Zoe: Abundant Life

I am sure you have seen the signs of John 3:16 at sporting events. Recently, this has made a comeback, and I love it.

Zoe: Abundant Life

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

(John 3:16)

I am sure you have seen the signs of John 3:16 at sporting events. Recently, this has made a comeback, and I love it. It is neat to see how many believers are leveraging their influence and wealth to help get the message of God's love out to as many as they can. We see this on College Gameday every Saturday morning in the fall. Each week, it seems someone in the audience has a Christian banner or flag. I also think of the "He Gets Us" campaign which ran ads even during the Super Bowl. The cost of an ad was: $8 Million for a 30-second slot. Wow!

But the John 3:16 signs at sporting events have their genesis in a man named Rollen Stewart. He was part of the spiritual awakening in our nation in 1970 known as the Jesus Movement. Stewart joined many others in displaying the signs at sporting events, but what made him stand out was that he wore a rainbow afro wig, and he would dance around so the cameras would notice him. (Source.)

Here are a couple of John 3:16 signs at sporting events:

"God so loved..." What a wonderful statement. God's nature is one of love. He created this fabulous world in which we live. His love spills out to us in the breath in our lungs, a new sunrise each day, a newborn's eyes, and an innumerable number of other things we experience. The Greek word translated "love" is agape, the word which describes a selfless, sacrificial act of helping and intervening. There were other Greek words Jesus could have used, but He chose this one, as it is the greatest. In 1 John 4:8, the Bible says, "God is love." Another verse that points to God's love for us in sending Jesus is Romans 5:8: "But God demonstrated His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

"The world" is the Greek word cosmos, which includes you and me, God's highest form of creation.

"That He gave His only begotten Son..." True love is a giving love. The very nature and definition of agape is it is an act that gives sacrificially. God gave us His best because He loves us the most of all His creation. He became a man and lived on this earth for 33 years. Why? Why did Jesus come? And why did He have to die? This gets to the very heart of Christianity. God is holy. Man is sinful; we are born sinners, and we choose to sin. So, there is a problem—how can sinful man enter into the presence of holy God? We cannot earn our way, though many religions say you can. The difference between Christianity and all other religions is, instead of us reaching up to God, God reaches down to us in love by sending Jesus His Son to die in our place.

Jesus offers this abundant zoe (the Greek word translated "life" in John 3:16) to all who will believe. If you have not already, right now, call upon the Lord to save you. Believe in Him and He will freely pardon you and grant to you an abundant and eternal life!

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Podcast of the Week

Jesus, Family, & Ministry, with Dr. Nathan Lorick

Pastor Danny welcomes to the show his friend Dr. Nathan Lorick, Executive Director of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention to share his testimony, about his role in the SBTC, and about keeping your priorities straight as a full-time minister.

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