“For God so loves the world, that he gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life” – John 3:16
LIGHT FOR NOW: Jesus is God’s love manifest.
This text we just read, thought it’s one of the most quoted text in Christendom, but the truth therein which is so crucial has been lost by so many. Notice the first statement, “For God so loved the world”. Look at the way John stresses the word “so loved the world” in the Greek (which is its original), it shows an emotion; something that is active. Most people love you by just telling you they love you, but the love here in John 3:16 is not what God said, its what God did. In other words, God did not just profess love to man, he demonstrated his love for man. His love was not seen in words but in action. The word “world” in this context refers to humans and not the literal planet earth. He did not give his only begotten son to die for trees, seas or the planet earth, but for man. Hence, John says “whosoever believeth in him”; it is not trees, seas, building, that will believe in him, but men. So the love in John 3:16 was directed to man and this love was not just intent, this love was intent backed up with action.
God demonstrated his love by giving Jesus. In essence, Jesus is the proof of God’s love. Jesus is God’s love dispensed, Jesus is God’s love revealed, Jesus is God’s love manifest, Jesus is an expression of God’s character and disposition where man-kind is concerned. The giving of Jesus is not his incarnation, God taking on flesh. The giving here is deeper than that; it is the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. The sacrifice of Jesus will be to pay sin on behalf of man as substitute for man. And God’s involvement in this payment is the gift of eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23). Thus, we can say that the death of Jesus will be love motivated because what he did was not for him; rather, what he did was for man. He did not die his death; he died our death and gave us his life (eternal life) in the resurrection. Glory!
INSTRUCTION: Acknowledge God’s love for you expressed through Jesus.
CONFESSION: Father, I thank you for your perfect sacrifice for me, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
QUOTE: God loves you and He proved it on the cross.
DAILY BIBLE READING: MORNING: MATTHEW CHAPTER 6; EVENING: JOHN CHAPTER 6
LIGHT FROM THE WORD 