Gave

Lesson #43

Today our lesson will cover the next word in our collection of eight words, the word gave. We are looking at the section made up of John 3:16 – 18, which contain the famous verse “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). God gave his only Son because he loved the world so much. Before we go any further you should listen to the instruction John Piper gives at sound bite 19:25 to 23:13.

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. 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.

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.

Prayer

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