What Love
For God so loved the world . . .
John 3:16
The text before us today, is a much loved, much quoted verse; And thus I want us to look in depth at this verse. John 3:16, has long been celebrated as a powerful, succinct, declaration of the Gospel. Of the 31,102 verses in the Bible, it may be the most popular single verse used in evangelism.
In this verse, we learn the object of God’s love: “For God so loved the world.” God did not wait for the world to turn to Him before He loved the world. He loved and gave His only begotten Son to the world. In saying this, the Lord refuted the popular Jewish idea regarding the scope of salvation. The Jews of that day rarely thought that God “loved the world.” Many of them thought that God only loved Israel. The universal offer of salvation and life in Jesus was revolutionary.
He gave His only begotten Son: This describes both the expression and the gift of God’s love. God’s love did not just feel for the plight of a fallen world. God did something about it, and He gave the most precious thing to give, “His only begotten Son.”
Whoever believes in Him: This describes the recipient of God’s love. God loves the world, but the world does not receive or benefit from that love until it believes in Jesus, the gift that the Father gave. Believes in means much more than intellectual awareness or agreement. It means to trust in, to rely on, and to cling to.
Then we have the intention of God’s love, “Should not perish.” God’s love actually saves man from eternal destruction. God looks at fallen humanity, and does not want it to perish, and so in His love He extends the gift of salvation in His Son, Jesus Christ.
Everlasting life: This describes the duration of God’s love. The love we receive among people may fade with time, but God’s love will never change. He will never stop loving His people, even unto the furthest distance of eternity.
If there is one sentence more than another that sums up the message of the Gospel, it is this. The love of God is limitless; it embraces all mankind. No sacrifice was too great to bring its unmeasured intensity home to men and women; The best that God had to give, He gave — His only Son, His well-beloved. Do you know Him?
Bible Reading
John 3:13-17.
Prayer
Merciful God, thank You, for the love that drew salvation's plan; For the grace that brought it down to man; And the mighty gulf that the Lord Jesus did span at Calvary; And in His wonderful name, I pray. Amen.
Comments