Reflection on John 3:16

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Wednesday, April 22, 2020

The Gospel of John began with a thunderbolt: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… (John 1:1-5) and in today’s Gospel, there is another thunderbolt, another great flash that lights heaven and earth: God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life (John 3:16). This verse is one of the most familiar verses of all Scripture, unfortunately, its familiarity has cooled and taken away some of its radical pronouncement and significance. John 3:16 is a twenty-seven word parade of hope. It is the alphabet of grace, a table of contents of the Christian hope and the consolation of all. It tells us that God’s fundamental attitude toward the human race is love; that everything God does for us is out of love for us. From the first letter of John we get to know why God behaves the way he does towards us— it has to do with his very nature: God is love (1 John 4:16).

John 3:16 is the entire gospel in a nutshell. It sums up God’s nature, God’s plan and God’s intention. John 3:16 is Christmas. It is the Paschal mystery (passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. How? God gave his only begotten Son to the world when he took to himself a nature like ours (John 1:14). He gave his only begotten Son to be lifted up on the cross, to die and to rise, (John 3:14) which is the ultimate demonstration of his love. Although the human race was extremely estranged from God, God, nevertheless, went to the extreme length of giving his only begotten Son, so that every one who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. “The natural fate of the flesh is to perish and decay,” but when the Word took on flesh and was lifted up, he also lifts up the flesh to eternal life. God’s primary purpose for giving his only begotten Son to the world is to enable men and women to have eternal life, to share in his own life. That is the amazing thing God did for us out of amazing love. 

As the world grapple with a pandemic, it feels good to remember who God is. It feels amazing to keep in mind that God loves us. It feels awesome to remember that amazing grace flows from amazing love; awesome love flows from the awesome God, and great love flows from the great God. It is a joyful news to know that no one can disqualify you from the love of God. Not death. Not pain. Not anguish. Not divorce. Not guilt. 

Even if you are only good for junk-yard, God will continue to love you. Why? Because God is love. He has handcuffed himself to you in love, and he alone owns the only key. The amazing news is that God has no needs, so we cannot wear him out. He is ageless, so we cannot lose him. He is sinless, so we cannot corrupt him. We cannot win his love by being winsome, or loose it by being a loser or a failure. But we can resist his love. God’s love is unconditional. We don’t deserve it, but God still gives it to us. This is the greatest news!