jesus was talking to nicodemus in john 3 16.
jesus was talking to nicodemus in john 3 16.
who was jesus talking to in john 3 16?
nicodemus
in exodus 4:22, the israelites as a people are called "my firstborn son" by god using the singular form. in john, the focus shifts to the person of jesus as representative of that title. the verse is part of the new testament narrative in the third chapter of john in the discussion at jerusalem between jesus and nicodemus, who is called a "ruler of the jews". (v.1) after speaking of the necessity of a man being born again before he could "see the kingdom of god", (v.3) jesus spoke also of "heavenly things" (v.11-13) and of salvation (v.14-17) and the condemnation (v.18,19) of those that do not believe in jesus. "14 and as moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the son of man be lifted up: 15 that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life." (john 3:14-15) note that verse 15 is nearly identical to the latter part of john 3:16.
john 3:16
some people (such as the rainbow man) display the reference in large letters at sporting events, seeking the attention of fellow fans, the staff controlling the venue's giant video screens and, if the game is televised, the television audience. the heisman-winning american football player tim tebow printed this reference (among other bible verses) on his eye black, notably during the 2009 bcs championship. exactly three years later on january 8, 2012, was the game that would become known as "the 3:16 game", where tebow threw for 316 yards in a playoff upset against the pittsburgh steelers; a game in which measurements of 3, 16 and 31.6 were also noted, "john 3 16" became the top google search in the us. professional wrestler "stone cold" steve austin's marquee catchphrase ("austin 3:16") originated as a reference to john 3:16.
john 3:16