WHOEVER BELIEVES
John 3:14-17 NKJV
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
This third chapter of John contains two significant conversations: Jesus and Nicodemus, and the Pharisees with John the Baptist. In our verses for today, Jesus is speaking with Nicodemus, one of the leading teachers of Israel. Nicodemus came asking questions, and Jesus took the conversation to a whole new level.
Jesus referenced Moses lifting up the serpent in the wilderness. Nicodemus would have readily understood that Jesus was referring to the Numbers 21 story of the fiery serpents biting the children of Israel. They had complained against God and Moses, and fiery serpents were sent into the camp. The snakes were biting people, and they were dying. Moses prayed, and God instructed him to make a bronze replica of the serpent and put it on a pole. Everyone who was bitten and looked at the serpent would live. Jesus, who was our sacrifice for sin, was lifted up on a pole, the cross, and everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life. This story, in the Old Testament, is one of many that point to what Jesus would do for us in the New Testament.
Verse sixteen may be one of the most famous passages in the New Testament. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." I learned this verse in Sunday School as a child, but it has never become old to me. What God's love for mankind has provided. We could not save ourselves, so God provided salvation, and all we must do is believe. And just a note, we are not waiting until we get to heaven to have everlasting life. The life of God is in us, in our recreated spirits, the moment we receive Jesus as Savior and Lord. John would later write, "He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life." 1 John 5:12 NKJV
I believe verse seventeen is vitally important also as it is attached to verse sixteen. "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." I wonder if the church had placed equal emphasis on this verse as they do on verse sixteen, if it would have reduced some of the religious harshness that is often present. Our message is good news, not condemnation. The world without God is already condemned; our job is to bring the good news that salvation and life are available.
When I was in college and not living for God, a street preacher named Jed came to our campus. And did he ever stir things up. I admire his boldness but not his method. He completely missed the part about God loving mankind and Jesus not coming to condemn. He was calling out fraternities as whoremongers and sororities as whores. Needless to say, that generated a response, and the feedback that came Jed's way was intense. I, to this day, do not question Jed's heart to reach people. But his condemning message was difficult to swallow.
Jesus came to save and all who believe in Him have everlasting life. That was His message and still our message today. That is good news. The best news available to mankind.
PRAYER
Lord, thank You for coming and paying the price for me to have eternal life. You could have condemned me, but You were sent to save. That was your message then, and it is my message today.