Faces on Faith: We trust in what Jesus did for us
You’ve seen the guy. He sits behind the goal posts at the football game. He waves a homemade sign whenever one team kicks an extra point. And the sign says “John 3:16.”
John 3:16 has embedded itself in pop culture, from the wrestler Stone Cold Steve Austin citing “Austin 3:16” to taunt opponents, to political activists referencing “Earth 3:16” or “Vote 3:16,” to the whimsical “Bacon 3:16” (For God so loved the world he gave us bacon).
But what does John 3:16 actually mean? It refers to a specific Bible text found in the Gospel of John, chapter 3, verse 1, spoken by Jesus. Here’s the actual verse:
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Followers of Jesus have long treasured and memorized this verse, and, yes, even waved the reference behind goal posts. Why? The verse itself gives an succinct summary of the Christian gospel.
For God so loved the world. Do you ever get disgusted at the world? The world is filled with greed, oppression, injustice, pride, abuse, fraud, infidelity, lies, violence, selfishness and hatred. These evils fill the news, and if we’re honest, lurk in our own hearts. If these sins grieve us, imagine how our holy creator feels about this world that he made to know and love him. Who could blame God if he chose to delete humanity? And yet the amazing good news is that God responded in love to this world.
That he gave his only Son. God’s love to the world wasn’t just a vague feeling or generalized positive attitude. God’s love took action by sending Jesus to deal with our sin. Jesus did this by dying on the cross to pay the penalty of sin, and rising again in triumph. God loved us by deleting his own son as our substitute.
That whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. There’s now a way to escape “perishing” (our deserved eternal judgment) and have enteral life with God. It’s through belief or trust in Jesus. Contrary to popular opinion, we don’t get to God by striving to be good, or through religious rituals, or self-improvement. We trust in what Jesus did for us, not what we do for ourselves. Jesus is able to forgive and restore anyone who comes to him in simple faith.
Pastor Jeramie Rinne is the senior pastor at the Sanibel Community Church.