John 3:16
Sung by Jack (Jidge) Carroll
Music Marcello J. Garzillo
Lyrics by A. Grace Garzillo / Marcello J Garzillo
The Apostle John, through divine inspiration, has given us what some call “the Golden Text,” written to those who believe that there is more to life than we had ever considered. The verse in John 3:16 leads us to ask many questions that need to be answered. Who is it that has the answers? Many people just don’t believe in a Creator God, or they don’t believe in anything that they don’t see with their own eyes. God saw the life of King David, a man who was after God’s heart, 1st Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22, and a man who was a non believer called doubting Thomas, John 20:27. Everyone’s faith falls somewhere between these two types, either you’re a believer or you’re a doubter, there is no middle ground.
Why a Golden Text?
John 3:16 is called the Golden Text by some because the emphasis of the wording is based on the word “believe”, and the word “golden”. Belief leads us to faith, and God is precious as gold is precious. Are all those who are called Christians believers? There are those who know in their heart that there is a God who is Spirit and invisible to the human eye. There are those who know that He has a purpose for our lives, and that He want’s to share His Righteousness with us, His children. Without Him, we have no righteousness, Isaiah 64:6. This is the sole purpose of why we are going through this 2nd Earth Age according to the Apostle Peter:
2nd Peter 3:7, “But the heavens and the earth which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of Judgment and perdition of ungodly men.”
Jesus Is Our Light
The opening line of the song, John 3:16, says that “in darkness shown great light”. What does that mean?
1st Peter 2:9,“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye should shew forth the praises of Him Who hath called you out of darkness into His marvellous light.”
Praise God for the work that He is doing through so many people who have a heart for Him and to share their love and understanding with us.
Colossians 1:13, “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us unto the kingdom of His dear Son.”
The power of darkness? This power of darkness is none other than Satan, God’s adversary, who has bound us in his power, which is darkness, until God calls us out of these chains of darkness, 2nd Peter 2:4, into His marvelous light.
2nd Corinthians 4:4, “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, Who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”
All God’s people will have a transformation from this present world, which is in darkness, to His marvellous light, in the order God has proposed, 1st Corinthians 15:22-23.
Jesus is the only begotten Son of the Father, of the Godhead, the unique one, Which brings God’s life to man, John 1:14; 1st John 4:9. We have also those who have been begotten through the ministry of the Apostle Paul’s spreading of the Gospel, 1st Corinthians 4:15 to others. The Apostle Peter did the same, 1st Peter 1:3. These have been begotten of Peter and Paul through their spreading of the Gospel. Because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we, who are in Christ, will be resurrection also and have become the children of God.
John 8:12, Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, ” I am the light of the world; he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
Jesus as our Life
As the song continues we hear, “And in that light was life for men:”
John 10:10, ” The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”
Someone could say, but I have life and it is a very good and happy life. I’m satisfied with my life. If that is your case, you are a blessed person. The life you gained from your parents could be a very good life, but you know that you will eventually die. The life Christ is telling us about is a life that is higher than this physical life. We can see the order of this life Jesus is telling us about in Genesis 1:2-27.
1st kind of life was the grass and trees yielding fruit, verse 11
2nd kind of life was the waters bringing forth moving creatures, birds, whales etc: verse 20-21.
3rd kind of life was the earth bringing forth cattle and the beast of the earth, verse 24-25.
4th kind of life was the life of men, male and female, verse 26-27.
We will notice that these four kinds of life are a graduation from a lower life to a higher position of life, starting with the grass and eventually working its way to the creation of men. However, it was not God’s purpose to stop there. He wanted man to feed himself from the Tree of Life, which was in type, Jesus Christ, Revelation 2:7,; 22:2.
John 11:25, Jesus said unto her, “I am the resurrection and the life.
When we take in Christ as our food, the Bible, the Word of God, Revelation 19:13, a transformation of our minds takes place, Romans 12:2.
The song tells us that :His nursery was a manger.
Scripture tells us that a seed of a woman, Genesis 3:15, would be conceived by a virgin, 7:14, and would be born in Bethlehem, Micah 5:2, and yet no one had made room or accommodations for Him so He had to be laid in a manger, Luke 2:7.
“God so loved the world”. This line tells us that God created all His children and has a very special place for each of us.
John 14:2, “In My Father’s house are many mansions, (abiding places), if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.”
Someone could say, I’m not an important person, why would God be interested in me? Each child of God looks different and is special to our heavenly Father. Even our fingerprints and DNA are unique and different from every one else.
“As He gathers you into His family.”
John 12:32, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me.”
That’s quite a statement of hope for everyone.
Roman’s 11:29, “For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.”
In other words, God want’s every one of His children in His family and He won’t change His mind.
And finally, “Give thanks to God”
This work that God is doing is a very slow work, taking thousands of years, because He want’s all His children to be part of His household.
Ephesians 2:19, “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God.”
As was stated at the beginning of this article, are you a King like David who was a man after God’s own heart, or, are you a doubter like Thomas?
God doesn’t push or shove. He has given us free will to make our own choice. If you show interest, He will call you unto Himself.