What is the context, from God's perspective, of the apostle John's statement about God's agapē love?
For God so loved (agapē) the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not
perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.
(John 3:16-17, NASB)
1. The Bible is a historical recording of God's interaction with man, and it revolves around God's divine covenants (promises). Examine Genesis
17:7 – who does God choose to be God to?
I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an
everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you. (Gen 17:7, NASB)
2. What do you observe about lovingkindness?
Know therefore that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness
to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments; but repays those who hate Him to their faces, to destroy them;
He will not delay with him who hates Him, He will repay him to his face. Therefore, you shall keep the commandment and the statutes and the
judgments which I am commanding you today, to do them. Then it shall come about, because you listen to these judgments and keep and do them,
that the Lord your God will keep with you His covenant and His lovingkindness which He swore to your forefathers. (Deut 7:9-12, NASB)
3. When the house of Israel, which includes the northern kingdom Israel and southern kingdom Judah, irretrievably breaks the Mosaic Law, they
are expelled and exiled from the Promised Land. God is no longer bound to the Mosaic Covenant. But God doesn't leave the house of Israel – what
do you observe about God's New Covenant?
"Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the Lord God says: "It is not for your sake, house of Israel,
that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went. And I will vindicate the holiness of My
great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord,"
declares the Lord God, "when I show Myself holy among you in their sight. For I will take you from the nations, and gather you from all the
lands; and I will bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your
filthiness and from all your idols. Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone
from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh." (Ezek 36:22-26, NASB)
4. What is the Hebrew meaning behind the Greek name Jesus?
5. What is your understanding of John 3:16-17?
For God so loved (agapē) the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not
perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.
(John 3:16-17, NASB)