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14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life." 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. 18 He who believes in him is not condemned; he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does what is true comes to the light, that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been wrought in God. (John 3:14-21 Revised Standard Version)
Happy Monday, dear Friend! May God bring you a new revelation of faith and joy that will transform and bless you; that is my prayer for you. I already count you as a blessing because of your faith and your willingness to pray for others when needs arise in their lives. I truly felt your prayers this weekend as I shared with you in my prayer request. God brought us safely to Houston after a LONG day of travel from Orlando to Austin to Houston. All praise be to God for all. Let me just brief you that Caitlin is well and awaiting the baby's decision; Tuesday will be when her OB/GYN will induce labor. Eli is doing well and loving being with his grandma and grandpa. Again, my thanks to you for your willingness to pray for us.
My life was forever impacted by my years in Sunday school. I had wonderful teacher in all the classes that I was blessed to attend. Of all that I learned in those many years and countless Sundays, one truth was steadfast and strong: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." And it would be some years after I learned and loved this verse that I would hear the story of the great Karl Barth, theologian and author of many books on the Christian faith including his Church Dogmatics, a 14-volume opus on the faith, when asked to sum up his faith said, "Jesus loved me, this I know for the Bible tells me so." Boom.
Our lesson takes us today when Jesus speaks again of His coming death. Jesus reminds his audience of Moses' encounter with God when the people were being bitten by snakes and wanted to be saved from that, and God had Moses build a serpent and to hang that on a pole lifted up so the people could see it and believe and be saved. Jesus is now referencing Himself as He who must be lifted up so that we might live. And it is here that Jesus uses this to show the immense depth of God's love for us in sharing the verse that so many love and share: For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son..." Yes.
God's ultimate expression of love is the gift of his Son, Jesus Christ, who came into the world not to condemn us but to offer us salvation and eternal life. Through faith in Christ, we are liberated from condemnation and granted the promise of eternal life with God.
Yet, Jesus acknowledges that not all will embrace the light of his truth. Some will choose to remain in darkness, preferring to conceal their deeds rather than expose them to the light. The light of Christ illuminates our lives, revealing both our righteousness and our sinfulness. It is a light that invites us to repentance, transformation, and a life lived in accordance with God's will.
As followers of Christ, we are called to walk in the light, allowing God's truth to guide our thoughts, words, and actions. When we embrace the light of Christ, our deeds are made visible as being wrought in God. Our lives become a testimony to God's grace and goodness, shining brightly for all to see.
Today, let us reflect on the profound love of God revealed in Jesus Christ. May we choose to step out of the darkness and into the light of his truth, allowing his love to transform us from within. May our lives bear witness to the power of God's love and the redemption found in Christ alone.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for the incomparable gift of your Son, Jesus Christ, who came into the world to save us. Help us to embrace the light of his truth and walk in obedience to your will. May our lives be a reflection of your love and grace, drawing others into relationship with you. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord. YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Let us walk in obedience to the Lord, sharing His light and pointing to His love.
I love you and I thank God for you,
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
