16For 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. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God. (John 3)
Thoughts: Nicodemus encounter with Jesus inspired this greatest of Gospel statements. It is a focus on the world and not just on the Jews. It is saying that God doesn't just love one chosen people but the whole world. Yet God had to come into the world through a chosen people. This also is an open invitation to believe. The "whoever" is open to anyone in the whole world. It is a call to all the world to believe in the Son of God who is Jesus the Christ.
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.
Today Christianity is the only religion with adherents in every country in the world. It has people from every language group, every major culture. Efforts are being made to reach people from every tribe.
Prayer: Lord, let me see your care for all the world, and your care for me as a part of that world. Let me take part somehow- by prayers, by giving, by my actions- to reach the world for you.
Showing posts with label John 3:16. Show all posts
Showing posts with label John 3:16. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 15, 2018
Sunday, December 17, 2017
Jesus Loves
12/17- Third Sunday of Advent- Believing-
John 3:16- “Jesus Loves Me”
Read: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
Read: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
Thoughts: The key to Christianity and
church is first of all- belief. Belief
is not just thinking there is a God, but trusting in that God. God is not just up there- He is a God who
loves us enough to come down for us.
This is what we celebrate at Advent and Christmas. Part of having belief in Christ is being
willing to trust Him- believing He will help you. Belief in Christ is like a key that unlocks
the door to eternal life. A key is
important. One time I had a toy chest
that had my favorite toys in it, but someone (probably a playmate) had put a
lock on it- and no one knew where the key was.
It was so sad not being able to get in.
But someone brought a special tool and broke that lock right off. Faith is like the key to the lock that helps
us to live the way we ought to live now- and then opens the door to eternal
life.
Activity: Talk with your family about how
much you love each other. We are all children of God. Imagine how much love God
has for us. Sing “Jesus Loves Me.”
Prayer: I believe
Lord. Help me to believe more.
Sunday, November 20, 2016
God's Nature to Give
For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son; that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
Thoughts: God loves us and gave Himself for us. He came down for us. He sacrificed Himself for us. The nature of God is to give. In response to Him, we also should give. In following Him, we also should give for Him. To not give is to reject His way. To choose selfishness over generosity is to choose not to follow Him. God gives us all we have. He gives us life. He gives us time. He gives us ability and minds to understand. God loves to give and wants us to follow in His way.
Prayer: Lord, help me to let go of things and by opening my hand, find you fill it up again so I may give more.
Thoughts: God loves us and gave Himself for us. He came down for us. He sacrificed Himself for us. The nature of God is to give. In response to Him, we also should give. In following Him, we also should give for Him. To not give is to reject His way. To choose selfishness over generosity is to choose not to follow Him. God gives us all we have. He gives us life. He gives us time. He gives us ability and minds to understand. God loves to give and wants us to follow in His way.
Prayer: Lord, help me to let go of things and by opening my hand, find you fill it up again so I may give more.
Sunday, January 19, 2014
1/20/14- The Cure Given in Love John 3:14-18
14Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,f 15that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”16For 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. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. (John 3:14-18)
Thoughts: God provided a way for healing of death by poisonous snakes by the lifting up of the bronze snake (Nbrs. 21). So Christ is lift up on the cross that all who might look to him would be healed of their sin and forgiven.
The reason God provided the bronze snake in the wilderness was out of mercy and love and the reason God provided Jesus was out of mercy and love. The Israelites did not deserve healing, and neither do we. But just as the bronze serpent's healing qualities did no good to those who refused to look to it, so the cross does not force forgiveness on people. Yet whosoever will- whoever believes can be healed.
But it is not a bronze serpent on a pole that heals us of sin, but the only begotten Son of God who is there. The Greek word "monogene" is not simply "one and only." The King James made a word to correspond to the Greek original. "Mono" means "single" or "only." But "Gene" has to do with generating. He was not "born" but "begotten." He was not created or made but eternally generated from the Father.
Those who do not believe stand condemned already (vs. 18). We need to remember the context again- of the bronze serpent. Those who are bitten by the poisonous snakes are condemned already. All of us have been bitten by the snake of sin. None of us have escaped this poison and can claim to be perfect. We all have been poisoned and we need the antidote. God has the antidote but we must come to Him in order to get it. We must believe that we need to be cured and that God has the cure. The cure is given at great personal price to God. But the cure is real and effective. The call is to believe.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for giving me the opportunity to be cured. Help me to believe in your love and cure.
Thoughts: God provided a way for healing of death by poisonous snakes by the lifting up of the bronze snake (Nbrs. 21). So Christ is lift up on the cross that all who might look to him would be healed of their sin and forgiven.
The reason God provided the bronze snake in the wilderness was out of mercy and love and the reason God provided Jesus was out of mercy and love. The Israelites did not deserve healing, and neither do we. But just as the bronze serpent's healing qualities did no good to those who refused to look to it, so the cross does not force forgiveness on people. Yet whosoever will- whoever believes can be healed.
But it is not a bronze serpent on a pole that heals us of sin, but the only begotten Son of God who is there. The Greek word "monogene" is not simply "one and only." The King James made a word to correspond to the Greek original. "Mono" means "single" or "only." But "Gene" has to do with generating. He was not "born" but "begotten." He was not created or made but eternally generated from the Father.
Those who do not believe stand condemned already (vs. 18). We need to remember the context again- of the bronze serpent. Those who are bitten by the poisonous snakes are condemned already. All of us have been bitten by the snake of sin. None of us have escaped this poison and can claim to be perfect. We all have been poisoned and we need the antidote. God has the antidote but we must come to Him in order to get it. We must believe that we need to be cured and that God has the cure. The cure is given at great personal price to God. But the cure is real and effective. The call is to believe.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for giving me the opportunity to be cured. Help me to believe in your love and cure.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Eternity of Christ 2/5/13
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God...The Word became flesh and lived among us. (John 1:1,14)
Thoughts: Jesus is, as the creeds say, "begotten not made." Arius said that Jesus was "the first creature made" because Arius could not understand the eternity of Christ. But the early fathers knew that if Jesus was created, He was not really divine. There is not God the Father and a demi-God- His Son. What the scriptures seem to indicate is that as far as you can go back- to the very definition of infinity and eternity- Jesus is. God describes Himself as "I am who I am" (Ex. 3) pointing to His eternity and the ground of all being. Jesus echoed this for himself when he said, "Before Abraham was, I am" (Jn. 8:58). He didn't say, "Before Abraham was I was" but He used the present "I am" on purpose. The last book of the Bible has Jesus describing himself as "The Alpha and the Omega- the beginning and the end. The one who was, and is, and is to come" (Rev. 1:8; 21:6; 22:13) Because Christ was- we owe our existence to Him and He is to be worshiped. Because Christ is- we can call on Him knowing that He is around to hear us. Because Christ is to come- we can trust His promises of salvation for eternity. He is eternally begotten of the Father. Part of the Father's eternal definition is that He has an eternal Son. There was never a time when the Father did not have a Son (or He would not be the "Father").
Prayer: You have been there for me, Lord, in creation, on the cross, today and forever. Help me to be there for you, faithful this day and on to heaven itself.
B. Incarnation
This is the second great mystery of the Christian faith, affirmed by all Christians everywhere: that Jesus Christ is both truly God and truly human. As to His divinity, He is the Son, the second person of the Trinity, being of one substance with the Father; as to His humanity, He is like us in every way but sin, of one substance with us, like us in having both a human soul and a human body. As to His divinity, He is eternally begotten of the Father; as to His humanity, He is born of the virgin Mary, conceived by the Holy Spirit. As to His divinity, His glory fills heaven and earth; as to His humanity, His glory is shown in the form of a suffering servant, most clearly when He is lifted up on the cross in our place.
“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.” (Rev. 22:16)
In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God...The Word became flesh and lived among us. (John 1:1,14)
Thoughts: Jesus is, as the creeds say, "begotten not made." Arius said that Jesus was "the first creature made" because Arius could not understand the eternity of Christ. But the early fathers knew that if Jesus was created, He was not really divine. There is not God the Father and a demi-God- His Son. What the scriptures seem to indicate is that as far as you can go back- to the very definition of infinity and eternity- Jesus is. God describes Himself as "I am who I am" (Ex. 3) pointing to His eternity and the ground of all being. Jesus echoed this for himself when he said, "Before Abraham was, I am" (Jn. 8:58). He didn't say, "Before Abraham was I was" but He used the present "I am" on purpose. The last book of the Bible has Jesus describing himself as "The Alpha and the Omega- the beginning and the end. The one who was, and is, and is to come" (Rev. 1:8; 21:6; 22:13) Because Christ was- we owe our existence to Him and He is to be worshiped. Because Christ is- we can call on Him knowing that He is around to hear us. Because Christ is to come- we can trust His promises of salvation for eternity. He is eternally begotten of the Father. Part of the Father's eternal definition is that He has an eternal Son. There was never a time when the Father did not have a Son (or He would not be the "Father").
Prayer: You have been there for me, Lord, in creation, on the cross, today and forever. Help me to be there for you, faithful this day and on to heaven itself.
B. Incarnation
This is the second great mystery of the Christian faith, affirmed by all Christians everywhere: that Jesus Christ is both truly God and truly human. As to His divinity, He is the Son, the second person of the Trinity, being of one substance with the Father; as to His humanity, He is like us in every way but sin, of one substance with us, like us in having both a human soul and a human body. As to His divinity, He is eternally begotten of the Father; as to His humanity, He is born of the virgin Mary, conceived by the Holy Spirit. As to His divinity, His glory fills heaven and earth; as to His humanity, His glory is shown in the form of a suffering servant, most clearly when He is lifted up on the cross in our place.
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