What man could not do, God did, by sending His Son to ransom men for God. Christ died for sinners, and Christ rose victoriously from the grave. Who has given more than God? Who has loved you like God?

“For God so loved the world…”

Could you finish the phrase? I’m sure you could. If you’re like me, you probably quoted it in some NIV/ESV/KJV hybrid, using a word like “believeth.” And that’s because this verse has become incredibly common in our culture. We have heard it from our earliest memories, and now say it with ease. But has this familiarity made us sleepy? Are we even encouraged by it anymore? I want to shake the dust off of your brains and remind you of how amazing this verse is.

For God So Loved the World

It starts with this glorious word, “For,” pointing us back to previous verses. “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life” (John 3:14-15). The people of Israel had sinned against God. They had rebelled and shown their unbelief. Therefore the wrath of God had been poured out on them in the form of snakes. But if they would look at the bronze serpent that Moses had made, God’s appointed means of salvation, they would live. It was simple: Look and live. With that image from Numbers 21 as a backdrop, we see how God loved the world. God loved the world like so.

That He Gave His Only Son

How has God loved you? He gave you His only Son. He gave the treasure of heaven for your soul. He gave His only Son.

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