Newton: Happy International John 3:16 Day!

Photo: K-Love Morning Show public Facebook page

March 16 (03/16/2016), is International John 3:16, according to one Christian radio and new outlet, K-LOVE.

“A K-LOVE listener suggested we deem it John 3:16 day, in honor of the one of the most well known and powerful verses in the Bible,” K-LOVE’s website said. “[The] challenge is for each of us to share this verse and it’s truth with someone we don’t know today.  If you do that today, be sure to share your story with us.”

The popular Bible verse was written thousands of years probably by the Apostle John, and is one of the most recited verses of the Bible.

The Story of John 3

Jesus, the Son of God, was talking to Nicodemus, a Pharisees ruler, who came to Jesus to speak about the signs and wonders Jesus had been performing.

“Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God,” Nicodemus said, “for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”

Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

The words Jesus spoke confused Nicodemus, who could not understand how a grown man could be born of his mother’s womb again, but Jesus was talking about a new birth- a spiritual birth.

“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God,” Jesus said. “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.'”

After Jesus explained more about this spiritual to Nicodemus, he went on to say, argumentatively, one of the most repeated verses of the Bible in order to explain why the new birth takes place: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

Jesus went on to tell Nicodemus that God did not send Jesus to condemn the world, but that the world would be saved through Jesus. Sometimes, as Christians, we take it into our hands to condemn, but that is not our job, nor the job of Jesus- it’s God’s job.

God sent Jesus to be the light of the world because the world had fallen into darkness, or evil. Nonetheless, evil still remains in this world, but the Light shines brighter and offers enteral life.

“For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed,” Jesus said. “But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

Celebrate John 3:16 by reading the entire chapter and sharing it with a friend. All verses used in this article are from the New King James Version, which is available for free from the Bible app.

Emily Newton is a staff writer for hottytoddy.com and the editor of Experience Oxford magazine. Through the Church of God, Emily has been a minister since the age of 18, and she encourages you to email her at emily.newton@hottytoddy.com regarding any questions or comments about the spiritual birth or John 3:16 day.