Jesus Loves the Whole World

“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.”


My three year old daughter Lucy has been transfixed on this verse lately. She’s always reminding us that Jesus loves the WHOLE world, making certain to place an emphasis on *whole*. She’s beginning to understand that God is real and He LOVES us, and her childlike excitement around the Gospel is akin to what she feels when she looks at presents on her birthday and it’s been both renewing my spirit and convicting me.


John 3:16 is such a special passage. It’s the Gospel message in a single verse. It’s everywhere, on T-shirts, bumper stickers, billboards, you name it. Sometimes I think that the more we read that verse, the less it hits us. The less we react to that Good News. Lucy reminded me this week that that verse should never be something I’m “used to”. The gift of God’s Grace, the freedom from sin, the victory over death is something we receive with God’s mercies - every morning. We don’t deserve it. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8) and John 3:16 tells us that while we were still sinners, God SO loved us, all of us - the whole world. What an amazing gift. It’s something we should be so astounded by, so amazed by, and so humbled by every day of our lives.


This week, I pray you have a childlike excitement over the Gospel. Read John 3:16 like it’s the first time you’re reading it. Lucy has been telling us the Good News daily because she’s so excited about it. When your excitement and passion for the Gospel is renewed, you can’t help but evangelize. You can’t help but spend time with the Lord, to whom we are so grateful.