save us.

John 3:17 – For God sent his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. God sent His Son to pardon our sins; He is the best that ever came from heaven to earth. Many worship angels, but angels can’t give us salvation; they too have to bow to Jesus, the Son of God. He came with full power to execute judgment but did not come with a judgment of condemnation, but put us upon a new trial before a throne of grace. God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself. His first coming came so that the world through Him might be saved. When Jesus comes again, He will come in judgment upon those who refused His offer of salvation.

John 3:18 – He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. To condemn is to declare guilty, to inflict a penalty upon an individual. Those who believe in the Son is not condemned because they place their salvation in Jesus and not themselves.  People often place their trust in salvation through their good works towards others, that should be done, but it doesn’t give one salvation. Salvation is a choice given to all people, and they also have a choice to reject salvation. Just because one doesn’t believe in God or the Son doesn’t diminish who the Father and Son is. God has shown Himself through creation as well as the people He has saved from their destructions. Those who have really accepted salvation along with the regeneration of their spirit anyone that have known them will know it has to have been God that changed them. No one can change themselves, it’s the power of God that changes people when they allow Him too.

John 3:19 – And this is the condemnation that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. Evil-doers seek concealment, out of a sense of shame and fear of punishment. They come not to this light but keep as far off as they can lest their deeds should be reproved. The light of the gospel is sent into the world to reprove evil deeds of sinners; to show their transgressions to be sin which was not thought to be so, that sin by the new commandment might appear exceeding sinful. The law of God is to show us our sins. Jesus didn’t come to destroy the law but to fulfill it. Many don’t want their lives exposed to God’s light because they are afraid of what it will reveal, they don’t want to be changed. Our family members who don’t want to be changed will feel threatened because of our desire to obey God and do what is right, and the light in you will expose some of the darkness in their lives. Don’t give up on them, continue to pray for their salvation, and believe God for their salvation.

John 3:20 – For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. People who don’t desire to change don’t want to hear the gospel; this is why when we evangelize, we need to be sensitive to the Spirit of God to know who and who not to minister to. If God hasn’t drawn the individual to Him, our witness will be in vain. God has to prepare the individual’s heart so when we witness they will accept salvation. Everyone is not going to receive salvation, God knows who and who will not, and we need His prompting when we’re witnessing to people. People who want a change will welcome the light, they don’t care if their deeds are being exposed. When people accept God’s salvation, He places their sins in the sea of forgetfulness, He remembers them no more. But those who want to continue in their sin will continue in their sins no matter who witness to them and they will have to stand before God for their own sins and rejection of salvation.

John 3:21 – But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. The one who does the truth is obviously already a believer because his or her deeds are done in God. Therefore, “coming to the light” not only believes but also openly identifies with the light so that his or her works can be seen as things done in union with God. God has given everyone a gift, but those gifts are effective when submitting oneself to God and His Word when the gifts are in operation, it is known the person could have only done it by the power of God and the person is in union with God.

John 3:22 – After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judea: and there he tarried (remained) with them, and baptized. After Jesus had ministered to Nicodemus concerning salvation and the baptism of the Holy Spirit, He and His disciples went into Judea. Jesus provided the authority, but the disciples performed the baptism.

John 3:23 – And John also baptized in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized. Jesus’ disciples were baptizing and John also baptizing. The people heard the gospel and received salvation. They came to both Jesus’ disciples and John to be baptized. Baptism is an outer expression of one’s belief; it does not give them salvation. One can also receive salvation and not be baptized, people that are incarcerated, and those that have to wait to the 1st or 2nd Sunday or whatever Sunday the Pastor or ministers does the baptism. The individual receives salvation in their heart as soon as they accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior, it’s not when they receive baptism.

John 3:24 – For John was not yet cast into prison. The synoptic Gospels, Matthew, and Mark give the impression that the imprisonment of John the Baptist came right after the baptism of Jesus. This verse indicates that there was an interval between Jesus’ baptism and John’s imprisonment during which both ministered.