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The Rev. Frank Logue
Cross Purposes “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. There is no better known verse in the Bible. This is at the center, the very core of our faith. I know of no Christian who would dispute this verse that gives us the purest, distilled message of grace and love. “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.” And yet, we hardly appreciate the verse’s meaning. We take this simple message and distort it. For example, we are told as clearly as Jesus can say it that everything he is and does flows out of the love of God. Jesus’ life and ministry do not begin with anger, judgment or righteous indignation. This is so like Jesus. Jesus always leads with love. Next week in the Gospel reading he will meet a Samaritan woman at a well. Others have shunned her. Jesus doesn’t. He offers love and understanding, not judgment. Sometimes the way the Gospel is preached and taught, you would think that Jesus would have had to have been a wild eyed hellfire and brimstone preacher. Yet this is not what we find in the Sermon on the Mount or the other examples of Jesus’ sermons. John 3:16 tells us the purpose of Jesus’ whole incarnation, life and ministry, but we seem to work at cross purposes with our Lord. Classic evangelical preaching begins with convincing you that you are a horrible sinner. You shouldn’t even lift your head up to try to see God. Begin with fear. Fear of judgment. Fear of Hell. Fear of a vengeful God. You would think the way it is in some places that the only way to worship God is by having some one yell at you, making sure you know what a sinner you are. Then and only then, once the fear factor has been cranked high, can you begin to introduce a note of grace. Don’t let them see God’s love until you dangle their feet over the flames of Hell. Begin with Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” Start by pushing people down. Making them feel low. This might work. It may well be a good way to get folks to come running to the altar. But this was not Jesus’ own method. Not once. I think the reason Jesus did not do this is he so often ran into people who had been beat up by life. They had been kicked around and were feeling pretty worthless. They knew they were sinners in need of turning their lives around. They just didn’t know if anyone cared. Then Jesus would look the person in his or her eyes, show genuine love and lift them up. Jesus showed great love and compassion for a woman caught in the very act of adultery. Jesus showed great love and compassion for a man born blind. Jesus showed great love and compassion for lepers and outcasts for tax collectors and notorious sinners. Jesus begins with love and he said that his father did as well. “For God so loved the world.” Amazing. Not even for God so loved the righteous. For God so loved the perfect. For God so loved the Episcopalians. None of that. Jesus says, “For God so loved the world.” The whole creation is worthy of God’s love and attention, outcast and sinners included. Jesus goes further, “For God so loved the world that he gave.” A gift. No cost. A free gift of the unearned love of God shown in offering up his Son to pay the price for that love. Jesus tells us why this happened. God gave his son for the expressed purpose that everyone who believes in him may not perish but have eternal life. Jesus does not say that God gave his Son so that the elect chosen from before time may not perish. Jesus does not say that God gave his Son so that the people who wear the right clothes, drive the right cars and have the kids with the best manners and perfect teeth can have eternal life. He also doesn’t emphasize right belief in terms of exact doctrines or creeds. Jesus is much broader, more inclusive, more loving. He 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.” This simple statement is at the heart of our understanding of who God is and who we are to be. If we don’t get John 3:16, then the next verse illumines it further as Jesus says, “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.” That’s as straightforward as Jesus could make it. He did not come to condemn but to save. Those of us who are disciples are following Jesus’ example when we work toward salvation rather than condemnation. We too are not to condemn and we too are to work toward salvation. As we consider how we might go from knowing John 3:16 to living into its central message of reaching out to others with that same love that God has shown us, I want to share with you a video that puts this better than I can. It’s a bit off beat. But trust me and watch. John 3:16 is at the heart of this video. [Show the Evangelism
Training Network video, The Swimmer
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