God so loved the world – John 3.16-21

Immanuel Chapel, Virginia Theological Seminary, Alexandria, USA Weds April 30th 2025

I was delighted to be invited to preach at the main Wednesday morning eucharist in VTS Chapel during my recent research stay. I have been coming to VTS for nearly two decades, not least because it has one of the best theological libraries in the world – and many of my books and articles have been written while on writing and research leaves here over the years. I first preached in the old Victorian chapel back in December 2007 for the ordination to the priesthood of my colleague and friend of over 35 years, Ian Markham, who had just become the Dean and President. Sadly that much-loved chapel burned down in a fire a few years later. The new Immanuel Chapel is an extraordinary building, constructed in a cruciform shape that permits worship in the round under the largest chandelier in the western hemisphere – to say nothing of a full set of church bells struck in England and a new organ built in situ! The seminarians are very privileged to be able to worship here daily and to learn to preach and take services in such a beautiful space.

I have loved John’s gospel for over half a century, to say nothing of having taught various courses on the gospel itself and about Johannine theology for both the university and the church, as well as my Commentary on John which Archbishop Rowan Williams chose to be the ‘set text’ for the 2008 Lambeth Conference. So to be asked to preach on what is probably the most famous verse in the Bible, John 3.16, was a joy and delight – even if there are all sorts of issues with the passage as a whole, which I have posted below for your convenience. So please feel free to download the pdf from the above link, and/or click on Soundcloud to listen to it. I hope you enjoy it – and please do respond with a message if you have any comments or questions.

John 3:16-21   For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.