Is Jesus the One Who Spoke the Famous 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” (John 3:16).

These words have brought millions to faith, strengthened people in times of doubt, and given hope to untold numbers of people lost in their sin. Children memorize this verse when they are young, and many people share it as bumper stickers, posters, social media posts, and more.

In some translations of the Bible, these words are even highlighted as being said by the Lord Jesus himself, but there are some scholars who question whether or not this interpretation is correct. They believe that, while the statement is true, it is actually commentary from the Apostle John who is clarifying a point Jesus had made during the conversation.

This debate usually stays in the halls of academia. And while it may be interesting from an academic perspective, ultimately, the Holy Spirit is the author of the whole Bible. Therefore, God did inspire and is responsible for the encouraging words of John 3:16.

Exploring the Context of John 3:16

During Jesus’ earthly ministry, he often came into conflict with the religious leaders of the day – the Pharisees and the Sadducees – who had very different opinions on a variety of topics ranging from politics to religious matters to social behaviors. While the Bible is full of encounters Jesus had with them, rarely does it record personal interactions, or ones where the religious leader comes to see Christ for who He was and is: the Messiah. John 3 records one of those rare moments.

Nicodemus was a Pharisee, a more conservative religious leader. He came to Jesus in secret during one of the Lord’s stays in Jerusalem. All religiously minded Jews would have made yearly journeys to Jerusalem to observe the feast days outlined in the Levitical Law; there is plenty of information in the gospels letting us know Jesus, too, made these pilgrimages.

Nicodemus acknowledged that the religious leaders, including himself, knew Jesus was from God because of his miracles. Jesus responded, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3b). Nicodemus took this statement literally, inquiring how someone can literally be re-born physically into the world.

Jesus' response was, “Truly, truly, 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 its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit” (John 3:5b-8).

This answer clarifies that the birth He is speaking about is not physical, but spiritual. To enter into the Kingdom of God, a person must be born of the spirit – meaning the Holy Spirit. At the time, this statement confused Nicodemus and probably would have confused many faithful Jews at the time. They had the law and believed the Messiah would come as a king, not as a cleanser of sins or as a sacrifice. Nicodemus even asks how any of what Jesus just said is possible.

Jesus responds by pointing to the Old Testament, saying “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life” (John 3:15). In retrospect, believers and biblical scholars today understand the Son of Man being lifted up is a foreshadowing of the crucifixion; this truth would not have been clear to Nicodemus at the time. It is after these statements that we read John 3:16.

John 3:16-21 is a clear, concise explanation of the salvation plan, the way God showed His love through the plan, the need for judgment, and how to escape judgment through the grace and mercy of God. This is demonstrated by the death of Jesus Christ, because it is atonement for the sins of the world.

Later in the Book of John, Nicodemus mourns Jesus’ crucifixion, and church history indicates that he came to understand Jesus and was saved.

Is This Verse Commentary?

Many biblical scholars teach that these verses, John 3:16-21, were stated by Jesus to Nicodemus that night. However, some scholars argue the Apostle John was clarifying Jesus’ earlier statements about new life, spiritual birth, and the Son of Man being raised up to a post-resurrection audience, and that it should not be given as a quote from the Lord. There are specific, structural and contextual reasons that some have come to this conclusion.

Ancient texts did not mark quotes in the same way we do in many modern languages. The original text for the Book of John was written in Greek, with strong Aramaic thinking influencing it. Greek did not have any symbols for quotations in the first century. Quotes were inferred by context. It is possible those nuances were lost over time and interpretation. 

Another key argument made by people who believe these verses are commentary from the human writer point out that, generally, Jesus does not refer to Himself as the “only begotten Son.” Usually, He calls Himself the Son of Man, a direct callback to prophecy from Daniel, hundreds of years before His birth. In John 1, however, John the Beloved Apostle referred to Jesus as the only Son, twice.

John called Jesus the only Son in John 1:14 and John 1:18.

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

“No one has ever seen God; God the only Son, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known” (John 1:18).

From a literary analysis perspective, the authorial voice used in John 3:16-21 could be argued to sound more like the Apostle John than Jesus. This way of thinking is still highly controversial, and most publications of the New Testament have the specific verses in red letters – meaning they are the words of Jesus – or in quotation marks, indicating they are spoken words and not commentary.

Does It Matter?

While it is an interesting exercise for the academically or literary minded scholar, it is important to ask the question – does it matter if these words were directly from Jesus or from John?

Ultimately, the real answer is no, because the whole Bible comes from God. He used humans to do the physical writing and preserving of His Word, but the divine inspiration makes the Holy Spirit the ultimate author. If the Father, the Son, and the Spirit are three-in-one, then Jesus is, in a way, responsible for those words being in the Bible. God wanted them there, and inspired John to put them there, even if Jesus didn’t say them Himself.

Bible Verses that reinforce the divine authorship of the Bible include:

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (John 14:26).

“Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus” (Acts 1:16).

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

“And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:19-21).

God is responsible for the words from John 3:16-21 being in the Holy Scriptures. He wants people to understand the powerful truth, that the Father sent Jesus the Son into the world to die, not to condemn people, but so that everyone may have a way to be reconciled to Him.

Jesus suffered and died on the cross to pay the penalty of sin for all who would put their faith in Him. The simplicity of this plan is present – that whoever believes in Jesus would have everlasting life. Humanity loves evil and darkness, but it can be redeemed out of that darkness into the light of God’s love and life through the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus. 

Most scholars still hold that Jesus said, “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.” But knowing that God put it in there intentionally, even if it was divinely inspired commentary, is encouraging and should be shared with the whole world so they can come to a saving faith in the living God. 

Sources
Borthwick, Paul (9 June 2020). Mission 3:16: God's One-Verse Invitation to Love the World. InterVarsity Press.
Carson, D. A. (1991). The Gospel According to John. Inter-Varsity Press.
Harris, Murray J. (10 June 2015). John 3:16: What's It All About?. Wipf and Stock.
Pawson, David (2003). Unlocking the Bible: A Unique Overview of the Whole Bible. HarperCollins.
Voorst, Robert E. Van (2017). Commonly Misunderstood Verses of the Bible: What They Really Mean. Cascade Books.

Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Suze777

Bethany Verrett is a freelance writer who uses her passion for God, reading, and writing to glorify God. She and her husband have lived all over the country serving their Lord and Savior in ministry. She has a blog on graceandgrowing.com.