John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
World English Bible (WEB)
What does John 3:16 mean? The context of one of the most quoted verses in the Bible, its place in the chapter and why it is so loved. Read it directly.
John 3:16 is perhaps the single most memorable sentence in the whole Bible. It sits in the middle of Jesus' night-time conversation with Nicodemus, who came to him quietly; so it is a line drawn out of an intimate exchange rather than a sermon.
The verse sums up, in one sentence, God's love turned toward people and the fact that this love is a gift given freely. That density makes it both a doorway for new readers and a place of return for those who have known it for years.
You can read the verse within its own chapter through the link below and weigh it alongside the surrounding conversation. The related topics and collections bridge to other verses on the same theme.