A Crisis Moment

Rev. Linda Hamill (St Stephen’s Uniting Church)

John 3:11-21 So often we stop reading this passage at John 3:16. The words, “For God so loved the world…” cause us to deeply feel and while we continue with the passage, we often stop hearing the important verses that follow. This is evident in the fact that John 3:16 is often used by Christians to judge or separate people from themselves and they shouldn’t. Verse 17 clearly states that there is not judgment; “God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

Verse 19 tells us, “And this is the judgment….” light has come and people choose darkness because the light shows the people that their behaviour is evil. The judgment is not of God but is that people judge for themselves to believe or not.

The word crisis brings to mind the image of a cross road, a moment of decision; difficult and challenging. The crisis moment in this passage is that God so loved the world that God became flesh to save the world, God loves you. God saved you. Choose light. Choose Jesus.