For
God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone
who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son
into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. There
is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not
believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God's one and only
Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God's light came into the world,
but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil.
All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins
will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can
see that they are doing what God wants. John 3:16-21 NLT
God so loved the world that He gave
His only son to them...and if they believed,
they would have eternal life.
Jesus is the Light of the World.
Meditate
on the most well-known verse in the Bible, John 3:16.
Only
ten days until Christmas. What is special about that day to you? How do you
celebrate or recognize it as an important day? Is it all about giving gifts and
especially about receiving presents? Do you rush around at the last minute and shop
until you drop…or begin shopping the day after Christmas for Christmas next
year…and continually make your lists? Is the important thing during the holiday
season centered around food, gifts, and parties?
Do
you commemorate Christmas as a Christian holiday, attending special services on
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day? This scripture passage today contains the most
well-known Bible verse, John 3:16. For God loved the world so much that he
gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish
but have eternal life. That is what the true meaning of Christmas is all
about. God gave us His Son, Jesus, who was born in a stable in Bethlehem. Jesus
Christ, the Messiah, became the source of eternal life to everyone who would
believe in Him. To believe in Jesus is to acknowledge that He is the Son of God,
to trust Him to be your Savior, doing what is right, living, and sharing Jesus’
truth with others. Do you give gifts to others to remember that there were Wise
Men who traveled great distances who brought gifts to the young child, Jesus,
that possibly financed His family for years?
Is
that Christmas to you? How do you share your value of Christmas—what it means
to you—with others? Write a comment below and share your view of this holiday
with others.
Prayer
– Lord Jesus, please give me insight into the reason that You were born when
and where You were. There are so many details about Your birth and life that I
would love to know. What was life like for Your mother and stepfather in
Nazareth, how long You lived in Bethlehem, what was it like in Egypt, how many
people traveled with the Wise Men…just where were they from and how long did
they stay? So many questions…so little time. These may seem like insignificant
questions—and as we are transformed one day into forever bodies, will we immediately
know the answers? I just trust You, Jesus, to one day transmit the information
to me. Will it make any difference? For now, I need to focus on Your great commission.
Jesus came and told his disciples,
"I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and
make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and
the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands
I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of
the age." Matthew
28:18-20 NLT
Verses
of Salvation ~ For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died
for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous person; though perhaps
for the good person someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His
own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved
from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were
reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been
reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only this, but we
also celebrate in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now
received the reconciliation. Romans
5:6-11 NASB20 (Underlined for emphasis.)
When
we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us
sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person,
though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially
good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us
while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God's sight
by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God's
condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of
his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved
through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new
relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God. Romans 5:6-11 NLT (Underlined for
emphasis.)
© 2025 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All
rights reserved.
All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless
otherwise noted.
New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale
House Foundation.
Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream,
Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®,
Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.Lockman.org
Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.
Books by Mickey M.
Hunacek
Available as e-books or paperbacks at Amazon.com
Parenting Day By Day - Daily Devotional for Building Character
Coins in the Bible: New Testament Stories
No comments:
Post a Comment