John 3: 16, which has been before us for a while, is flanked on either side by

explanatory passages, thus:

A1 | 14, 15. | a | The serpent in the wilderness lifted up.

b | Whosoever believeth in Him, shall not perish,

but have eternal life.

A2 | 16. | a | The only begotten Son of God given.

b | Whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish,

but have eternal life.

A3 | 17, 18. | a | God sent not His Son into the world to condemn.

b | But that the world through Him might be saved.

He that believeth--saved. He that believeth not--condemned.

Instead of dwelling longer on John 3: 16, let us follow the guidance of the inspired

evangelist and consider the way in which he amplifies and expands the theme of that

wonderful verse.

Let us consider these alternative words and so gain the further light which they throw

upon the message of John 3: 16.

(1) "SENT" (Apostello).--It is not in John 3: 17 that we find the first occurrence of

this word in this Gospel, but it is the first which refers to Christ. In the first occurrence it

is used of John the Baptist, "There was a man sent from God, whose name was John"

(John 1: 6), and the first use of the word in the N.T., in connection with the Lord, is found

in Matt. 10: 5, "These twelve Jesus sent forth", which is but the meaning of verse 2 of the

same chapter; "The names of the twelve apostles are these", for, as the reader can easily

see, the word apostle is simply the Greek word derived from apostello.  In Heb. 3: 1

the believer is exhorted to, "Consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession".

This is comparable with the double title of Heb. 12:, where we are again exhorted to

"consider Him" (Heb. 12: 3), Who is the Author and Finisher of faith (Heb. 12: 2). The

Gospel of John not only stresses the fact that, as the "Sent One", the Lord Jesus was the

great Apostle, but leads us to the One Who could say, "I have finished the work . . . . .

now come I to Thee" (John 17: 4, 13), and Who, when the work was done, sent the