God is a merciful God.  Not only does He have pity for us and demonstrates compassion towards us, He actually delights in extending mercy.

Micah 7:18-19 (NKJV) Who is a God like You, Pardoning iniquity And passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in mercy.  He will again have compassion on us, And will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins Into the depths of the sea.

We can look at the compassion of Jesus at the pool of Bethesda as an example of God's mercy and look to the cross of Jesus as proof that God delights in showing mercy to sinners.

Jesus takes a risk to offer living water (salvation and eternal life) to an unlikely person: an immoral woman.  Jewish men did not talk with women in public (especially not this kind of woman).  Jewish rabbis did not teach women.  Jesus ignores those customs in order to offer grace to a sinner.  He shows that He is the Savior of the world.  In doing so, He turns a scandalous outcast into a bold witness.  He can do the same for any who believe on Him.

God is seeking worshippers throughout the world. Jesus' coming changed worship. He brought reformation. Worship is no longer centered around a temple on a mountain in Israel.  It is not about ceremonies and sacrifices.  The shadows and types of the Old Covenant have given way to something better.  The living water of Jesus will produce living worship in His people.

Topics in this passage: the nature of God (Spirit), the providence of God, God’s sovereignty and free will, the deity and humanity of Jesus, Jesus is the Messiah, the mission of Jesus, the ministry of Jesus, grace and mercy for sinners, God’s holiness, salvation and faith, evangelism, baptism, worship, truth, the dignity of women, the sanctity of marriage, divorce and remarriage, the sin of immorality, etc. What is the main theme of the passage?  What is the Holy Spirit primarily trying to communicate? John 3:16 – For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. Jesus is that Son.  The woman in the story is the “whoever”.

A desperate dad cries out to Jesus for the life of his son.  How did Jesus respond?  What did Jesus do?  What can we learn from this story about Jesus and about being a godly father?

John 3:16 is an amazing verse of hope and should be a source of joy.  God so loved the world...
Sadly for many today it is a source of confusion.  It was confusing to the one who first heard it.  God loves all of mankind?   I can't save myself?  The Son of God came to die?
Let's unpack this important verse and hopefully remove any confusion.

John 3:16 is one of the most famous Bible verses.  What is the context?  Who is Jesus talking to and what does he tell him?

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

What makes you angry?  Injustice? Being wrongly accused/convicted, Human trafficking, abortion, corruption in government, abuse? Blasphemy?  False teaching?  Perversion of the worship of God? We tend to be angrier about affronts to humans than we are about sins against God. Jesus got angry.  What made Him angry?  Was it justified?  Was it righteous anger?

John records Jesus' first miracle: turning water into wine!  He also notes the disciples response: believing that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God!!

John is making a case for Jesus being the Messiah.  This book is an impassioned plea to believe on Jesus as the Son of God and Savior of the world.  John is bringing forward witnesses to testify. In these verses we hear from Philip, Nathanael, and from Jesus himself. Jesus is the Promised One, the Son of God, King of Israel, and the Son of Man.