John 3:14-17
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
In recognition of our Christmas gifting tradition, I issue a challenge to all God’s children this morning to register their one most pressing request to our Father. Meaning, if you only had one request for Christmas, what would you ask for?
There are no wrong answers here. We each can think of hundreds of things we could ask for. World peace. The end of hunger. Personal health, wealth and prosperity. No more hate or racism. You can’t be mad at any of these wonderful aspirations. But as for me, one request stands head and shoulders above all else in my mind, and that’s salvation for all God’s people.
As much as I might personally aspire to be great, or have an abundance of wisdom, wealth, riches and fame, salvation for myself and all those I know and love is much more important. And then I can’t truly ask for salvation for a few without knowing my request is a far cry from what God intended for humanity. For me, it’s all or nothing. I want everybody to experience the joys of salvation. Everybody!
The Gospel of John is famously known for the above stanza; specifically, verse 16: For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. This Word is so significant because it expresses in no uncertain terms the unmeasurable affection of God for His creation. His love was so deep and complete that he emptied Himself of His power, authority and glory to come to earth in the form of a servant. A martyr. A sacrifice taking our place. But the passage doesn’t end there. There is an important note we (preachers) often fail to mention. Not only did God send his Son to secure our salvation, but Jesus ignored our sinful nature and covered us even though we weren’t worthy. Face it, we are all guilty. But we are not condemned. And that is the greatest present of all.
Think about it this way. Imagine you are a convicted felon. There’s sufficient evidence to put you on death row. But because of a glitch in the system, your defense attorney is also your judge. Justice says you should die. But when the verdict is read, the judge hollers, “Case dismissed,” with one condition. He remands you to the care and responsibility of the court appointed counselor for the rest of your life. Actually for eternity.
Well, that’s what God has done for you and me; and for all willing to surrender to the authority and loving kindness of Jesus Christ. So, for those reasons, and a million more, my request and prayer for this Christmas is salvation for everyone.
I’m gonna need a lot of wrapping paper for this one..lol.
God Bless
