For God So Loved the World

John 3:16 ESV

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

This is a direct quote from Jesus, John just recorded it in his gospel. Notice a few things that Jesus said.

He said, God the Father loved the world. It didn’t say that He only loved the Jews, (those that would be called Christians were not until after Jesus’s death). He said God so loved the world, sounds like a loving God to me that loved the sinner and the saint.

Jesus said that God gave this lost and dying world His only begotten Son. “Only begotten” are fit together in the Greek to mean “Monogenes.” This word translated into English, is a compound word made of two other Greek words.  Monos means “only” and kenos meaning “kind or race.” Together, we have “only kind” or “unique.” That is, Jesus is unique in the fact that He is the only Son of God, there is not another like Him.

Jesus also makes a proclamation, that if anyone will believe God and believe that God sent His Son, as God in flesh, they will not perish. That means anyone who accepts and believes in Jesus will not die a spiritual death, they will live forever, throughout eternity.

Let’s make this more personal; For God so loved (me or Your name, even though we did not deserve His love), that He gave His one and only Son, and when I accept His Son, I accept God into my life, that I will live forever with Jesus. I will not die a spiritual death. Once I’m alive in Jesus, I’m alive forever.

Prayer:

Father, thank You for loving me even when I was a vile sinner. Thank You for the greatest love of all time. Thank You that now according to John 1:12, “…all who did receive Him (Jesus), who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God…” Jesus gave us, that received Him, the right to be His brothers and sisters and children of the Most High God. I am forever thankful, Amen!