“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.” John 3:16

GIVEN THAT THIS PAST SUNDAY was the last Sunday of Advent (with the lighting of the Candle of Love) and tomorrow is Christmas Day (celebrating the sending of the Son of God into the world), what more appropriate Scripture could there be but the most well-known verse in the Bible: John 3:16 (above)?

This wonderful gospel verse speaks first of God’s great love but also connects it with the birth of Jesus in the manger more than 2000 years ago. For it was His great love that brought about the sending forth of His Son into the world, the gift of Jesus.

But of course, the account of that first Christmas does not end in the manger. Rather, the Baby grew up and lived a sinless life before dying on a cross. Not the meaningless death of a victim but a sacrificial death whereby He received the punishment that was due me, the punishment for my sins and the sins of all who would believe in Him. But still, the story does not end there, for following Jesus’ death on the cross, He rose again on the third day, thus conquering death. And in that way, “whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life”.

 

Pastor Craig publishes  "A Word from God's Word" weekly in the "Kootenay News Advertiser".

Craig Montgomery
  • Pastor

Pastor Craig has served as Senior Pastor of Cranbrook Fellowship Baptist Church since 2018. His passion is for preaching and teaching God's Word, as it is through the proclamation of the gospel that God does His work in people's lives.