Bible Verse: This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 1 John 3:16 NIV
Scripture Reading: John 3:16; Philippians 2:3-4
If you’ve been around church for long, you’ve likely encountered the famous John 3:16:
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.
It’s been called “The Gospel in a Nutshell,” a simple snapshot of the heart and plan of God to save the world through Christ.
However, it’s not the only “John 3:16” in the Bible.
The apostle John wrote the Gospel that bears his name but also wrote several letters that appear later in the New Testament, which also bear his name. And while we are familiar with John 3:16, we may be less familiar with 1st John 3:16:
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.
If John 3:16 is a snapshot of the Gospel, then 1 John 3:16 is a snapshot of what the Gospel calls us to.
Jesus sacrificed for us and calls us to a life of sacrifice for others. It is for everyone, but as men we want to embody this.
If we want to be men who are like Him, then sacrifice will be one of the things we emulate.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German theologian and pastor in WWII who resisted the Nazis and ultimately paid for it with his life. He wrote:
When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die.[1]
Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it” (Matthew 16:24-25 NIV).
The way of Jesus is the way of sacrifice. We may not literally die for others, but sacrifice covers many areas. As men, we sacrifice our sin, self, pride, preferences, time, money, etc., all on the altar of devotion to Christ. He comes first, and others come as a close second (Philippians 2:3-4).
We sacrifice, as Jesus did, knowing that there are better things on the other side of the sacrifice. His way is better, new life is better, love is better—so we are willing to lay things down, knowing that it will be worth it in the end.
Prayer: Lord, help me to walk in Your footsteps and to live and die as You did. Help me to trust that anything I give up for Your sake will be worth it. Strengthen me to obey, no matter the cost. Amen.
Reflection: Think of a time you gave something up, in which the sacrifice was costly. What did that teach you about God, and what did it teach you about yourself?
[1] Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship (London: SCM Press, 1948/2001), 44.
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