The famous John 3,16
Today’s readings: 2 Chronicles 36,14-16.19-23; Ephesians 2,4-10; John 3,14-21
At the heart of today’s gospel is a jawdropping statement that should never fail to amaze 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” (John 3,16). Bumper stickers, posters and what have you carry this message all over the world, making it the most well-known and quoted bible verse.
John, the evangelist represented in Christian iconography by an eagle because, in some sense, his theology soars above the rest, says everything that needs to be said is in this one sentence. All the Old Testament stories and events were a preparation for this one truth. It represents the essence of why the Son of God became a human being like us and why he faced death for our sake.
Max Lucado, branded “America’s Pastor” by the magazine Christianity Today, and
“The Best Preacher in America” by Reader’s Digest, wrote a book called 3:16 – The Numbers of Hope. In it, he unpacks the meaning of this mind-blowing Scripture verse which Lucado finds ever fascinating, intriguing, and inspiring.
Indeed, John 3,16 is essentially the key to understanding what Christianity is all about. It brings us face to face with the reality that we have fallen short of God’s goodness and holiness, and that we are in dire need of a saviour. But it also offers hope by making that saviour so accessible.
What is truly liberating is the fact that salvation can be gained so easily. It does not require hard work on your part, never-ending devotions that tire you out, or any religious or pious activities that would somehow earn you a deserved place in heaven. All that is needed is a sincere act of faith in Jesus alone and in what he has done for us on the cross.
But make no mistake about it, for Scripture puts it plainly: “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that – and shudder” (James 2,19). Faith is not simply awareness of some truth about Christ, but embracing that fundamental truth with all one’s heart.
The dictum “Faith isn’t faith until it’s all you’re holding onto” is often attributed to Corrie ten Boom, a Dutch Christian who, together with her family, helped many Jews escape the
Nazis during World War II. It shows the attitude that one should have vis-à-vis Jesus. We can easily trust in our own presumed uprightness, but salvation comes from attributing such uprightness and goodness to Jesus alone.
In the second reading, God is described by St Paul as having a “great love for us” and as being “rich in mercy”; he is also the one who “made us alive with Christ” (Eph 2,4-5). These readings come together to show us that here we are in God’s sphere of activity and not ours. This resounds in the gospel where we are told how God made his love manifest – by giving us his only son.
How beautiful our faith is! It is based on the conviction that God is for us, that he loves us through and through. How can this truth not impact our entire lives and the meaning we give to our existence here on earth?
In his Church Dogmatics, the Swiss Reformed theologian Karl Barth put it simply as follows: “Those who believe in Jesus can no longer look at their death as though it were in front of them. It is behind them.” Acceptance of God’s incredible gift of Jesus is what brings about this existential change in us. No matter how many times we have read John 3,16, we need to go back to it time and time again. God has given; have you received? Jesus has come; have you believed?
STEFAN.M.ATTARD@GMAIL.COM