Fun With Words


 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”John‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬ ‭ESV‬‬ 

For fun, I decided to challenge myself to find as many observations as possible in this verse by breaking it down word by word.


“For God”…refers to the person or thing that something is sent or given to, intended to help or benefit someone. In this case, the person is God.


“So…” means “to such a great extent” or extremely; very much. It evokes feelings of head over heels love. This verse reminds me of two of my favorite verses: “Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you…” from Isaiah ‭43‬:‭4‬ ‭ESV‬‬ and “The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” from Zephaniah ‭3‬:‭17‬ ‭ESV‬‬


The next word is “Loved”…a simple word with so much meaning. However, the world has twisted it to mean something I’m not sure it was intended to mean. God’s love, as described in the Bible, is sacrificial and unconditional. It’s not based on performance or behavior. I, for one, am grateful for that. Aren’t you?


“The World”…refers to the world, which is all-encompassing and inclusive, encompassing everyone, regardless of whether they are good, bad, rich, or poor. God shows no favoritism and loves us all, giving to all. 


“He Gave”…Gave is the past tense of Give, so God has given us His Son. His only Son, and there is no other. No one made Him give; God gives freely. Such a gift! Because He knew we could not save ourselves, He gave us Jesus to lead the way.


“Whoever”…again, this includes ALL. There are no stipulations, no restrictions, no qualifications, and no need to clean ourselves up first. Just anyone!


“Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.” Isaiah 55:1 ESV


“On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.” John 7:37 ESV


“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 ESV


“Believes in Him”…not just God, but also the Son. Jesus says, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.” John 14:1 ESV. And in John 6:29 (ESV), Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” Believe that God is who He says He is; believe in the truth of His Word, that His promises are true.


“Shall not perish”…firm determination; not happening. When we believe and place our trust in Jesus, we are saved; we will not perish, die in our sins, but are promised…


“Eternal life”…lasting forever, we will not die but will be with Jesus, always in His presence. No more pain, no more sorrow, no more death!


And that is all:)




Comments

  1. AnonymousApril 30, 2025 at 9:48 PM

    God knows exactly what we need❣️

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnonymousMay 7, 2025 at 4:30 AM

      Great word Mary. Thankyou for your fresh insight this am from a commonly reference passage.

      Delete

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