The Cost of Showing You Care
Despite the sluggish U.S. economy, this year lovebirds still planned to shell out an average of $123 each on Valentine’s Day, up from $120 last year and eclipsing the $101 of 2006. The total estimated cost for the U.S.: $17 billion, according to estimates by the National Retail Federation.
The federation’s survey polled 8,447 consumers and found that 61 percent planned to celebrate the holiday. The most romantic age group was the 18- to 24-year-old set, 72 percent of which were getting ready to shower their sweethearts with everything from candy to jewelry this February. But it was the 25- to 34-year-olds who planned to spend the most cash—$160 on average. Men intended to spend $163 on their valentines; women, just $84. Some of the most popular gifts men said they would buy were flowers (58.2 percent), candy (45.0 percent) and jewelry (26.5 percent).
Love by the Numbers: 2008
• Sweets for Your Sweetie
This year, confectioners were churning out between 8 billion and 9 billion conversation hearts (enough to stretch from coast to coast and back again), as well as 36 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolates, according to the National Confectioners Association.
• Putting It on Paper
Nearly 57% of both men and women planned to purchase Valentine’s cards this year, down from 63% in 2007. While electronic cards have elbowed in a bit, paper Valentine’s cards are still huge business, with approximately 190 million cards sold each year, according to Hallmark.
• Bountiful Blooms
America’s 22,753 florist shops sold 214 million roses for Valentine’s Day in 2007, up from 189 million in 2006, according to the Society of American Florists. Valentine’s Day is the No. 1 holiday for florists, capturing 36% of all holiday fresh-cut flower purchases and 40% of the dollar volume.
• Just “I Do” It
According to one survey, 2.3 million marriages take place in the U.S. each year—more than 6,000 “You-may-kiss-the-brides” per day—though just 9% of marriages happen in February. For lovers contemplating the plunge, expect to shell out an average of $4,435 for a ring. Average cost of the big ceremony: $27,852.
(The above information was taken from “The Cost of Showing You Care” by Melanie Linder.)
We spend lots of money every Valentine’s Day to show our love. But there is a limit to what we will spend.
But when God wanted to show the world how much He loves us, He spared no expense. He didn’t give us gifts purchased at a store. He gave us His Son, Jesus Christ. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Last week I began a new series on John 3 called Eternal Life: The Live Jesus Gives. Today I am going to share with you part 2: Love Without Limits.
1“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”
In the original Greek, there are no quotation marks. So we don’t know if these words are from Jesus or John. But whether they were spoken by Jesus or written later by John, these words are true and extremely important to us today.
John 3:16 has been called “the heart of the Bible.” Let’s learn about God’s love by examining this verse piece by piece.
1. “For God” – The greatest LOVER
If we wanted to learn the meaning of the word “love,” we might look in a dictionary. [Pick up dictionary] But a dictionary is not the best place to look for a definition of “love.” The Bible says, “God is love” (1 John 4:8, 16). God defines love. If we want to know what love is, we must know who God is and what He has done.
2. “So loved” – The greatest LOVE
The word “so” emphasizes the intensity of God’s love. “For God loved the world so much…” (NLT).
[Open dictionary] Here is how the dictionary (Merriam-Webster Online) defines “love”: (1) strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties (maternal love for a child); (2) attraction based on sexual desire; (3) affection based on admiration, benevolence, or common interests (love for his old schoolmates).
According to the dictionary, love is only shown to those who are easy to love: family members, close friends, a beautiful woman or a handsome man, and those who are admirable, kind, and like-minded. That’s not God’s love. His love is a love without limits. It’s a love that extends to everyone—to “the world.”
3. “The world” – The greatest NEED
“The world” means people, not a planet. God’s love is not limited to only a few. His love extends to all mankind.
The Bible describes humanity as sinful. We have turned away from God. But we still matter to Him.
[Show a $20 bill] How much is this piece of paper worth? [Show another $20 bill and then crumple it up] How much is this piece of paper worth? They both are worth the same: $20. No matter who we are, what we look like, or what we’ve done, we are valued by God. He loves you and me the same as He loves every other person on earth.
The Bible says, “The wages of sin is death [physical, spiritual, and eternal death]” (Romans 6:23). The world is in need of salvation. God saw our need; and, in His love, did something about it.
Someone has said, “In the gospel, we discover we are far worse off than we thought, and far more loved that we ever dreamed.”
4. “That he gave” – The greatest EXAMPLE
Love is self-giving for the benefit of others. God demonstrated His love for us by giving us His Son. He gave us His Son (1) by sending Him into the world and (2) by sending Him to the cross. He saw our need of salvation and gave His Son to meet our need.
The Bible says that we are to follow God’s example. “Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (1 John 4:11).
5. “His one and only Son” – The greatest SACRIFICE
Centuries before God gave the world His Son, another father was asked by God to make the same sacrifice. That father’s name was Abraham. God said to him, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about” (Genesis 22:2). In the end, Abraham discovered that God only wanted to test his obedience. Isaac was spared. But Jesus, God’s Son, was not spared. What Abraham was asked to do, God did. He sacrificed His only Son.
In the story of Abraham and Isaac, we find the first occurrence of the word “love” in the Bible. The first time the we read of “love” in the Bible, it is used to describe the affection of a father for his son. When we turn over to the New Testament, the first time we find the word “love” in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke is when God says of Jesus, “This is my Son, whom I love” (Matthew 3:17; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22). Finally, when we come to the Fourth Gospel, the first mention of love is in John 3:16. The Son God loves was sent to earth to die for us. He gave us what was most precious to Him. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 4:9-10).
Jesus is God’s “one and only Son.” Some versions say “only begotten Son.” The Greek word means “unique.” Believers are called “sons” of God, but Jesus is God’s unique Son. (Isaac is called Abraham’s “one and only son” in Hebrews 11:17. Abraham had another son, but Isaac was unique—he was given to Abraham by God’s promise.) When the Bible talks about Jesus being the Son of God, people often misunderstand what that means. Jesus is not the Son of God in the sense that He is the offspring of God. Jesus is eternal. He didn’t have a beginning. The Bible clearly states that before His birth in Bethlehem, He existed (in spiritual form). The title “Son of God” describes Jesus’ relationship to the Father. The Bible presents Jesus as being equal to God the Father yet also subordinate to Him, as a son is subordinate to his human father. (We shouldn’t think that Jesus was forced to die. He chose to be crucified.)
6. “That whoever” – The greatest INVITATION
Since God loves “the world,” this invitation is extended to everyone. No one is excluded.
7. “Believes in him” – The greatest RESPONSE
To respond to God’s invitation, you must put your trust in Jesus Christ.
8. “Shall not perish” – The greatest HORROR
To “perish” does not mean to cease to exist. It means to exist forever in a state of separation from God. The Bible calls this “hell.” Jesus died so that we might escape this awful destiny. We deserve to be punished because of the sins we have committed. But Jesus took our punishment on the cross. It’s now up to us to accept what He has done for us.
Many people cannot understand how a God of love would allow people to go to hell. But we must realize that He is also a God of justice. If a person refuses to accept salvation through Jesus, there is nothing for that person but condemnation. Verse 17 says, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” God sent Jesus into this world to save us, not condemn us.
9. “But have eternal life” – The greatest GIFT
To enjoy a gift, you must first receive it. All of us have two options: (1) we can put our trust in Jesus Christ and receive the gift of eternal life or (2) we can refuse to put our trust in Him and receive condemnation. The choice is up to us.
10. John 3:16 – The greatest PROMISE
Conclusion
Many years ago there was a man who had the duty to raise a drawbridge to allow the steamers to pass on the river below and to lower it again for trains to cross over on land. One day, this man’s son visited him, wanting to watch his father at work. Quite curious, as most boys are, he peeked into a trapdoor that was always left open so his father could keep an eye on the great machinery that raised and lowered the bridge. Suddenly, the boy lost his footing and tumbled into the gears. As the father tried to reach down and pull him out, he heard the whistle of an approaching train. He knew the train would be full of people and that it would be impossible to stop the fast-moving locomotive; therefore, he knew the bridge must be lowered! A terrible dilemma confronted him: if he saved the people, his son would be crushed in the cogs. Frantically, he tried to free the boy, but to no avail. Finally, the father put his hand to the lever that would start the machinery. He paused and then, with tears he pulled it. The giant gears began to work and the bridge clamped down just in time to save the train. The passengers, not knowing what the father had done, were laughing and having a good time; yet the bridge keeper had chosen to save their lives at the cost of his son’s.
The Heavenly Father, too, saw His Son Jesus Christ being nailed to a cross while people laughed and mocked and spit upon Him. Yet, “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Invitation
If you have never received God’s gift of eternal life, I invite you to receive it today.
Dear God, I thank you that You have shown Your love for me. I believe that you sent Jesus to this earth to die for my sins. Today I would like to receive Your gift of eternal life. Help me to live a life of loving you and others.
ETERNAL LIFE: The Life Jesus Gives
Part 2: LOVE WITHOUT LIMITS (John 3:1-15)
John 3:16 has been called “the heart of the Bible.”
1. “For God” – The greatest ____________________
“God is love” (1 John 4:8, 16). God defines love. If we want to know what love is, we must know who God is and what He has done.
2. “So loved” – The greatest ____________________
The word “so” emphasizes the intensity of God’s love. “For God loved the world so much…” (NLT).
3. “The world” – The greatest ___________________
“The wages of sin is death [physical, spiritual, and eternal death]” (Romans 6:23). The world is in need of salvation. God saw our need; and, in His love, did something about it. “In the gospel, we discover we are far worse off than we thought, and far more loved that we ever dreamed.”
4. “That he gave” – The greatest ____________________
We are to follow God’s example. “Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (1 John 4:11).
5. “His one and only Son” – The greatest ____________________
The first time the we read of “love” in the Bible, it is used to describe the affection of a father for his son (Abraham & Isaac; Genesis 22:2). When we turn over to the New Testament, the first time we find the word “love” in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, it is when God says of Jesus, “This is my Son, whom I love” (Matthew 3:17; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22). Finally, when we come to the Fourth Gospel, the first mention of love is in John 3:16. God sacrificed the Son He loves. He gave us what was most precious to Him. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 4:9-10).
6. “That whoever” – The greatest ____________________
Since God loves “the world,” this invitation is extended to everyone. No one is excluded.
7. “Believes in him” – The greatest ____________________
To respond to God’s invitation, you must put your trust in Jesus Christ.
8. “Shall not perish” – The greatest ___________________
To “perish” does not mean to cease to exist. It means to exist forever in a state of separation from God. Jesus died so that we might escape this awful destiny. We deserve to be punished because of the sins we have committed. But Jesus took our punishment on the cross. It’s now up to us to accept what He has done for us.
9. “But have eternal life” – The greatest ___________________
To enjoy a gift, you must first receive it. All of us have two options: (1) we can put our trust in Jesus Christ and receive the gift of eternal life or (2) we can refuse to put our trust in Him and receive condemnation. The choice is up to us.
LIFE GROUP QUESTIONS
Warming Up
1. What do you think is the most important word in John 3:16? Why?
2. How would you define God’s love?
Look to the Book
1. Read John 3:17 and 9:39. Did Jesus come to bring judgment or not?
2. Read Genesis 22:1-19. What similarities and differences are there between this passage and John 3:16?
3. Read Jeremiah 48:26-36 and Ephesians 2:1-5. What do these verses tell us about the wrath and love of God?
4. John 3:16 says that God loves the world. So why does 1 John 2:15-17 tell us not to love the world.
5. According to John 3:19, people love “darkness.” Why is this so?
6. God demonstrates what love really is by His actions toward us. What is real love?
So What?
9. How should we respond to God’s love for us?
10. What specific action(s) will you do this week in response to God’s love for you?
