Daily Devotionals
DECEMBER 22, 2021
This is the fourth week of Advent. Our devotions this week are on the theme of “God So Loved the World.”
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
John 3:17
If you watch football on television or attend a game, you’re likely to see someone holding a banner with “John 3:16” written on it. This verse is probably the best-known verse in the Bible: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that whoever believes in Him will not perish but will have eternal life.” I have always loved the next verse, John 3:17, perhaps even more. But I’ve never seen “John 3:17” on a banner at a football game. John writes to tell his readers that God did not send Jesus to condemn the world. Sadly many Christians today believe that the way to spread the Gospel is by condemning those things with which they disagree. I guess they think that they can purify the world by trying to get rid of everything they think does not line up with God’s Word. As a result, non-Christians feel judged and condemned and are therefore even less likely to want to know the Savior we proclaim. The verse reminds us, however, that God did not send Jesus to condemn the world but instead to save the world. He sent Jesus to pay the penalty we owed but could not pay. He sent Jesus to offer the sacrifice we could not offer. He sent Jesus so that the world could be saved through His death on a cross at Golgotha and through His resurrection. Instead of judging and condemning sinners to a godless eternity, God made a way for those very sinners to enter into an eternity of wholeness and full life. He did so by sending His only Son, Jesus, into the world. And God sent Jesus because of how much He loved everyone in the world. We celebrate the birth of Jesus at Christmas. Let us also celebrate the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. It’s a whole package. And instead of sharing a message of condemnation, let’s join in sharing the truly Good News that God sent His Son to save us—all of us.
For Reflection
In what situations have you seen or experienced Christians who judge and condemn other people?
How does this verse help us to understand better what God was up to when He sent Jesus?
Prayer
Thank You, God, for loving all of us and sending Jesus to all of us. Help me to join in loving the world that You love. Amen.
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