Have you ever come into a conversation and in the moment you thought that you both were saying the same thing.... However as the conversation progressed you realize that you indeed are talking about two totally different things?
John 3:16 God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son...
So many times we have heard this scripture so many times it is almost like it has induced a "lullaby effect". We don't even realize the impact of the words of that verse. We have heard the scripture so many times that now we have a response like this... "Yeah yeah I know that scripture." In fact many of you as you were reading and you saw that verse you skipped over it and went to what I was going to say next (caught you didn't I).
It is almost as though we are coming into a conversation in John that we don't fully understand what is being discussed. To fully understand what John is penning in this verse you have to go to the beginning of the conversation in Genesis.
In the beginning God created the world all the rivers, stars, fields, oceans and then He wanted someone to enjoy it all with so He created man. Finally He had someone to enjoy all creation with. Everything God had done to this point was for the enjoyment of mankind and Him. So we see here in the first chapters of the Bible that God delighted in nothing more than being able to walk with man in the cool of the day. He loved talking to Adam and Eve. He liked hearing about their day and sharing in their experiences.
Genesis chapter 3 we see the devil then tempts eve in verses 2-5. Here he makes her question if God really loved her. If what God was telling her was truth... If maybe perhaps he was indeed with holding something good from her. He was telling her a lie to test what she knew up to that point.
Behind every lie there is a TRUTH longing to be revealed.
We all know the story. Eve believed that lie that day. It is a lie that is echoed in so many peoples hearts even today.
Does God really love me?
Does He have my best interests at heart?
Sin had entered mankind at that moment and God had to send them out of their perfect home...Into a world without Him. The rest of the old testament is all full of stories about God trying to get his people back into relationship with Him. It is the greatest love story ever told. It is about armies being defeated, waters being parted, kings being dethroned and so much more just so God could have His people back.
God longed for nothing more than to be with His people again.....In understanding the beginning now you can understand what John was saying...
John 3:16.... God so loved that HE GAVE His ONLY SON....
For the first time we see God back in flesh walking with His people again. This miracle hadn't happened since the garden before sin had entered. And now we see God being reunited with the people He loved so much.
What is Christmas all about?
It is about a relationship being restored between a Creator and His creation. It is all about a God that loves so much that He stopped at nothing just so He could be with you and me.
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