John 3. 16

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life” (John 3. 16 – 21).

            In the verse above, Jesus’s mention of eternal life does not only speak of immortality or a future life in heaven, but it is also a metaphor for living now in the unending presence of God. By offering his life to be lifted up on the cross, Jesus makes eternal life possible for us. However, in this conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus continues to explain that because the light has come into the world,

“people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed” (John 3. 19 – 20).

            Once we are bathed in the Light and the Love of Christ, we are aware of our mis-behaviors and “when we stray like lost sheep,” we make every effort to shield our actions from the Light, from God. But the Light dispels the darkness, and God knows and sees what we do

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            The big name in the news right now is Florida’s very own Tim Tebow…a what a ruckus he is causing by letting his actions be bathed in the Light of Christ. He evangelizes with his actions, reinforcing his belief that the incarnation of Christ has given him new life and the unending presence of God. He even wears the words “John 3.16” on his cheeks for football games. He offends people mightily, and daily the media and others try to cast him into darkness in an effort to disguise his deeds.

 “But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God”(John 3. 21),

 and the Light shining on Tebow just seems to get brighter and brighter.  In fact, in the most recent game against the Patriots which the Broncos lost, Tebow scored a significant136 yards…not significant because it was a lot of yards, but because the numbers match the same ones that were on his cheek. Wow…