I’m convinced that we can all quote John 3:16…ready go… Now, let’s look at the next sentence that we do not have memorized, but we should absolutely know by heart. “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him will not be condemned.” I would like to just sit with these two statements for a bit. PAUSE. God didn’t send His heart into the world to be a voice of blame or doom or accusation, but he gave us His heart to save us FROM death so that He could save us FOR heaven. Why? Because He “so loved the world” and I’m going to make it personal, because He so loves me, and because He so loves you. I find that when I use general terms like God loves the world or everyone that I start to think that because He loves all that His love is somehow not personal, but unspecific. The fact of the matter is that God’s love is personal and He would send Jesus if I was the only one in the world and He would send Jesus if you were the only one in the world. It has to be this way or else I get caught up in lies such as “well God is so busy tending to everyone else in the world, He doesn’t have time for my silly little self,” or “other people are suffering so much more than I am so God is focused on them,” or “how can He possibly love me when I am just one among 8 billion?”
God is so much bigger than our finite mind can imagine and it is that mystery that woos us into relationship. Years ago we had a youth retreat called “God Is Bigger Than” and on our t-shirts we had a list of all kinds of things such as, “God is bigger than Wal-Mart, God is bigger than a California Burrito, God is bigger than the Beatles, etc.” We also listed deeper level things like, “God is bigger than my fear, God is bigger than shame, God is bigger than religion, and God is bigger than hate.” The bigness of God knew that we needed a face to connect with, eyes to gaze into, a heart to place our ear against, a voice to listen to, and a hand to touch, so He sent us His Son. Jesus is the face of love, the eyes of grace, the voice of mercy, and the kiss of peace. He is ours to behold and he is ours to be held by. He lives in every single one of us that believe because in our believing we have set a dwelling for him inside our soul. This light gently warms us into blessedness, tenderly pierces the darkness with which we have become so comfortable, and slowly adjusts our eyes to see the way he sees. His presence is never bossy or rude, but a loving and intimate gift waiting for us to notice. The bigness of God is an ocean of lovely all around us, but the personal love of God is a still small voice within us. It sings when we are lonely, it whispers when we can’t see, it breathes when we are afraid, it calls when we are lost, it shouts when we need to know, it speaks life when we want to choose death. The one thing His voice does not do, as our gospel so powerfully reminds us today, is condemn. Any words or voices of condemnation are NOT of God, friends. I am going to lovingly repeat that. Any words or voices of condemnation are NOT of God, friends. Jesus came to save, not condemn, so I encourage all of us to let him be your savior today. It’s what he came to do and it’s what he loves to do more than anything else. Our weakness, our sin, and our limits allow God to be God and Jesus to do what he loves doing most. God is bigger than…you fill in the blank with something that you need to surrender today. It is well with my soul.
Reading 1 ACTS 5:17-26
The high priest rose up and all his companions,
that is, the party of the Sadducees,
and, filled with jealousy,
laid hands upon the Apostles and put them in the public jail.
But during the night, the angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison,
led them out, and said,
"Go and take your place in the temple area,
and tell the people everything about this life."
When they heard this,
they went to the temple early in the morning and taught.
When the high priest and his companions arrived,
they convened the Sanhedrin,
the full senate of the children of Israel,
and sent to the jail to have them brought in.
But the court officers who went did not find them in the prison,
so they came back and reported,
"We found the jail securely locked
and the guards stationed outside the doors,
but when we opened them, we found no one inside."
When the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard this report,
they were at a loss about them,
as to what this would come to.
Then someone came in and reported to them,
"The men whom you put in prison are in the temple area
and are teaching the people."
Then the captain and the court officers went and brought them,
but without force,
because they were afraid of being stoned by the people.
that is, the party of the Sadducees,
and, filled with jealousy,
laid hands upon the Apostles and put them in the public jail.
But during the night, the angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison,
led them out, and said,
"Go and take your place in the temple area,
and tell the people everything about this life."
When they heard this,
they went to the temple early in the morning and taught.
When the high priest and his companions arrived,
they convened the Sanhedrin,
the full senate of the children of Israel,
and sent to the jail to have them brought in.
But the court officers who went did not find them in the prison,
so they came back and reported,
"We found the jail securely locked
and the guards stationed outside the doors,
but when we opened them, we found no one inside."
When the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard this report,
they were at a loss about them,
as to what this would come to.
Then someone came in and reported to them,
"The men whom you put in prison are in the temple area
and are teaching the people."
Then the captain and the court officers went and brought them,
but without force,
because they were afraid of being stoned by the people.
Responsorial Psalm PS 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9
R.(7a) The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly will hear me and be glad.
R.The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Glorify the LORD with me,
let us together extol his name.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The angel of the LORD encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
Taste and see how good the LORD is;
blessed the man who takes refuge in him.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly will hear me and be glad.
R.The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Glorify the LORD with me,
let us together extol his name.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The angel of the LORD encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
Taste and see how good the LORD is;
blessed the man who takes refuge in him.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Alleluia JN 3:16
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
God so love the world that he gave his only-begotten Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
God so love the world that he gave his only-begotten Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel JN 3:16-21
God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world might be saved through him.
Whoever believes in him will not be condemned,
but whoever does not believe has already been condemned,
because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God.
And this is the verdict,
that the light came into the world,
but people preferred darkness to light,
because their works were evil.
For everyone who does wicked things hates the light
and does not come toward the light,
so that his works might not be exposed.
But whoever lives the truth comes to the light,
so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world might be saved through him.
Whoever believes in him will not be condemned,
but whoever does not believe has already been condemned,
because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God.
And this is the verdict,
that the light came into the world,
but people preferred darkness to light,
because their works were evil.
For everyone who does wicked things hates the light
and does not come toward the light,
so that his works might not be exposed.
But whoever lives the truth comes to the light,
so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.
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