If you have little kids in your life, you are no stranger to the question, "Why?" If you hear this question frequently, you may be so tired of hearing it that you eventually want to answer, "Because I said so!” While we may grow weary of being asked this question, it is a good question to ask and answer. Why? It is helpful because understanding the motive behind a decision gives us a better understanding of why decisions were made and gives us perspective. Did you know that Scripture tells us why Jesus left heaven, came to earth, and faced an agonizing death on the cross? Jesus did all of this because He loves you.
Jesus explained exactly why God the Father sent Him to earth to die on the cross in John chapter 3. In this chapter, Jesus was talking to a Pharisee named Nicodemus. During their interaction, Jesus explained to Nicodemus how a person can have eternal life. As Jesus explained the message of salvation to Nicodemus, He said the very, very well-known words found in John 3:16: “For this is how God loved the World: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” Why did God the Father send Jesus? He sent Jesus because He loves the people of the world.
We are so familiar with this verse that if we are not careful, we may miss part of this verse’s significance. Look at the first four words of this verse: “For this is how…” With these four words, Jesus explained the extent of God the Father’s love to Nicodemus. His love moved far beyond words. God showed the world how much He loves us by sending Jesus, His one and only Son, to the world to die for our sins. In other words, Jesus' life on earth, death, and resurrection are proof of just how much God loves His people.
My friend, if you ever question if you are loved, look to Jesus. If you ever wonder if you are wanted, look to Jesus. If you ever doubt your worth, look to Jesus. God proved just how much He loves you, how much He wants you to have eternal life, and how valuable you are to Him when He came to earth and paid the ultimate price for your sins on the cross. Walk confidently in His love today.
You have a God who did whatever it took to rescue you. He deserves your worship and praise. Make plans to worship Him at one of our weekend services, praising Him for His marvelous, never-ending love for you. May your worship signify your love for Him, too.
There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. 2 After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.”
3 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
4 “What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”
5 Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. 6 Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. 7 So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.”
9 “How are these things possible?” Nicodemus asked.
10 Jesus replied, “You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things? 11 I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you won’t believe our testimony. 12 But if you don’t believe me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man has come down from heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.
16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.
18 “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. 19 And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. 20 All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. 21 But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.”
