Scripture
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up; 15 that whosoever believeth may in him have eternal life.
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God sent not the Son into the world to judge the world; but that the world should be saved through him.
Reflection
God is love. Everyone seems to know this, even people who don’t believe in God know this. “You can give without love but you cannot love without giving”, as the saying goes and so God gives; He gives generously in fact – He has given His only Son. The Son of God is the only one with the credentials to make the gift accomplish what it was meant to accomplish. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation gives many generous gifts but they don’t give willy-nilly. Their gifts are given to accomplish something, vaccinations for every child, for example. God the Father wanted to accomplish the elimination of sin’s penalty for every person. There was research, knowledge and a solution: one person, representing all of humanity, would take on himself the penalty of sin which is death. That same person would be raised to a new and different life, eternal life, to be able to give life to all who receive him and believe on him. Only the Son of God qualified for the assignment; so the Son was sent and so the Son did come (Ps. Dale).
Thoughts for the day
- What does this passage tell us about God, Jesus and people?
- What do you feel God is telling you through this passage?
- What is one way you can apply this truth to your life today?
- Who can you encourage with this story/message?
Prayer
Pray for somewhere in the world that needs God’s attention. Flick to a news app or website, and pick a news story to pray for.
