Sometimes one little word can change or emphasize the depth and meaning of a statement. And we find this in one of the most memorized scriptures in the entire Bible. Just two letters– “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).
Maybe you thought I was going to emphasize the word love or gave, but it’s actually the word “so” that needs our attention. John could have simply told us God loved the world and therefore sent His Son to earth to save us. This would still be beautiful. Our hearts would be still be grateful.
But the tiny two-letter word “so” is a demonstrative adverb– and it wasn’t accidentally added in the English. This little adverb is in the Greek translation too. And for clarity (to help those of us who haven’t sat in an English class in years), an adverb is a word that modifies a verb, adjective, or other adverb to provide more information about how, when, where, why or to what degree something happens.
God SO loved the world.
God didn’t just love the world– He so loved the world; meaning, He wasn’t just saying something and doing nothing. God’s love for humanity made Him act. His love made Him do something.
Paul said, “For while we were still helpless, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. For rarely will someone die for a just person– though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die. But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6-8). The New King James says, “But God demonstrated His love for us…”
I don’t think it would be unscriptural to read Paul’s words this way: “For while we were still helpless, at the right time, Christ CAME for the ungodly… God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Jesus CAME for us.”
In other words, God’s love caused Him to act. The Bible says, “Come near to Me, hear this: I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; From the time that it was, I was there. And now the Lord God and His Spirit have sent Me” (Isaiah 48:16). Remember our little adverb? How, when, where, why or to what degree something happens. Over and over the Bible tells us God demonstrated His love for us.
Turning to the Greek Study Bible one more time, my curiosity had to look up the word “demonstrated” in this verse. It means to make known and conspicuous, which sent me down another rabbit hole until I found the definition of conspicuous: which means to stand out so as to be clearly visible; attracting notice or attention.
God wasn’t trying to hide His love.
In fact, in grand style, He made the announcement of His love with a host of angels, saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men” (Luke 2:14)! But this announcement was just the beginning. It was the finished work of Christ on the Cross that fully demonstrated God’s love for us.
John Mark Pantana said, “His finished is our starting point. And these glad tidings of great joy remove every excuse and every hindrance rudely standing in opposition to real intimacy with God.”
This was the ultimate goal– the love of Advent. If Advent is the celebration of the coming of Christ, then LOVE is God’s willful direction toward man to draw them close to Himself in preparation.
“God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent His one and only Son into the world so that we might live through Him. Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 4:9-10).
In other words, God didn’t just love us from afar. He came near. He did something. And this is what we celebrate: the expressive, open, forthcoming, demonstrative love of God–
Announced by angels.
Born in a manger.
Celebrated by shepherds.
Pondered by Mary.
Received by us.
God so loved the world, He sent us His Son.
