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The Gospel of
John begins by saying, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1), echoing both the creation story in
Genesis 1 and the passage about Divine Wisdom in Proverbs 8. John’s account of
the life of Jesus stands apart from the preceding Gospels, and his first chapter
says that “the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his
glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth” (John
1:14). This Word is logos in the Greek of the New Testament, and here it
means God’s reason or plan. “From his fullness we have all received, grace upon
grace,” says John. “The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came
through Jesus Christ” (John 1:16-17). Jesus reveals God’s reason, order, meaning and
plan for the universe, and shows us the face of God most clearly.
Two chapters later, the most famous verse in the Bible appears, one that Martin Luther called “the gospel in miniature”— John 3:16. In a nighttime meeting with a Pharisee named Nicodemus, Jesus says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life” (John 3:16). Author Max Lucado calls this verse “an alphabet of grace, a table of contents to the Christian hope, each word a safe-deposit box of jewels.” New Testament scholar Gail O’Day says it is an invitation into a new life based on belief “that Jesus is the Son of God and that God loved the world so much that God gave the Son as a gift.” The verse is a truly precious gift, inviting people of every time and place to believe in Jesus and receive eternal life.
What is sometimes missed, however, is the element of sacrifice that is present in this gift. In the verses that precede John 3:16, Jesus says, “And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life” (John 3:14-15). The Bible’s greatest hit in the Book of Numbers tells us that in order to save his people from the deadly venom of poisonous serpents, Moses lifts up a bronze serpent on a pole (Num 21:8-9). In similar fashion, to save all people from the sting of sin and death, Jesus allows himself to be lifted up on a cross. That’s a real sacrifice, one that saves all who look up at him in faith. Jesus goes on to say that God made a sacrifice as well, offering Jesus as a gift: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.” Because of this divine sacrifice, everyone who believes in Jesus “may not perish but may have eternal life” (John 3:16).
Actions speak louder than words. That’s why the death of Jesus on the cross and the gift of God’s only Son continue to resonate so loudly after 2,000 years. When Jesus was being “lifted up” he was not simply being elevated, he was sacrificing himself in accordance with his belief that “no one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13). Such self-giving love has inspired people and organizations through the years, including businesses that make a sacrifice by being closed on Sundays, in accordance with their beliefs. According to the website of the Chick-fil-A restaurants, their founder made the decision to close on Sundays in 1946 because he believed that all Chick-fil-A operators and employees “should have an opportunity to rest, spend time with family and friends, and worship if they choose to do so.” That’s a real sacrifice, in an economic sense, although they see the decision as part of their “recipe for success.”
In addition, the Gospel of John presents the good news that God offered Jesus to save the world, not to condemn it. “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:17). If our own sacrifices had to rise to the level of the sacrifice of Jesus, there would be little hope for us. But all God asks is that we put our trust in Jesus — that we believe in him, lean on him, and organize our lives around him. That’s why Sierra Trading Post, a mail-order company for lovers of the outdoors, has a bold mission statement: “Our business ethics must be consistent with the faith of the owners in Jesus Christ.” David Rupert of The High Calling reports that the Sierra president intends for the statement “to hold me accountable for upholding Jesus’ injunction to treat others the way I want to be treated.”
That’s how people of faith are supposed to do business, in harmony with the loving sacrifice of Jesus. They want to do what is true and “come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God” (John 3:21). This passage from John is one of the Bible’s greatest hits because it reminds us that “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,” a Son who offered himself freely on the cross, so that everyone who believes in him “may have eternal life” (John 3:16). When we live in gratitude for these gifts, and do our best to be accountable to the example of Jesus, we become people who can show the grace, truth and love of God to the world.
Questions:
1. Why do you think John 3:16 qualifies as “the gospel in miniature”?
2. What is the significance of the sacrifices made by God and Jesus for you?
3. How do you try to be accountable to the example of Jesus in your life?
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