Anchor My Faith

Gave

Scripture: John 3:16

Today our lesson will cover the next word in our collection of eight words, the word gave. These eight words come from John 3:16 (ESV): “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” God gave his only Son because he loved the world so much.

What does our text reveal to us about this word give? First, we know what God gave was from heaven. Second, looking ahead to verse 17 we see that the word gave is replaced with the word send: “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” Using the word send makes this much more personal because it involves a command and obedience to that command. God the Father is commanding his Son to go to the world and take on flesh and do something for them that they desperately need. The Son needs to consider the command and what it means and decide whether to go.

Looking ahead to John 10:17 – 18 we read, “For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father” (ESV). Jesus, the eternal Son of God is being asked to take on a body of flesh and lay it down after taking on our sin and drinking the cup of God’s wrath for our sin in our place. This is what God gave means in John 3:16.

Prior to laying down his life, Jesus again made a decision of obedience. This took place in the garden before he was arrested. In Matthew 26:29 (ESV) we read: “And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, ‘My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”’ Jesus knew what suffering lay ahead, but he was willing to suffer and die for us in obedience to the Father giving him as the perfect sacrifice.

To help get your mind around this think of you as a father who has a son and you say to him, “There is something I want you to do for me: I have some enemies that deserve to perish, and I want you to go and die in their place, so that they can have eternal life.” How radical is that? That is what God asked Jesus to do and we are those enemies he came to die for. This is what our God is like. Because of his love for us he gave his only Son.

Prayer

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Father, how much you must love us to send your beloved, most holy Son to become sin in our place and drink from your cup of wrath that was meant for us. Lord, how could you do that for us? How can you possibly love us that much? I confess that our lives do not reflect the surrender needed to respect what you accomplished for us. I ask for your forgiveness and your continued work in our hearts.