The Son God Gave: Turn and Trust

Walk through John 3:14–21 and discover how God's love calls us to stop trying to save ourselves and trust His Son.

The Blue Notebook Opens Again

The following evening, Sam opened the blue notebook to the question left by their last conversation:

If I cannot give myself new life, where should I look?

Anna had already opened the family Bible to John 3.

"I read a little further," she said. "Before John 3:16, Jesus mentioned Moses lifting up a snake. I don't understand the connection."

"I was hoping someone would notice that," Dad said. "Let's look at the story together."

Look Where God Tells Us to Look

The Israelites had rebelled against God in the wilderness. After poisonous snakes entered the camp, many were dying. God told Moses to lift up a bronze snake. Those who trusted God's promised rescue and looked towards it lived. See Numbers 21:4–9.

"Could looking at a metal snake remove poison?" Joel asked.

"The object had no power of its own," Dad replied. "Looking showed that they were trusting the rescue God had provided instead of trying to save themselves."

Jesus said:

"The Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him."
John 3:14–15

"Jesus would be lifted up on the cross," Anna said.

"Yes. The wilderness story pointed beyond itself. We cannot heal our own separation from God. Jesus directs us away from self-rescue and towards the Son God gave."

Then Sam read the next verse:

"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."
John 3:16

"I have known that verse for years," he said. "But I don't think I have ever slowed down to think about every part."

"Let's do that now," Dad replied.

GOD LOVED → GOD GAVE → WE TRUST → GOD GIVES LIFE

God Loved in This Way: He Gave

Anna took the blue notebook and wrote the opening words:

GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD

"Why does salvation begin with God?" Dad asked.

"Because we could not rescue ourselves," Sam answered.

"And God moved towards us before we moved towards Him," Anna added.

"Exactly. We did not discover a way to climb up to God. God loved, God gave and God saves."

Dad pointed to the word so.

"It does not only tell us that God loved the world very much," he said. "It shows us what His love did. God loved the world in this way: He gave His Son."

Joel pointed at the word world.

"Does God loving the world mean He approves of everything people do?"

"No. In John's Gospel, the world is the human world God made but which has turned away from Him. God's love does not pretend sin is harmless. His love is astonishing because He moves towards people who have rejected His rule."

"And world means His invitation is not limited to one nation or group," Anna said.

"Right. No family or background gives someone a better claim to God's grace."

John 3:16 shows not only how deeply God loved the world, but how His love acted:

HE GAVE HIS ONE AND ONLY SON

"Does gave mean only that Jesus was born?" Sam asked.

"It includes His whole saving mission," Dad said. "The Father sent His Son into our world. The Son willingly gave Himself at the cross. God raised Him from the dead, and He now reigns as Lord."

Jesus is God's one and only Son. He is not a created being or one child of God among many. He is the unique, eternal Son who became truly human for our rescue.

Joel was quiet for a moment. "Did the Father force Jesus to die?"

"No. The Father loved and sent the Son. The Son loved us and freely gave Himself. Father and Son acted together in our rescue. God's love is not merely a warm feeling. His love moved towards us in costly, saving action."

What Does It Mean to Believe?

Sam read the next words:

WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM

"I believe Jesus existed," he said. "Is that enough?"

Before Dad answered, Joel spoke. "I think this is like our last conversation. You can believe facts about someone without trusting them."

"That's the difference," Dad said.

Sam pulled out the chair beside him. "Like knowing this chair exists without sitting on it?"

"Yes. Trusting the chair means resting your weight on it. That illustration is limited, but it helps us see that biblical belief is more than agreeing that Jesus existed. It means relying on Him."

"Trusting Jesus means placing yourself in His hands," Dad continued. "It is more than accepting information about Him. You do not have to pretend that all your questions have disappeared. You bring them with you and place your confidence in the trustworthy Jesus."

"What if my faith feels small?" Anna asked.

"You can trust a strong Saviour even when you feel unsure," Dad replied. "We are not saved by the size of our faith. Our hope rests in a strong Saviour."

John's Gospel helps us understand believing through words such as coming to Jesus and receiving Him.

"To all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."
John 1:12

Why Good Works Cannot Give Us Life

Joel tapped the name Nicodemus at the top of the page.

"He was probably more religious than any of us. Why couldn't his good works give him new life?"

"Then why aren't even very good works enough?" Dad asked.

The children thought for a moment.

"They cannot erase guilt," Anna said.

"They cannot make a dead heart alive," Sam added.

"And they cannot make God owe us salvation," Joel said.

Dad nodded. "John 3:16 does not say that God gave us a list by which we could rescue ourselves. It says He gave His Son."

The Bible says:

"It is by grace you have been saved, through faith...not by works, so that no one can boast."
Ephesians 2:8–9

Good works are not the root of salvation. They become its fruit. The following verse says that those saved by grace are created in Christ Jesus to do good works. See Ephesians 2:10.

"We do not obey to persuade God to rescue us," Anna said. "We begin learning to obey because He has rescued us."

"Exactly."

Turn and Trust Belong Together

Sam looked back at John 3. "I can see trust in the words whoever believes. But where does turning fit?"

"Read a little further," Mum said.

Anna read:

"Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil."
John 3:19

"John does not use the word repentance here," Dad explained. "But verses 19–21 show us what turning looks like. We stop hiding in darkness and come into God's light. We stop defending our sin and become honest with Him."

"So repentance is more than feeling bad?" Sam asked.

"Yes. Feeling sorry can be part of it," Mum said. "But sometimes we feel sorry only because we were caught."

"Repentance goes deeper," Dad continued. "It means turning towards God with a changed mind and direction. We admit that our sin and self-rule are wrong."

"Do I have to clean up my whole life before I come to Jesus?" Joel asked.

"No," Dad said. "We do not clean ourselves up first and then come. We come honestly, turning from sin and self-rule and placing our trust in Jesus. He receives us and begins changing us."

Dad opened to Mark 1:15 and let Sam read:

"Repent and believe the good news!"

"Jesus places repentance and faith together," Dad said. "They are not two payments we offer God. They are two sides of one honest response to His grace."

Repentance says:

“God, I was wrong to live as though I were my own lord. I am turning towards You.”

Faith says:

“Jesus, I cannot rescue myself. I trust who You are and what You have done for me.”

"Which one comes first?" Joel asked.

"They belong together," Dad replied. "Turning towards Jesus means turning away from self-rule. Trusting Jesus means I stop treating myself as my saviour."

Neither repentance nor faith purchases salvation. They are not good works offered as payment. We come with nothing to earn His welcome. We turn to God and receive His gift in Christ.

Put John 3:16 in Your Own Words

Use the four movements of the verse:

A Simple Prayer

God, thank You for loving a world that had turned away from You. Thank You for giving Your Son. I cannot rescue myself through knowledge, religion or good works. Help me turn from self-rule and place my trust in Jesus. Amen.

Joel looked again at the words believes in Him.

"If I trust Jesus to save me," he asked, "can I tell Him that the rest of my life is none of His business?"

Dad did not answer immediately.

"Before we answer that," he said, "we need to ask what kind of Lord Jesus is."

Before asking what Jesus may require, the family will discover who He is and what kind of Lord He has shown Himself to be.