Grace and Truth, John 3:16-36

This passage gives such a full picture of who God is.

Verse 16 is famous, assuring us that God loved us so much he sent his Son as a sacrifice to pay for our sin and bring us back in relationship with God.

Verse 17 has always been a comfort to me, emphasizing that Jesus’s purpose was not to condemn us but to save us.

What a beautiful expression of God’s amazing, gracious love for us.

God is also, without a doubt, a God of wrath. He will not relate to those whose sin has not been paid for.

Verses 18 and 36 clearly state that the salvation Jesus offers is only for those who accept and believe in him. Those who do not believe in and accept Jesus are still under God’s wrath and punishment.

This is scary, but it is a clear and true description of the full nature of God. There is no room to argue about it.

Fortunately, the love of God is so enormous that he seeks and woos us.

In verse 19, we are told that one of Jesus’s names is light. And if we accept his truth, we get to be a part of his light.

This chapter is also an excellent picture of the humility of John the Baptist. I have such respect for him.

John never claimed to be anyone except a person pointing to Jesus. He claimed no special position for himself, but said he needed to decrease in importance.

In verse 29, John explains that his own joy has comes from Jesus being glorified.

Thank you, Father, for this wonderful example of what a Christian can be like.