Pastor Tom Johnson, March 16 2014
“It’s the thought that counts.” Tell that to the wife whose husband did not buy her an anniversary gift. “It’s the thought that counts.” Tell that to the child who never hears an affirming word. Tell that to the groom on his wedding day whose bride will not consummate her vows with a kiss. “It’s the thought that counts.” “For God so loved the world.” It’s another thought. It’s a confession. It’s a belief that God loves the world. Scripture tells us that “God is love” (1 Jn 4:8). God is the definition of what love is. If we want to know love we must know God. We throw around that word “love” so much that we run the risk of forgetting just how radical of a thing love is. God’s love is simple yet profound—too deep for our human minds to grasp.
Nicodemus, an educated man—trained in the Hebrew Scriptures didn’t get it—and he was supposed to be a teacher of Israel. Jesus tries to lay out the simple truth of the Gospel—God’s love for the world. He tries to explain that to understand God, we don’t just need information but transformation. We need to have a flesh and Spirit encounter with God. We must be born again or born from above, Jesus says. We must be renewed in our minds. We must be transformed before we are to be informed. Do you know how they hand you special glasses as you go into see a movie? Baptism is like the 3D glasses we need to be able to see the simple yet multidimensional aspects of the Gospel. “For God so loved the world.” It’s just a thought. It’s just a confession until you experience its power through Baptism. God’s love is just an abstract idea until it transforms our lives through the water and the Spirit.
It’s unclear whether the famous words of John 3:16 come from the lips of Jesus himself or are John’s editorial note for us to understand what Jesus was saying. Regardless, these words are words of simplicity and clarity. John 3:16 have been words of comfort and invitation to the world for centuries. No doubt you have seen people holding up signs at sporting events with “John 3:16” on poster board. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” God’s gift flows out of God’s love. That little word “so” does not mean “so much” but “in this manner.” This Scripture is telling us not just the thought but action of love. God loved the world in this manner—in this way. He loves us concretely and tangibly through the giving of his Son, Jesus Christ. God’s love is known—not by understanding the mind of God—but by receiving of the Gift of God. And whoever receives that gift by faith—whoever believes in him—will experience life-transformation—not just now but for all eternity. This love is radical. It is radically free—free for whoever answers love’s call. It is radically free—we receive the gift of God’s Son and eternal life without gold, silver, good works, or royal or ethnic lineage. It is for whoever—for all the world.
And just to make sure we don’t complicate this free gift, there is a point of clarification—this Scripture tells us what it’s not: “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” This verse in some ways is even more comforting to me than the one we just discussed. God did not send his Son with a threat. He did not send his Son as a wager—believe in him or else! God did not send his Son implicate us. God did not send his Son to ensure our judgment. God sent his Son, Jesus Christ to the world. It is 100% pure good news. It is a proclamation of God’s love. It is a demonstration of God’s love.
But even more than that, it is God’s love in flesh and blood—love that we can experience—love that transforms our very lives forever. This love is not a mere thought. The thought alone does not count. It is not a feeling. God’s love is not hidden deep within his “mind.” God’s love is demonstrated by the gift of the life, death, and resurrection of his Son, Jesus Christ. And that love is experienced by us—not just intellectually grasped. God’s love is the washing with water and cleansing of the Holy Spirit. It is the new birth he gives that make us his royal children. God’s love is the peace you and I have after living our lives weighed down by paralyzing anxiety. God’s love is the forgiveness we have after the living our lives burdened by debilitating guilt. God’s love is the transformation of a proud, self-centered person into a humble servant. God’s love is the unloved and rejected who now has the joy of knowing that we are accepted and loved by the Creator of the Universe.
So God has loved the world. It’s in this manner that God has loved the world. He gave his Son for the world. And now, in him, we have forgiveness, life, and salvation.
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