John 3: For God So Loved the World

In handwriting the New Testament, there have been some parts that stand out more than others. One chapter that has had the most impact on me personally so far has been John 3. Here, Nicodemus, one of the nation’s spiritual leaders, meets with Jesus at night. Nicodemus is full of questions, curious how an unknown rabbi could show up, start healing people, and speak with authority about God.

Jesus answers his questions, and then adds something more. It’s the verse we see on signs at football games, billboards along interstates, and if you grew up in church, memorized as a child. Yes, I’m talking about John 3:16. It also happens to be one of the most translated sentences on the planet.

Why? In a few words, Jesus sums up God’s attitude toward us:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

God’s love led to Jesus coming to earth. Faith in Jesus leads to eternal life.

For us to be with the Father, the Son had to leave the Father.

All that remains for us is to believe in Him. When we embrace His love we experience eternal life, beginning now (John 10:10) and continuing through all eternity with our Creator.

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Dillon Burroughs is the author or co-author of numerous books and is handwriting a copy of the New Testament in 2011 at HolyWritProject.com. Find out more about Dillon at Facebook.com/readdB or readdB.com.