Understanding John 3:16

​John 3:16 is probably the best-known verse in the Bible.  For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  And it could also be one of the most misunderstood Bible verses because of the way some preachers have explained what it means to believe in Him.  The Greek word translated as believes is the word pisteuo which simply means believe.  It is a present active participle which describes what is needed to have everlasting life. And that is to believe Jesus Christ for everlasting life.
 
In the two verses before John 3:16 Jesus Christ gave us an illustration to show exactly what He meant by believe.   John 3:14-15 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should] not perish but have eternal life.  Verse 14 refers to an event in Numbers 21:4-9. 

Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way. 5 And the people spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.” 6 So the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died.  7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord that He take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. 8 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived. Numbers 21:4-9
 
Notice that the cure for snake bite in that particular instance was to look at a metallic snake hanging on a pole.  Sounds crazy, right?  Well, it was crazy, but since it was God’s solution it worked.  Pay close attention to v. 9 – anyone who was bitten by a snake just had to look at the snake on the pole to be saved.   Even if they didn’t believe it would work if they still looked they lived!  The only requirement was they look.  If a person also employed traditional methods of treatment, just in case, as long as they looked, they lived.  End of story. 
 
Jesus Christ, the Son of Man, was lifted up on a pole called a cross.  God now says anyone who believes in Him for the cure of everlasting like gets everlasting life.  And just like the serpent in the wilderness situation there is only one condition for everlasting life, believe in Jesus Christ for life.  If you believe you live forever.  Believing is being persuaded something is true.  The thing about belief is it carries the realization that nothing else is needed.  End of story.