John 3:16 is representative of the Book of John. John wants the readers to believe in Jesus Christ the Son of God so they can receive eternal life. You can find many similar verses in the book. John uses the word “believe” more than 80 times in his book. You will see examples of belief as well as examples of stubborn unbelief.
I want to focus on the two stories – one at the beginning of chapter 5 (the story of the healing at the Pool of Bethesda) and the one at the beginning of chapter 8 (the woman brought to Jesus). What does Jesus free them from? What did they have to do to receive that freedom? How does, or does belief play into these two events?
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Short Outline of the Book of John from the Today's English Version: