“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.” — John 3:16
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In the 2009 BCS National Championship Game between Florida and Oklahoma, Gators quarterback Tim Tebow had the Bible reference “John 3:16” written on his eye black. That night, more than 90 million people googled “John 3:16.” My first reaction was, “There are 90 million people who don’t know John 3:16?!” My second reaction was, “Wow, what an amazing testimony of an athlete sharing the greatest verse in the Bible.”
“For God” — The Greatest Giver. As I get older, I realize that what makes the gift even more special is the One who gave it to me. When one of my kids makes me an art project or actually saves up their own money to buy me a present, those gifts become extra special to me. When my wife, mom, dad or brother take time to really think through a gift or even hand-make something, that gift becomes extremely special. It’s not necessarily because of the gift, but because of the giver. God, the greatest Giver, gave us His Son, His only Son, Jesus Christ.
“So Loved The World” — The Greatest Fact. My wife is good at Jeopardy, far better than me. She knows her facts! I could probably get her in the sports category, though. Of all the facts in our world, there is no doubt the greatest fact is Jesus loves you. We are reminded of this in one of the most popular kids’ songs: “Jesus Loves Me” — “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong. They are weak but He is strong.” The more you understand this incredible fact, the more your life changes.
“That He Gave His One And Only Son” — The Greatest Gift. I remember getting a new bike for Christmas when I was about 8 years old. I loved it and it was by far my greatest Christmas present that year. I remember as an adult when my wife bought me my first electric toothbrush. I was in heaven and fell in love with that invention. Incredible gifts, but they don’t even compare to the greatest gift that God gave us. He gave us His Son. Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem more than 2,000 years ago for us. He was God’s gift to the earth.
“That Whoever Believes In Him” — The Greatest Invitation. We are given the invitation to trust and believe who Jesus is and what Jesus did. He died on the cross to conquer sin and death. He rose from the dead three days later. If we confess with our mouth and believe in our hearts, we begin that relationship with Him (Romans 10:9-10). Open up your invitation, the greatest invitation, and accept Christ as your Savior.
“Shall Not Perish” — The Greatest Escape. When we claim John 3:16 in our lives and truly repent of our sins and ask God for His forgiveness and trust Him as our personal Savior, we escape death. We escape hell. God provided us with that escape. Jesus was our substitution. It was us who should have been nailed to the cross, but Christ took our place and provided the greatest escape.
“But Have Eternal Life” — The Greatest Joy. God provides us real joy — true happiness and satisfaction. As believers, we know this world is not our home. These bodies are just on loan from God. Our greatest joy will be when we arrive in the presence of Jesus and spend eternity with the Lord, our Heavenly Father.
Prayer: “Dear God, thank You for being the greatest Giver. Thank You for loving me and providing me with the greatest gift, your Son Jesus Christ. I’m grateful for the relationship I can have with You by trusting in Christ and making Him my Lord and Savior.”
— Jim Good
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