Eishah Smith

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Yesterday, we started a new look at John 3:16, and today we’re still using our imagination for this reading.

Oh, how much God loved this world, everything in it, and all it could accomplish for him and the rest of the creation. Like any good Father, He loved it with his whole being. What most don’t realize is this world and especially the humans made in His image were created to show his true character (Ephesians 1:5,6) against some very serious allegations, accusations that He was unkind and unfair, nepotistic and partial, arbitrary and inconsistent, unfit to rule His kingdom (Isaiah 14:12-14; Revelation 12:10). This creation more than just a fun project.

So when Adam and Eve chose to disobey, it not only broke His fatherly heart, even though He knew it was coming, it also threatened the foundation of His government (Genesis 3:9; Ezekiel 33:11). All heaven felt the shock. This was the one thing that couldn’t go wrong. He had put everything on the line to make this world.

The Son reminded Him of the contingency plans: He would become a man, live a perfect life with the Spirit’s help, die in man’s place, rise from the dead, show everyone what the Father was like, and enable all who believed it possible to receive the Spirit and live a new life just like the Son (John 1:12; 14:8-14). All was not lost. They’d planned for this possibility (Prov 15:22; Rev 13:8).

But God becoming human was a one way journey, there was no way back (Isaiah 9:6; Romans 8:26). While it came at a great cost, it would show the Father’s love in an even greater way (1 Corinthians 6:20)). It would redeem God’s reputation that had been so slandered by His enemies. It would save as many humans as possible, all who chose to participate. It would restore His government, order, peace and love to the entire universe and all created beings in it. The choice was hard. He would lose His Son to us or lose everything for everyone.

God, who so loved the world, gave up His Son, so that anyone who believed in Him, would not have to perish, but have everlasting life, just as they planned it.