‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.’ John 3:16
John captured what is arguably the most famous words in all the Christian Bible. John 3:16 may encapsulate the whole of God’s plan from Genesis to Revelation. Sit and ponder these words today as we read John 3. What do they mean to you?
As I read and meditate upon John 3, I am surprised by what jumped out to my heart. Not, 3:16, but, the Baptist’s words later.
“He must increase, but I must decrease.” John 3:30
Jesus came to earth that we may believe in Him and be saved to eternal life in the Father’s Kingdom. But, to do that truly, we must come to believe in Who Jesus truly is – God. We must raise Jesus above ourselves. We must realize that Jesus is God and we are not. This wisdom is the very heart of praise and self-awareness.
It is when we get the order right, that God is God and we are not, that we come to see the truth and depth of 3:16. It is in this moment that in humility we are exalted by the Father.
‘ He must increase, but I must decrease.’
It is in this littleness that we will find clarity in St. Therese of Lisieux’s writings. Pure humbleness of spirit lifts us to God’s very lap and throne.
We can’t just know the words of 3:16 or get excited at seeing the sign at a ballgame. We must know Jesus in order to believe in Him. And, to know Him, we must see the rightness of our decreasing to littleness or nothingness before Him. We can never truly know Jesus and God if we seek to be all we can be. We must seek to be the least of these…
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:3