"God so loved the world that He gave His only Son,
so that everyone who believes in Him
may not perish but may have eternal life."
     John 3:16

    Thanks be to God, for instead of forsaking His creation or abandoning sinful human beings, God drew near in His Son to save. Rather than setting the universe adrift, disengaging Himself from the plight of His people and allowing them to perish in sin and death, God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish but may have eternal life. (John 3:16)

Stated poetically, the Good News of God's redeeming love is this:

After God created us,
       shaped the world and
       intricately stitched together
       every tiny plant and creature,
God might have set it all adrift,
satisfied to be finished.
 
When humans turned away --
       stubborn, independent,
       trying to be God,
       destructive of selves and others,
God might have sighed in disgust
and abandoned us all.
 
But God did not choose distance,
       untempered judgment
       or disinterest
       in the struggles of humanity.
God chose to know,
to be part of our search for reconciliation.
 
God came,
       healed,
       comforted, encouraged,
       taught, suffered, died.
God drew close to us,
surrounded us with forgiveness and hope.
 
God so loved the world!

Let us pray in the words of the Great Thanksgiving of the Holy Communion:

Lord of heaven and earth ...
In mercy for our fallen world
       You gave Your only Son,
       that all those who believe in Him
       should not perish,
       but have eternal life.
 
We give thanks to you
       For the salvation
       You have prepared
       For us through Jesus Christ.
              Lutheran Book of Worship

Contributed by Pastor Richard
Sunday March 26, 2006
Liturgical Year B Week 18