Read:
John 3:16-17 “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. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
Think:
Have you ever been to the Grand Canyon? It's truly mind-blowing and jaw-dropping. The site's spectacular beauty is so overwhelming that people could spend years there and still be amazed. That same kind of shock and awe should fill us as we read John 3:16-17, which describes God's overwhelming, staggering, jolting love for each one of us.
John wrote, "God loved the world," and he meant everyone. God loves even the worst sinners so much that he sent his only son to die a horrific death. This is how God showed his love for all of us: he came in the person of his Son and allowed human beings to do their worst to him. They rejected him, whipped him, mocked him, drove spikes through his wrists and feet, and hung him up on a cross until he died. But he did not judge the people who did this to him. He didn't blast them with thunderbolts or call on twelve legions of angels to wipe them out.
Instead, he forgave them, saying, "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they're doing."
Now, we have a choice. We can choose to reject him, or we can choose to believe that Jesus made a way for us to get to heaven by taking on all of our sins and paying the penalty. When we surrender our lives to Jesus, we receive new life in Christ. We have hope! We are loved!
Apply:
If you haven’t surrendered your life to Jesus you can do it now!
Pray:
Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. Thank you for giving me hope and eternal life. I choose to turn from my sin and turn to you! In Jesus’ name, Amen.