The greatest truth

Last Sunday, I once again had the opportunity of giving a short gospel message at a local nursing home. Over the past 10 months or so, I have been speaking from the gospel of John, starting at the very first verse and moving on bit by bit. This past Sunday was the day when I came to what is probably the most well-known verse in the Bible:

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. (John 3:16)

This one sentence has been translated into different languages of the whole world more often than any other sentence.

Why?

Because it tells us the most important message that people in the world need to hear today. For many reasons, John 3:16 is the greatest truth there is. Take a look at how this verse can be broken down:

God – the greatest Giver

so – the greatest degree

loved – the greatest motive

the world – the greatest company

that He gave – the greatest act

His only begotten Son – the greatest gift

that whosoever – the greatest invitation

believeth – the greatest decision

in Him – the greatest Person

should not perish – the greatest deliverance

but – the greatest difference

have – the greatest certainty

everlasting life – the greatest possession

(This breakdown has been slightly adjusted from a blog post I found on the internet a year or two ago and found to be very helpful for a Bible study I was preparing.)

God dramatically intervened in history some 2,000 years ago by sending His only Son to this world. Jesus Christ came to die for the sins of people from every tongue and tribe and nation. By placing our faith in Christ, we can have our sins forgiven and receive eternal life.

God’s invitation still is open to “whosoever”. The only question is: What will you do with Jesus? Will you believe in Him or reject Him? There is no other alternative. The world’s greatest truth calls for your greatest decision.