Answer
In John 12:47, Jesus says, “If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world” (ESV). This seemingly straightforward statement requires careful consideration of the immediate context to avoid misinterpretation. In this article, we will review the context and related passages to understand the meaning of John 12:47.
In John 12:44–46, Jesus says that those who do not believe in Him are “in darkness.” The reason that they are in darkness is that they have rejected “the true light that gives light to everyone” (John 1:9). In Christ, the radiance of God’s glory and grace shines brightly, but sinful humanity “loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil” (John 3:19, ESV). This sets the stage for the assertion that Jesus “did not come to judge the world, but to save the world” (John 12:47).
A distinction must be made between Jesus’ first and second coming. In His first coming (i.e., His incarnation), He “came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). In 1 Timothy 1:15, the apostle Paul says that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” His mission in His first coming, therefore, was not to judge the world but to save it.
In His second coming, however, Jesus will judge the world: “The Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done” (Matthew 16:27). At that time, the day of salvation will be past; Jesus will judge the world (cf. Revelation 19:11–21).
In the Gospel of John, Jesus repeatedly stresses the need to believe in Him for salvation. In John 14:6, for example, Jesus declares, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” He is the only way to God (Acts 4:12). He is the truth, who alone reveals the true and living God (John 1:14, 17; 5:33; 18:37). He is the life, having life in Himself (John 1:4; 5:26) and granting eternal life to all who believe in Him (John 3:16).
In John 3:16–18, Jesus separates those who believe in Him from those who do not, shedding light on the profound implications of faith for our eternal destinies.
John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” This is the most famous summary of the gospel in Scripture. God sent His only Son into the world to suffer, die, and bear the penalty for our sins (verse 17; cf. 1 John 2:2; Romans 3:25). In doing so, He made eternal life available to everyone who believes (John 11:25).
Those who do not believe in Christ are “condemned already because they have not believed in the name of the God’s one and only Son” (John 3:18). This verse emphatically refutes the belief that adherents of other religions can have eternal life with God (cf. Romans 10:13–17). As the Reformers declared, salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.
All judgment has been committed to the Son’s authority (John 5:27). One day, when He returns, Jesus will exercise that authority, and “the wrath of the Lamb” will be on full display (Revelation 6:16). That’s why it’s so important to be ready for that coming. Faith is what God is looking for. “Now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).
