We are in a bittersweet time. Our world as we know it is shifting; Easter is one rotation of the Earth away. It’s ironic, the parallels of the times. Currently, gas prices have gone down and the effects of global warming are going down, however, we’re missing out on experiences and time with our friends. Hundreds of years ago, Jesus was in a grave, saving us from an eternity of darkness and sin but also had to suffer a gruesome and painful death. Like I said, bittersweet. 

 

But Jesus didn’t just die for nothing, just like this quarantine isn’t for nothing. Jesus died for a reason, with purpose. 

 

So why did Jesus die? John 3:16 is the most well known Bible verse, not just among Christians but among all the people in the world. And yet, most people miss a very important detail in it. John 3:16 says “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.” 

 

Note the part in bold: the world. It doesn’t say “the world (only the good parts)” or “see footnote” or “(only the people who have small sins)”, it says the WHOLE world, no exceptions, no caveats. Throughout the Bible, Jesus is seen with those who were seen as the least deserving of Jesus because they were on the fringes of society: gentiles, tax collectors, the disabled, children, the list goes on and on. Why was Jesus with these people? Well you see, it’s not the healthy who need a doctor; it’s the sick. And it’s not the people who refuse to get medical care that see a doctor, it’s those who acknowledge that they need it. So why was Jesus with these people? Because they were the sinners that knew they needed saving. 

 

Now here’s the kicker: we are all sinners. I am. You are. The guy who lives seventeen houses down the street from you is. We all are. And while our justice system judges ‘sin’ based on severity (murder is worse than stealing, etc), all God sees is a sinner in need of saving. He doesn’t judge us based on what sin we committed. Rather, he evaluates our worth based on the price He paid for us. Let me say that again, God evaluates each individual’s worth based on the price that He paid for us: His life. You are infinitely valuable to God. You are worth Jesus’ life to Him, that is how precious you are to him. He sees through all of the muck that we've put into our lives and sees us only based on how much he paid for us. 

 

So when John 3:16 says that Jesus died for the world, He really did die for everyone. Jesus didn’t die for the people who were worthy of him dying because no one is worthy of that. We all fall short. After John 3:16 comes John 3:17.

 

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

 

God wants to save the world and that means you. There is no corner of the Earth that can hide a person that God does not love and value. He loves every single human being on this planet that we call home no matter what they have done in their life nor what they will do in the future with their life. 

 

God loves you. He sees your value and he paid top dollar for you. No scams, no bargains, no coupons. He paid for you in full because he wants you to have eternal life with him and will not let your sin stand between you and him. He loves you.