God’s goals for man and man’s goals for himself are very different. Human beings scatter a thousand ways to find pleasure or fulfillment in life. Their ambitions range from sitting lazily before the fireplace of retirement, to sensuous indulgence, to conquering and running a world empire. However, God implores us to seek His kingdom first and the spiritual concerns that go with it.

Our text verse John 3:16 plainly shows God’s great objective to spare mankind from perishing and to grant him life everlasting. T0 this end God gave His only Son.

Many who read this popular text verse of the Father’s giving His Son see only the top layer of truth. The word “gave” implies, first of all, Jesus being sent here to be born as man from the womb of the virgin Mary. That is clear to any thinking person. However, much more is meant by this sacrificial gift, as the context here shows. In verses 14 and 15, we are told that the Son of God was to be lifted up on the cross in fulfillment of an earlier Old Testament experience. Thus the connecting word “for,” with which our text verse begins, plainly relates God’s love gift of His Son to the bloody cross. There is no understanding of the manger apart from the cross. The incarnation is not the atonement, but it is the means whereby the atonement is made possible.

Notice further the Person Who is being offered. Plainy He is a divine Person. The text does not say that our Lord Jesus became the Father’s Son by His human birth. Rather, He already and always was the Son and it was this eternal Son of the Father Who came into the world to save us. “A mere man could as little redeem the world as he could create the world: The Restorer of man must be the Maker of man.” (George Smeaton) The unquestioned reality of Christ’s humanity needs always to be joined with the eternal realness of His deity. Read John 6:51 where Jesus speaks of “my flesh which I will give for the life of the world.” We see here that His humanity was taken on by, and belonged to, His divine Person. He was not a man who lived a divine-like life, but was fully and eternally God, Who also became flesh and partook of the full human experience. Now, we see the supreme value that must attach to His life and death on our behalf. When He says, “This is my body broken for you,” He holds before our eyes a sacrifice of supreme value. It is a classic statement that “Mere man could not save: the naked Godhead could not suffer.” (Smeaton) In Jesus, therefore, we have the concurrence of the two natures, human and divine. Although Deity cannot die, yet the agony, suffering and death was in the human nature of Jesus and that belonged to His divine person. So that it may be said with all propriety, “Christ died for our sins.” (1 Corinthians 15:3)

All that God does is in keeping with, and is an expression of, His character. Especially, the sacrifice of Christ as taught in this particular text, displays the character of God. Two important implications of this sacrifice particularly show us God’s character.

I. GOD IS JUST

Many who read our text see only His love in it. Then, it vaporizes as fast as they reach for it because they do not understand aright. This love-only view of God leaves millions floundering as they read the calamities of each day’s news events.  Such an improper view of God easily turns to sheer cynicism.

Look again at our text and you will see that the sacrificial gift of the Son is said to express the magnitude and character of God’s love for us. It is as if that great love is under challenge. But what challenge? What demand was this love meeting? It is nothing other than the holy justice of God demanding that sinners perish justly for their sins. That is the challenge which God’s love was meeting.

Sin is no minor disharmony within God’s creation. Rather, it is a dishonor to the Creator Himself — a violation of of His law. This vast problem of evil brings up the large legal questions of God’s almighty justice, how He governs His universe, the awesome matter of retribution and how guilty sinners can be reestablished in God’s favor.

This challenge also voices definitely the necessity of atonement. Notice the phrase in verse 14. “The Son of man must be lifted up.” The thrust of the passage is not simply to express the need for fulfilling prophetic Scripture. Rather, it is discussing what must of necessity happen if God is to save His people. Now God is not here merely attempting to impress man with a great love drama. Surely, the Son would not have had to die unless there was a real necessity. This necessity traces back to God’s own character. He is just, and His love does not disrupt the just order of His creation. Rather, His justice preserves His love in true holiness.

The implication in all this is that though man is undeserving of this great favor and God’s holiness and justice would argue for man’s destruction, He so loves us sinners that He is willing to give His only Son. Thus, God is not shown as loving man no matter what. Rather, as loving justly and with an adequate basis. Sin is fully paid for by Jesus Christ. It is God’s absolute justice which so magnifies His love and establishes it.

II. GOD IS MERCIFUL

God’s love is shown in the nature of this gift. Christ is here said to be His “one and only Son.” Or, as John 1:18 has it, he is “the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father.” The term “gave” clearly in- dicates the merciful kindness of God.

All this is said to issue from His love. God’s love for us is thereby shown to be great beyond measure because of His love for His own Son. “The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in His hands. ” (John 3:35 NIV) Further, “He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all,” (Romans 8:32) surely loves us with a great love.  Picture a father on earth who properly loves his own son and is willing to give him up for a needy friend.  It would be beyond imagination to think of a father giving his own son to die for enemies who hated him and had sinned against him.

This sacrifice of the Son of God establishes a new basis on which God deals with us fallen men — grace.  Justice requires a perfection we could never attain.  However, in mercy, God offers His own Son.  We take the provision of grace and escape the just penalty of the law.  Our conscience will never be at peace until the God who made us is at peace with us.  That is only possible through the blood of His cross.  What mercy that this way of forgiveness is available to us now!