Read: John 3:16-21
For God so loved the world . . . (v. 16)
Grandparents will often ask their young grandchild, “Do you know how much I love you?” And the grandparent will say, “I love you so much!” as they open their arms as wide as they can demonstrating the enormity of their love for their grandchild.
John 3:16 reminds us of God’s great love for us. But what does it mean that God so loved the world? So is a little word. When paired with the word love in our reading today, it says a great deal about the nature of God’s love for us. His love for us is immense—it is so much love. He willingly chose to demonstrate his love in this way: “He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him” (1 John 4:9). We can’t earn his love, nor do we deserve it. But he gave his Son as a gift to an undeserving world filled with much brokenness, because of his love and his desire that we may not perish but have eternal life. This verse does not say that we might have or will have eternal life. It says we have it right now! This is a promise for all who believe.
God spread his arms so wide on a wooden cross to demonstrate his great love for us. Do you believe this? You are loved so much! Will you receive his Son as your Savior today?
As you pray, place your trust in Jesus, God’s Son and know you are loved so much.
About the Author
Nancy Boote
Nancy Boote, an ordained minister in the Reformed Church of America, lives in Holland, Michigan, with her husband. Besides being a mother, a grandmother, a song writer, and lover of horses, Nancy also has a heart for prayer and seeing racism dismantled.
