This is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
A celebrated poet once said, “Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.”[1]
We all crave this kind of love. We want siblings who stand up for us and parents who embrace us on tough days and help us through our struggles. We want friends who stay by our side no matter what, and we long to be people capable of such steadfast love. The best love stories, movies, and songs celebrate a love that never lets go.
The greatest example of this love is found in Jesus. Even when we humans chose our own way and were dying in sin, God couldn’t turn His face away. He promised a solution, and in the Bible, we find out what it was: “This is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
Jesus, God’s Son, came to restore all things, even when it cost Him His life. Every barrier to our healing and wholeness, Jesus took on without wavering. He was born and lived as a human to empathize with us in every way. Jesus declared Himself our Healer, curing every sickness and disease of all who were brought to Him. Finally, hardest of all, Jesus died and took the full penalty and punishment of all sin—enduring both God’s anger at sin and humanity’s torture. When Jesus rose from the dead, He declared victory over sin and death.
Jesus has pursued you to offer everything: healing, forgiveness, restoration, love, relationship, joy, and peace. If you long for a relentless love, Jesus alone satisfies!
[1] Angelou, Maya. Celebrations: Rituals of Peace and Prayer. Random House, 2006.
