John 3:16 -- I
Got You
On December 2, 2015, a California
public health department held a training event and holiday party in San
Bernardino, CA for its employees. Unknown to everyone in
attendance, one of its own employees and his wife had plans to
transform the party into a terrorist attack. As a result of
the havoc the couple wreaked on the attendees, 14 were killed and 22
were seriously injured.
A few days later on the morning
news, a survivor of the San Bernardino terrorist shooting shared how a
friend/co-worker shielded and protected her from the flying bullets
that had erupted during what was supposed to be a happy, celebratory
occasion. Despite the noise and chaos that surrounded them,
she heard her friend say, “I got you,” as he held her close.
Yes, he did have her. She survived. He didn’t.
As a person who celebrates
“Christmas,” not “Xmas,” I couldn’t help but apply the sentiment “I got
you” to the message found in the most well-known Scripture, John
3:16. In that verse, God expresses His love for all mankind
and His provision of eternal life to anyone who believes on His Son,
Jesus Christ.
Unfortunately, many people put all
their focus on living in the present, ignoring that an eternity of
protection is needed beyond the physical realm. God proved His love for
us by sending His only Son into this world as a baby, solely for the
purpose of shielding and protecting us from the chaos of a horrible
afterlife by giving up His life for us. For you. That’s why
the message of John 3:16 in today’s vernacular could translate, “I got
you.”
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