Meditation

Hi there,

Today's verse is considered the most powerful and succinct declaration of the gospel. It is seen on banners at sports events and public events of all kinds and stands alone among the 31,102 verses in the Bible as the most popular single verse used in evangelism.

You likely know it by heart already and can write it down without referring to the text. But please don't.

We shouldn't let our current (over?)familiarity with the verse detract from the shocking effect it would have had on Nicodemus (or maybe ourselves) as we heard it for the first time.

Coming hard on the heels of the teaching that "You must be born again," which refuted the idea that the way to salvation was through personal merit.​

Now, Jesus overthrows the familiar Jewish belief of the scope of salvation: for God so loved the world.

This verse is, therefore, every bit as revolutionary as the earlier declaration that we must be transformed by the Holy Spirit rather than be reformed by our own merit.​

As you copy this out, you might note the importance of the structure of each phrase and the use of the "but" to reinforce and amplify the gift of salvation and the new life gained and also that the "whoever" Jesus is referring to is you.​

Today's text is John 3:16. The verses to copy are in bold.

Jesus Teaches Nicodemus

Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”​

3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again. ” 4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.​

6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’

8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.

10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? 11 Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony.

12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things.​

13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”

16 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.​

17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.​

18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.

20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

Encouragement

My hope for you today, as you carefully copied the verse, is that it landed on you with the same force as it did when you really considered it, understood it for the first time, and realized that this gift extended to the whole world was also yours.

You are "whoever."

Andy