For God So Loved The World

He gave His only begotten son.

Yes, we all know that one. I’ll bet I’ve heard this most famous of Bible verses a million times over the course of my life. Yet, sometimes, it takes time to really understand the impact of these words.

In church this past weekend, we were witness to a baby receiving baptism, an always happy occasion full of hope and promise. The baby of course howled in protest at having water sprinkled on his bald little head, but the parents, godparents, family, and friends, as well as the congregation, just smiled and laughed warmly. Hey, we’ve all been there right? Besides, nobody wants cold water sprinkled on their head, now do they?

It really struck me how joyous this sacrament really is. It’s truly the welcoming if you will of another soul into God’s kingdom, done formally for family and friends. I wondered to myself about all the possibilities that were open to this little baby, the life he had all in front of him. What joy, what wondrous opportunities were in store for this little fellow. And the parents, well, they had equal amounts, if not more, joy just bursting out from inside of them, proud of this wee little lad they had brought into the world.

The gift of a child to parents, especially the first child in the family, must be an absolutely magnificent feeling.

As I was lying in bed on that Sunday evening, about to doze off to sleep, the familiar old Bible verse came into to my otherwise quiet mind. The words, “For God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son, Jesus Christ …” very quietly, yet strongly, scrolled through my head, as if sent to me by, well, God. And then, it hit me, like it has never hit me before. God willingly let his own Son, God made flesh, be put to death to atone for our collective sins, and provide us with everlasting life.

I thought about that little baby, being baptized on that glorious day. I thought about the obvious love the baby’s parents, heck all children’s parents, had for him, how proud they were, all full of hopes and dreams. Given that, what parent in their right mind could willingly let their child die for the sake of others? Yet, this is precisely what God did for us, on that cross that somber day.

He died for us. He died for me. I was so moved at the realization of this, that I began to cry a bit. Tears came down, tears of joy perhaps, or maybe just gratitude, but tears nonetheless. I’ve never truly considered, until now, what this all means.

Look, I am by no means the greatest Christian in the world. I struggle with my faith on a daily basis, and I’m not here to proselytize to you, or even try to convert you over, far from it. But, what happened to me with the realization that a loving Father in heaven loved me so much, that He sacrificed everything for me, has never made such an impact on me in all of my life. I cannot imagine sacrificing my own child for millions of people I’ll never know, yet God loved me enough, and you enough, to do this very thing.

Today, I’m still awestruck by this realization. Yes, I’ve known this verse, and what the crucifixion means, for most of my life. But it never mattered like it mattered on a quiet Sunday evening, just before sleep. Given this knowledge, of what should we ever be afraid? Given this knowledge, why should we ever hate? Given this knowledge, why should we ever not be grateful for every minute we are alive?

Yes, I feel different today, I feel incredibly loved, and forgiven. I do hope this feeling lasts. I really can’t imagine my life now without this knowledge.

There’s a God in heaven folks who happens to care about what we do a great, great deal. I’ve let Him down numerous times in my life, and will do so I’m afraid numerous times more. But today, perhaps, I’m taking my first small steps towards home.

Or, perhaps I should say Home. After all, I think God is calling us Home from the moment we are born.

-The Minister