“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

The first verse I memorized as a child was John 3:16. I attended a youth Bible study hosted by Awanas, a Christian non-profit organization, to help young people grow in their faith. One of the challenges they gave us was to memorize a verse weekly. Since then, my love for God’s word has grown, and I’ve continued memorizing verses. Yet, my first memory verse will always have a special meaning in my heart.

Today, John 3:16 is universally one of the most popular scriptures in the Bible. How cool is that? I love seeing popular chain stores like In-N-Out, ChickFila, and Lulu Lemon show their love for Jesus by placing John 3:16 on their store bags or underneath their cups. So even though you might want to glance over this verse because you’ve heard it a thousand times, trust me on this, we can still learn a lot from one of the most famous verses in the Bible.

Let me give you a little background to this verse. It was a troublesome time for the Israelites before Christ came into the world. Four hundred years had passed since the last time God spoke to his people through a prophet. Much of the known world at that time was under the control of foreign and pagan power, the Roman Empire. Disease, social injustice, and idolatry were rampant, and all hope seemed to wane. Yet, amid all the unknowns, God entered our world, took on human form in the person of his Son Jesus, and set out to save humanity from their sins. God’s love drew us out of the darkness of death and into the light of his truth through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Let us dive deeper into this verse and better understand the depth of God's love for us and the sacrifice Christ made on our behalf to atone for our sins.

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The first six words tell us everything… For God So Loved The World.

He loved us when we were naked and afraid.

He loved us when we were not living for him but living for ourselves.

He loved us even when we did not love him.

He loved us when we were in open rebellion against him.

He did not save us because we worked hard or prayed perfectly. He redeemed us because he loved us. Salvation didn’t start when you openly prayed and gave your life to Christ (yes, that is part of it). Salvation came when the Son of God willingly chose to come to earth as a man and take upon himself the punishment for our sins and was resurrected on the third day by God’s mighty power! Wow. Oh, how hearts cry out in joy for the overwhelming love of God that he would send his Son to die for our sins!

That he gave his one and only Son…

The gospel is that simple, yet it is also so profound. The Father gave his Son to us as a gift. The words “one and only Son” remind us of the greatness of this gift. What this means is that the Father gave us his very best, his unique and beloved Son! We did nothing to earn Jesus, and our faith-based work will never be enough to pay him back. If you’re like me, I tend to overthink the gospel from time to time. I ask myself, “How could God love a sinner like me? He must want me to wear myself thin in ministry so that he doesn’t change his mind about me.” Yet, in those moments, I’m reminded of God’s great love and thankful for Christ’s sacrificial work to set me free. He is our salvation! His love for the world is a selfless costly love of redemption.

God gave his one and only son to take on himself the punishment humanity deserved for its rebellion. We receive eternal life only by placing our faith in Christ as Lord and Savior. This message about Christ is good news, for it’s a message of hope and redemption for all who believe. Remember, the gospel isn’t about what we can do but what Jesus has done for us. We are saved and given a new identity as children of God by placing our trust in Him. We no longer have to live in fear of being condemned by God but can live in the freedom and peace that comes from knowing that we are loved and accepted by our heavenly Father. So let us hold fast to this truth and share the gospel with others so they may also experience the transformative love that comes from believing in Jesus.

That whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life…

Placing our complete trust in Jesus is the only way to reconcile our relationship with God. When we say yes to living for God, not ourselves, God snatches us from the pit of darkness and grants us eternal life. It does happen that fast (Think of the criminal crucified alongside Christ). It may take years for our loved ones to come to faith in Christ, but salvation comes instantly to a surrendered heart. We have the assurance that our sins are forgiven and that we will live forever with God. Walk daily in this truth!

Remember that God’s power and love were displayed perfectly for you through the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. Furthermore, our faith in Jesus is God’s promise to live with him for all eternity! Therefore, accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior transforms our lives, giving us hope and purpose. This spiritual transformation is the essence of the gospel and why John 3:16 is considered an essential verse in the Bible. It’s a reminder of God's infinite love and the hope that is available to all who believe in Jesus.

I pray that we will never show through our actions or feel in our hearts a disinterest in these words spoken by our Savior, and may we long to hear them again. John 3:16 can serve as a reminder that even in the darkest moments of our lives, God is always there, offering hope and light.