Nicodemus came to Jesus, wanting to further understand who Jesus was and the message He proclaimed. In conversation, Jesus responded with some of the best known words of Scripture. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God” (John3.16-18). May these words not be so familiar that we quickly pass over them, satisfied that we have them memorized; may we rather take time to consider the depth of Christ’s message to us.
God loved the world: knowing we had fallen desperately into sin, knowing we were absolutely incapable of doing anything to gain our salvation, knowing our sin separated us from His holiness, God loves us; His nature is love; His desire is to pour out His love on us who are destitute in sin. God gave His Son: only Jesus could accomplish the sacrificial work which none other could ever fully do; only Jesus this could provide for our full atonement from sin in His death as the perfect Lamb of God. God provided salvation for us. Our responsibility is to believe Jesus to be the Son of God, to be our Redeemer, to be the only One who can pay the penalty for our sin; His shed blood alone is able to cleanse us of all sin and its horrible end. God freed us from condemnation; rightly sentenced because of our sinfulness, Christ alone is able to forgive us and redeem us; He alone is able to snatch us from the realm of Satan, the bondage of sin, and from the eternal depths of hell; He alone is able to establish us as righteous in the Father’s eyes; He alone is able to make it possible for us to share in His eternal inheritance; He alone gives us hope now and eternally.
I stand amazed in the presence
Of Jesus the Nazarene,
And wonder how He could love me,
A sinner condemned, unclean.
For me it was in the garden,
He prayed: “Not my will, but Thine.”
He had no tears for His own griefs,
But sweat-drops of blood for mine.
In pity angels beheld Him,
And came from the world of light
To strengthen Him in the sorrows
He bore for my soul that night.
He took my sins and my sorrows,
He made them His very own;
He bore the burden to Calv’ry,
And suffered, and died alone.
When with the ransomed in glory
His face I at last shall see,
’Twill be my joy through the ages
To sing of His love for me.
How marvelous! How wonderful!
And my song shall ever be:
How marvelous! How wonderful!
Is my Savior’s love for me!
Charles H. Gabriel
Loved by God, eternally – we have much to be thankful for –
Terry Burlingame
My Morning Desk 