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 NIV
There are more than 31,000 verses in the Bible, and John 3:16 is the most well-known and most quoted verse of them all. It has been on countless billboards and been the subject of generations of sermons. This verse has been so compelling that it has led to life-changing decisions in the hearts of countless men, women, and children in every culture throughout the history of the world since Jesus came.
Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a member of the Jewish ruling council. He was wealthy, had political influence and power, and a sense of spiritual privilege. He was a Jew, one of God’s chosen people. The Jews never tried to win anyone to their faith. THEY were God’s. They conquered other nations or followed the “live and let live” mantra. Nicodemus felt no responsibility for the people around him if they weren’t Jews. He was a guardian of the rules among the Jews, a keeper of the laws. He believed that salvation was his because he was a Jew and was made righteous by keeping the laws. And yet Nicodemus had a restlessness in his soul. He visited Jesus one night because he saw something different in this man that he had never seen before.
Jesus and Nicodemus had a conversation that was difficult for Nicodemus to understand. He was a teacher of the law, but these were concepts he had never considered before. He had always been taught and taught others that the law is what saves and only the Jews were the targets of God’s love and attention. But Jesus told him that he needed to be born again spiritually. True salvation was found in believing in God’s one and only Son! That was stunning news! Could it possibly be true?
But there was more. Even more stunning. This great news about salvation was not just for the Jews. Jesus (who seemed to know God personally in a way Nicodemus had never imagined possible – even claiming to be the Son of God) said God loved the whole world! Jews and Gentiles … everyone. He loved everyone equally and so much that He gave His one and only Son so that the world could be saved! We can’t imagine the shock this was. Everything changed. Jesus was for Nicodemus but not just for him. Jesus came because God was FOR the whole world.
- We technically know that God loves the whole world. What evidence is there in our lives that shows we are choosing to love it too?