World

Lesson #42

Today our lesson will cover the next word in our collection of eight words, the word world. We are looking at the section made up of John 3:16 – 18, which contain the famous verse “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16 ESV). World is that which God loved, but what does the world represent? Before we go any further you should listen to the instruction John Piper gives at sound bite 16:36 to 19:24.

The word “world” is used 272 times in the Bible and can have several different meanings. Looking at John 7:7: “The world cannot hate you, but it hates me, because I am testifying about it that its deeds (or works) are evil.” we learn of its hate for Jesus Christ. From John 14:17a: “even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him.” we learn further that the world cannot receive the spirit of truth because it neither sees him nor knows him.

In our context world represents the mass of fallen humanity that hates Jesus Christ and doesn’t understand the truth because it is unable to receive it. This mass of humanity are spiritually dead and are in need of salvation. This countless number of perishing people are the ones God loves and is giving his Son for.

Prayer

Father, when I think of the evil people devise against one another and the suffering that results and when I think of the intense hate people have toward you, I can’t understand the depth of your love for the world. When I think of my own life I wonder why you would love me so much, but the more I experience your love and the more I know about you the closer I want to be to you and the more I want to be like your Son.