John 3:16 is printed on the sign that is flashed at various sporting events around the country. But before that there was another John 3:16. That John 3:16 was a bigger than life character, a Florida evangelist who had legally changed his name to the Bible verse. He wore outrageous suits and had a flashy diamond lapel pin spelling out his new name. An ex-con, he had been converted to Christ, and was determined to tell as many folks as he could about Jesus. While his life changing conversion was obvious, his in-your-face methods raised quite a few eyebrows.

Before either of these John 3:16’s there was another one. The original. This was not a message printed on a sign or an old time evangelist, but rather a matter of fact biblical statement of epic importance. You may have memorized it at an earlier stage in your life, but hear it fresh today: “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.”

This is the crux of the good news, this one Bible verse that announces God’s plan to save people, and tells exactly how God will do it. It only happens through Jesus Christ. Period. The verse then tells us what our response to this blunt statement is to be: believe Jesus. As we believe, we by faith receive the complete life God wants us to have, and we have it forever! If we do not believe, then we pay the consequences.

Over the years some well meaning but misguided Christians have trapped the spiritual reality of being “born again” into almost a parody of the real life changing encounter with Jesus Christ it is. Those excesses have caused some of us to shy away from this verse, or to not buy into this simple yet profound summary of the gospel. Yet if we ignore the Bible’s invitation to be born again we are the ones who are fools, for to be born again is the only way to become a Christian believer.

A time comes when we realize everything we know or do comes up short in comparison with God’s expectations of us. Our life has been lived in a certain direction, and now it must be turned around and given to Jesus Christ. This may or may not happen in the heat of spiritual passion. There may be a climatic moment that would make any old fashioned Bible thumper proud or it may be a process that is wrestled with over a period of time of soul searching. A person who has been born again may know the exact time and place, or may not have the slightest clue when they passed from death to life -- which is what really happens spiritually when this occurs. The one thing they know is that their hope is centered and fused in Jesus Christ, who alone is their Savior.

God so loved the world -- this is not to be dismissed as an amusing sign at ball games or an evangelistic publicity stunt. It is absolutely the most profound life changing and world changing proclamation I know. Don’t ever ignore John 3:16, for it holds the key to our redemption, and that is worth everything.

Blessings

Pastor Jon