Daily Devotion – March 23, 2021 – Pastor Brian Hansen

John 3:14-21 

14And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 16“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. 17“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. 20For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. 21But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.” 

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. 

Arguably the most well-known and famous bible verses of all time. People attach it to their vehicles on bumper stickers, and hold it up on signs at a sporting events and street corners.  I wonder when you see someone with that sign, how do you experience it? What do you think of when you see someone holding up the sign? Is it a sign of love and invitation or is it more a sign of judgment? Do you experience these words on the sign as a symbol of others spreading God’s love or as words of judgement?

Unfortunately, I think that most of the people experience this verse as judgment. Most people hear it as a message of exclusion, rather than inclusion. Who’s in and who’s out.  It makes me wonder what we have done when the most famous bible verse in the world has become one that seems to slam the doors of the church in people’s face instead of opening the doors of the church to welcome them in?

Too often we stop at verse 16. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. And most people hear it as exclusive judgment. But how many of us know verse 17? Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

Maybe that is a more important message these days. That this is not a condemning statement, but a welcoming statement. A statement that God loves the world. Maybe someone should go to a sporting event with “John 3:17” on a sign. For it’s important to hear that God so love the world that God gave his Son but also to hear why God did so, God did so because it is God’s desire to let the world know that God is with us all.

Let us Pray:  God who gives, help us to open our hearts and the doors of our Churches to all your children no matter who they are or what they have done.  Guide us by your Spirit to extend both grace and hospitality to all, and speak your truth to us when we want to keep your grace all for ourselves.  Amen