John 3:15 Meaning and Explanation
“That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The reason Christ was lifted up: so that anyone who trusts Him will live forever.
The Context of John 3:15
The close of Jesus' words to Nicodemus about the bronze serpent. Having said the Son of man must be lifted up, Jesus now tells him why, and the very next verse will be John 3:16.
What Does John 3:15 Mean?
This little verse gives the purpose of the cross in a single breath. The Son of man is lifted up that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. Hold the word whosoever for a moment. It draws no line and names no limit. It opens the door to anyone at all who will look and trust, with no list of the worthy or the clean or the religious to clear first. Into that wide word every kind of person can walk.
Then come the two roads: to perish, or to have eternal life. Jesus is honest that one of them is real loss. But His whole purpose in being lifted up is to carry us off the first road and onto the second. And eternal life means more than length of days; it is a life bound up with God Himself, begun now and never running out. All of it turns on believing in Him, the kind of trust that simply looks to Christ and rests there.
John 3:15 in the Original Language
pisteuo (πιστεύω), 'believeth' -- to trust, to rely on, more than agreeing in the mind, a leaning of the whole self upon Him.
How to Apply John 3:15 Today
However we have failed or wherever we have wandered, the word whosoever has room for us. Eternal life is received as a gift, by trusting the One lifted up for us. We look to Christ, and the life He gives begins.
Frequently Asked Questions About John 3:15
What does John 3:15 mean?
The reason Christ was lifted up: so that anyone who trusts Him will live forever.
What is the context of John 3:15?
The close of Jesus' words to Nicodemus about the bronze serpent. Having said the Son of man must be lifted up, Jesus now tells him why, and the very next verse will be John 3:16.
How can I apply John 3:15 today?
However we have failed or wherever we have wandered, the word whosoever has room for us. Eternal life is received as a gift, by trusting the One lifted up for us. We look to Christ, and the life He gives begins.