FanStory.com - Spotlight on John and John 3:16by jim vecchio

Probably no other verse in our Bible has had more significance and meaning for us than John 3:16.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

This one verse, when understood and accepted, has turned many from wasted lives into transformed lives, full of meaning for the future.

But, this book, this man, how many out there know any of the details of this writing and his life? I would like to but touch upon some facts, in hopes they will be a blessing for you.

John knew this Jesus, both as God and as man. He loved Jesus and was loved in return. Many consider John’s words, as directed by The Holy Spirit, the deepest and most spiritusl book in the Bible. He is referred to as “the disciple whom Jeus loved.” The phrase "the disciple whom Jesus loved", is used six times in the Gospel of John).*

As John was so close to Jesus, it stands to reason, his writings truly reflect the words and nature of Christ.

These words were written in the late First Century. John’s goal was to inspire faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God. John writes about two great Christian tenets: Faith and Eternal Life.

A key verse in this Gospel is John 20:31. …These are written that you might believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing, you might have life through His name.”

If you do not believe, John 3:16 is meaningless.

Do you truly believe?

I believe I can sit down and write a 3,000 word essay in 30 minutes. But, unless I do so, my belief is meaningless. John and the disciples believed enough to put their former lives behind them and cling totally to their promised Messiah.

When I believed John 3:16, I realized my life was on a downward spiral. I had many bad habits, but was confident God would strengthen me. I forged ahead, did not count the cost, and was blessed immeasurably. There is nothing special about me. God will do the same to anyone who will accept Christ as their savior.

Interesting to note, John was the youngest of the twelve apostles. Jesus has special compassion for the young.

When John made his commitment to Christ, he continued to exercise his ministry, survived through banishment to Pathos, wrote the final book of the Bible, and died shortly after 97 B.C. He so believed in John 3:16 that he dedicated his life to its promise.

John 3:16 speaks of Christ as God’ s only begotten son. Throughout the Gospel of John, he teaches many of the other names men have come to know him, including, The Bread Of Life, The Eternal One, The Light Of The World, The Door, The Good Shepherd, The Resurrection and The Life, The Way, The Truth, and The Life, The True Vine, and others.

Christ’s revelation of himself as presented in John's Gospel had more perspective than in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke.

Christ’s status as The Son of God is mirrored in the one hundred plus times God is referred to as The Father, in this Gospel.

For John, for myself, and for countless individuals throughout the centuries since Christ walked upon this earth, John 3:16 has repaired, rewritten, and redirected our lives.