The Most Famous Verses about Love


John 3:16-21
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

Throughout the Gospels we witness the on-going verbal battle between the Jesus and the Pharisees. (Well, it’s mostly verbal. There would be that scene in the Temple where Jesus tosses a few tables and uses a handmade whip. And then there’s the scourging and crucifixion of Jesus. Those two things weren’t exactly verbal.) Those two events aside, it is a verbal beating that the Pharisees take from Jesus on every occasion: except for one; Jesus late night conversation with Nicodemus.

We don’t know exactly why Nicodemus comes to Jesus at night. Most scholars seem to believe it was because he was acting outside of what would be approved by his fellow Pharisees. He comes to Jesus with what appears to be a genuine desire to know the truth. He comes with an open heart and an open mind. And he’s no fool. This is a learned man who truly wants answers. Instead of being angry and reactionary to Jesus’ claim to be the Son of God, Nicodemus looks at the “signs” Jesus has performed and believes there may be truth to the claim. Then Jesus throws the big challenge into the conversation.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Now Nicodemus has something to chew on and he is immediately confused. He is stuck on the physical. It is ludicrous to think that one can experience a physical rebirth. And he’s not wrong. But of course, this is not what Jesus is suggesting. Jesus is pointing to the truth that every believer must experience two births; flesh is born of flesh and spirit is born of Spirit. We know this rebirth happens in our Baptism. Even the Old Testament discusses our rebirth.

Ezekiel 36:24–27
24I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. 25I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 26And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

When you read these words through the lens of Jesus’ words to Nicodemus they take on a whole new life. And Nicodemus would have been intimately acquainted with these words. He was an Old Testament scholar. When we were sprinkled with the waters of Baptism and the name of the True and Living God was spoken over us, we were “born from above.” It’s done! We belong to God through His calling and His work. Clearly, Nicodemus becomes a true follower of Jesus and learns how to love Him. When he heard these words that faith-filled night, that love changed his life forever.

16“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Nicodemus does indeed become a believer in Jesus as the Messiah and helps Joseph of Arimathea (another believing Pharisee) remove Jesus' body from the cross and bury Him after His death. He brings a substantial amount of myrrh and aloe to the experience of caring for Jesus’ body. His late-night visit to the Lord proved to be the event that saved his eternal soul.

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