Day 25

John 1-3

John 3:16. You see it everywhere. On a billboard, or a t-shirt, or on a bumper sticker. As I was leaving Fenway this week, I saw a guy handing out gospel tracts with John 3:16 embroidered on his ragged hat. I am sure you have seen someone holding a sign at a football game or other sporting event that says “JOHN 3:16” in big and bold letters. Maybe you understand and appreciate the magnitude of John 3:16 and the verses that immediately follow but I am afraid sometimes that it becomes so commonplace that we don’t recognize it in the way that we should.

For those of us who have been Christians for awhile, those things should be a reminder of God’s grace and goodness to us. Verse 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.” It doesn’t stop there though – He goes on to tell us in verse 17, “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved.” God sent His Son, knowing that He was sending Him to die, so that we could live.

For those that have not come to know Jesus, that gift is still available. God sent His Son to die so that the world might be saved. That means it is available to everyone and it is as simple as following the ABC’s. Admit that you are a sinner – everyone does wrong things– the Bible is clear that “all have fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Believe in your heart that Jesus died on the cross for you – “for the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Confess that Jesus is Lord - “For whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord may be saved” (Romans 10:13). It’s that easy to secure a permanent residence in heaven when you die.

John 3:16 – may it never be common or become ordinary to us!