By Chris Wall/Mesquite Baptist Church

John 3:16-19

Certainly the most famous verse in all of the Bible would be John 3:16. We see it on bumper stickers, at sporting events and a host of other places, but how

Chris Wall

many of us have truly taken time to examine that verse in light of our own lives? Furthermore, how many of us have examined that verse in its broader context and looked at the verses surrounding it?

In this passage, we have a man named Nicodemus, a Pharisee (one who knows the Old Testament law with great depth), asking Jesus about who He is and His teachings. Nicodemus, along with a host of other Jewish listeners, could not believe that Jesus was claiming to be the Son of God. Literally to be equal with God.

Jesus went on to explain that Nicodemus had to be born-again. This is not a physical birth, but rather a spiritual one in which a person sees their need for Christ and places their faith in Him.

This is when Jesus makes the declaration that God expressed His love to the world in that He (God) sent Jesus to die on the cross so that all who place their faith in Him may have eternal life. This is the great and glorious news! That just as Romans 8:1 states “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

However, the other side of the equation is what we often do not hear. That is that those who do not place their faith in Christ stand condemned already. Why are they condemned? The reason is quite simple: because they have disobeyed their Creator. They have violated His law and blasphemed His ways. They do not love Him. 

The answer to reconciliation with God is found in perfection. The problem is that all of us on our best day are far from perfect. As a matter of fact, we are much more sinful than we know. That is why Jesus came to be the perfection that we never could. He lived and died and was raised again all in perfection because He is perfect. 

Place your faith in Him so that you may know that you are reconciled to God today!

Chris Wall is Pastor of Mesquite Baptist Church, 742 W. Pioneer Blvd., Suite A. Sunday worship is at 10:30. We can also be found on Facebook and our website: mesquitebaptistchurch.com