Let us look at this amazing verse in the Bible more closely. This famous Scripture was spoken by Jesus in a dialogue He had with a religious teacher named Nicodemus.
John 3:16 is in response to the question by Nicodemus in
John 3:4 asking how a man can be born a second time. Nicodemus is asking how one can really know God and live eternally with Him.
"God so loved..." What a wonderful statement. God's nature is one of love. God created this fabulous world which we inhabit. Love spills out to us in the gifts we receive, from the breath in our lungs to the beauty we behold in a sunrise or a newborn's eyes. The Greek word for love is
agape, the word to describe a selfless, sacrificial act of helping and intervening. There were other Greek words Jesus could have used, but He chose this one, as it is the greatest. In
1 John 4:8, the Bible says,
"God is love."
"...the world..." That is the Greek word
cosmos, which includes you and me and all of humanity, His highest form of creation.
"...that He gave His only begotten Son..." True love is a giving love. The very nature and definition of
agape is it is an act that gives sacrificially. God gave us His best because He loves us the most of all His creation. He became a man and lived on this earth for 33 years. Why? Why did Jesus come? And why did He have to die? This gets to the very heart of Christianity. God is holy. Man is sinful; we are born sinners, and we choose to sin. So, there is a problem: how can sinful man enter into the presence of holy God? We cannot earn our way, though many religions say we can. The difference between Christianity and all other religions is, instead of us reaching up to God, God Has reached down to us in love by sending Jesus, His Son, to die in our place. Jesus literally gave His all, His very life, out of love for you and me.
There are great stories today of hope and heroism, epic stories which we applaud, especially in light of so many negative things happening in our world. About a month ago on March 9th, Officer Jesse Madsen saw a car speeding down I-275 in Tampa, FL... heading the wrong direction on the busy highway. Officer Madsen acted quickly, driving his car in front of the vehicle to stop it. It was a selfless
agape moment, because Madsen gave his life to save the lives of others. Tampa Police Chief Brian Dugan stated, "When you look at someone who's earned seven life-saving awards, there's no surprise that he would take such swift action and do this." Madsen leaves behind his wife and three children, ages 16, 12, and 10.
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Source.)
Stories of self-sacrifice for others are always the most inspiring and memorable, and the story of Jesus and His love for the world is chief among them. He loves you more than any other person ever could, and He demonstrated His
agape love by dying for your sins on the cross (
Romans 5:8). Do you know Him? Have you thanked Him today in prayer? Hallelujah! What a Savior!
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