For God So Loved The World……That’s You!

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.

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,

But to save the world through him.

John 3:16-17

Valentine’s Day seems like almost a fantasy of what we all want love to look like. Because of that, it is also a day that reveals what love is not. Valentine’s Day is a wonderful sentiment, but it cannot give healing to hurting relationships.

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season in our church year when we ponder what Jesus did to save us. It is a time to meditate on the reality of what it took for Jesus to forgive us. His persecution and suffering at the hands of the world that hated him. His tortured body spilling out the blood that cleansed us as he hung on the cross.

God did the unimaginable act of love. He so loved the world that he gave his One and Only Son to die for every one of us. I cannot imagine giving up one of my children as a sacrifice to take the punishment for someone who has over the top hate/ hurt me, but God the Father did just that, for the world…that means you and me. 

Jesus came into the reality of the ugliness of our not so Valentine relationships, our passive aggressive maneuvers, our emotional and physical abuse, our addictions, our neglect and the ugly mess of our not so sweethearts.

He came not to condemn us, but to rescue us from ourselves by making us holy and blameless before his Father.

It is a fact. We are receivers of much more than a beautiful Valentine sentiment. We are heirs with Christ of the eternal heavenly banquet of his rich grace. We are loved by our Bridegroom Jesus who died to be with us forever. 

The fact of God’s love is unchanged by anything we have done, are doing, or will do. He simply wants us to receive.

A Daily Prayer:
O Jesus, Thank you for sending your Holy Spirit to give us faith in you as our Savior. Thank you for the gift of your death and resurrection that makes us holy in our Father’s sight. You know the exhausting, terrible ways we mess up and yet you yearn for us to know your love that never fails. Increase our trust in you and give us your peace that passes understanding. Invade the hearts of those we love that are far from you and give them your gift of life forever. Amen.

Family Conversation Starter

What makes God’s love different from any other love?

What did God do to love you?

You are holy and blameless in God’s sight.  What does it mean to you that everything you are ashamed of is forgiven?

Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent. It is a good time to listen to God’s love letter in his Word at church and at home. 

Here are the Gospel accounts of the week that Jesus went to the cross for us.

Matthew 21-28

Mark 12-16

Luke 22-24

John 12-21