John 3:16 was one of the first verses I memorized as a new Christian: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son (Jesus) that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (NIV). While meditating on this short but very significant verse, I marveled at God’s magnanimous love towards humanity. His desire to save the human race from certain spiritual death, caused Him to send His Son to the world through the virgin birth. The infant became a man yet fully God, who brought us everlasting life through faith in Him. Remarkably, 700 years before the birth of Jesus Christ,His suffering and death, the Hebrew prophet, Isaiah, had accurately prophesied these events:
“But, oh, how few believe it! Who will listen? To whom will God reveal His saving power? In God’s eyes He (Jesus) was like a tender green shoot, sprouting from a root in dry and sterile ground. But in our eyes there was no attractiveness at all, nothing to make us want Him. We despised Him and rejected Him—a man of sorrows, acquainted with bitterest grief. We turned our backs on Him and looked the other way when He went by. He was despised, and we didn’t care.
It was our grief He bore our sorrows that weighed Him down. Yet we considered Him punished by God, stricken by Him, and afflicted. But He was wounded and bruised for our sins. He was beaten that we might have peace; He was lashed—and we were healed! We—every one of us—have strayed away like sheep! We, who left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet God laid on Him the guilt and sins of every one of us!
He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He never said a word. He was brought as a lamb to the slaughter; and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He stood silent before the ones condemning Him. From prison and trial, they led Him away to His death. But who among the people of that day realized it was their sins that He was dying for—that He was suffering their punishment? He was buried like a criminal, put in a rich man’s grave; but He had done no wrong and had never spoken an evil word.
But it was the Lord’s good plan to bruise Him (Jesus) and fill Him with grief. However, when His soul has been made an offering for sin, then He shall have a multitude of children, many heirs. He shall live again, and God’s program shall prosper in His hands. And when He sees all that is accomplished by the anguish of His soul, He shall be satisfied; and because of what He has experienced, My righteous Servant shall make many to be counted righteous before God, for He shall bear all their sins. Therefore, I will give Him the honors of one who is mighty and great because He has poured out His soul unto death. He was counted as a sinner, and He bore the sins of many, and He pled with God for sinners” (Isaiah 53:1-12 TLB).
Jesus was rejected then, and He is being rejected in this present age. Newsweek printed a 2020 survey reporting 52 percent of Americans say that Jesus is not God which validates Isaiah’s prophetic words, “… how few believe it! Who will listen?” The percentage of people who are turning away from Christianity continues to grow.
It is inconceivable that America, founded on Judeo-Christian values, has fallen so far away from the truth. Jesus warned that Satan, whom He called a liar, the father of lies, and the thief, “comes only to kill, steal, and destroy. But Jesus also said these encouraging words, “I have come that [you] may have life and have it to the full” (John 10:10 NIV).
Although many believe there are multiple paths to heaven, Jesus said, “I am the Way and the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). Jesus is the Way, and “…if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9 NKJV). This is such an amazing promise that God made to us. When thinking about Jesus’ suffering and His great sacrifice, how can we not surrender our lives to Him?
I once wore the label of “Christian” with no idea of what that meant. My family and I seldom went to church, did not pray, and did not own a Bible. Then there are those who believe they are saved because they were baptized as an infant and raised by parents who demanded church attendance. I heard a pastor say that as a boy, his father required that they all attend church service every Sunday, yet neither his parents nor he and his two brothers had a relationship with Christ until a miracle took place and they surrendered their hearts to the Lord. Evangelist Billy Sunday said, “Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than going to a garage makes you an automobile.”
We live in a very fallen world that has convinced many people that good is bad and bad is good. Therefore, there is great confusion about numerous beliefs that only Scripture can clarify, because mankind, in its fallen state, wants to be the determiner of its destiny. And it all began in the Garden when God told Eve that if they ate the forbidden fruit they would die. So, Satan, the tempter, told Eve and Adam, who was with her, that they would surely not die but they would be like God. Yes, they would not die physically at that time, but they would die spiritually—a death that would cause separation from God for eternity (Genesis 3:1-5 NIV).
God loves us with a perfect love and declares, “I know the plans I have for you—plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11). For God is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness (Psalm 86:15). “Because of His great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is [His] faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23).
If you have never verbally committed your life to Christ, or maybe you would like to renew your relationship with Him, I encourage you to “confess with your mouth” the following prayer:
PRAYER: FATHER, Forgive me, for Your Word says that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. I believe that You sent Your Son, Jesus Christ, to this world to redeem mankind. I acknowledge and confess that Jesus was crucified, died, was buried, and rose from the dead on the third day. He now reigns in heaven and sits at Your right hand. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit that I may grow in truth and knowledge of You. Thank you that I am now a new creation in Christ, which allows me to know the fullness of Your love. In Jesus’ name, amen.