DAYTHREE

John 3:16-17

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

Motivated by Love
One of the most used Bible verses is John 3:16. We’ve slapped it on T-shirts, hats and even Tim Tebow wore it under his eyes playing football. Unfortunately, too often the love of God is overlooked in this verse, but the verse that follows it makes an important distinction – that God didn’t send Jesus into the world out of anger or judgement, but because of his great compassion and love for us. It may seem insignificant, but the way we come to understand this can shape our entire view of God. Do we see God as an angry, vengeful being who required the sacrifice of his only Son in order for things to be put right? Or, do we see God as a loving, merciful Father, who humbly offered his only Son to the world to show us that things could be different, that death does not have to prevail, and that we can be saved?

Questions:
What do you imagine God to be like?
How does the fact that God is motivated by His love for us change the way you think of God?
How does this reality change the way you read John 3:16?

Prayer:
Father, I thank you for your deep, unending love – a love that moved you to the ultimate act of self-sacrifice on my behalf. I thank you that your love knows no end, that you are willing to pursue me, even to the point of death. Thank you for making a way for me to be saved.