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Study 17: 23rd - 29th October

Reading – John Chapter Ch 3:16 to 17.

“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. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”(John Chapter 3 verses 16 to 17 (New International Version).

Every Professional Golfer who plays golf for a living has his or her sights on winning one of the four major golf championships. For men this is the British and US Open and the US Masters and USPGA Championships. Australia’s Geoff Oglivie put Australia back on the major winners list with the US Open win this year. Tiger Woods is chasing after Jack Nicholas’ record of most mayor wins. These tournaments are the most well known events on the Professional Golf Calendar.

When it comes to the bible the most popular and well-known verse in the bible is John Chapter 3 verse 16. For those of us that watch sport on TV, it is most likely you have seen someone in the crowd holding up a sign that simply said, “John 3:16”. I met the man in 1988 at Seoul who travels around the world to attend major sporting events to position himself in the cameras eye to show this verse to the world.

Why is it the most well-known and popular verse in the bible? The reason is that it provides probably the best summary of two things:
1. The whole bible message from beginning to end.
2. The life of Jesus that is the centrepiece of the bible.

This verse reminds us first that God loves people. Even though he has judged us for our sins his love never ends and he acts to rescue us from the hole we have dug for ourselves in sin and preferring darkness to light.
The second point is that God sent his Son and gave him as a sacrifice for our sins. Out of his love God has paid for our debts by dying for us. This verse reminds us that new life is possible through Jesus. This new life comes from believing in Jesus, not from anything we could do to have this new life. This new life is a gift. Believing in Jesus Christ as God’s Son and Saviour is what gives a Christian their identity. We are all dying, but this verse reminds us that by believing in Jesus we can avoid perishing and reclaim life that God alone gives. The verse finishes by declaring that through our belief in Jesus we will be given eternal life.

It is easy to see how this verse links in to the beginning and end of the bible. Life was given in the beginning and death entered through sin. The book of Genesis, the first book of the bible tells us this. In the book of Revelation, the last book of the bible, sin and death has been overcome through Jesus and eternal life is pictured in the new city of Jerusalem and the new heavens and earth. So, John Chapter 3 verse 16 is a fitting summary of the whole bible.

It is also a fitting summary of the life of Jesus. In John Chapter 1: verse 29 Jesus is introduced as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world and towards the end of John’s record of the life of Jesus he says this:
“These things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John Chapter 20:verse 31).

Prayer.
God our Father, we praise you for your incredible love that was shown in Jesus your Son who died for us and rose from the dead to give us another chance at life. Help us not to ignore this offer, but to embrace it with all our heart. Amen.

• 5 June: Oatlands Golf Day
• 24 - 26 July: SCA Annual Conference
• 6 - 9 Sept.: PGA Merchandise Show
• 15 Oct.: Wyong Trainee Pro-Am