Insight for Living

Bill Meyer: During a busy week preparing for Christmas, we commend you for pausing to reflect on the one who left his throne in heaven to become God in flesh, an innocent baby born in a manger. Today on Insight for Living, Chuck Swindoll unpacks the most memorable verse in scripture, John 3:16, citing profound truths that are hidden in familiar words. Through a nighttime conversation with Nicodemus and an ancient wilderness rescue, we’ll discover why salvation in Christ isn’t about working harder or becoming a better person. It’s about belief. Chuck titled today’s message God’s Greatest Gift.

Chuck Swindoll: God made up his mind to love the world. He didn't look for the brightest and the best. He didn't look for those that were appealing and physically attractive. He set his heart on loving the world, not those that simply had a high IQ or those with an enviable pedigree. He loved the world.

Now look, see the word of comparison, as, verse 14 begins, as. Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, here's the match to the word as, even so. Even so must the Son of Man be lifted up. What's that a picture of? Well, the cross. Even so must the Son of Man be lifted up on a cross to pay the penalty for the sins of the world. Nicodemus never, never connected the two. He's not convinced Jesus is Messiah. He just knows he does God kind of work because he's able to do supernatural miracles. But he's come to Jesus to find out what this born-again stuff is all about.

Jesus says to him in effect, I'm glad you asked. Let me go back to something familiar to you, the serpent in the wilderness. So that whoever believes will in him have eternal life. Whoever looks at the bronze serpent will live. Whoever believes in the one that's lifted up will have eternal life. Whoever, whoever. God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son. He's the one and only son, and God, think of it, gave him to those of us he loved.

Turn from here to 2 Corinthians 5. I want to show you a sideline thought that is not covered by John 3. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "If anyone is in Christ, he's a new creature. The old things are passed away, behold, new things have come." Look at the next verse: "Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely," read, think, "that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and he has committed to us this word of reconciliation. He who knew no sin became sin on our behalf that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."

I've always loved the way that one of the saints of yesteryear put it when he talked about the Lord Jesus. The life that he lived qualified him for the death that he died, and the death that he died qualifies us for the life that he lived. That's a transfer of a loving relationship. He so loved us and so cared for us that he gave us his treasure, his one and only son. You know, the beautiful part about it is that he gave him to all of us. Remember the announcement of the angel? "Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all the people. For this day in the city of David there has been born to you a savior who is Christ the Lord."

Like the serpent lifted up in the wilderness, so the Son of Man be lifted up. It's all about Christ. God so loved the world. It's all about God. He gave us his son, all about the son. Now look at the purpose clause. Look at this, so that. See it in the middle of the verse. He gave his only begotten son that, here's the reason, here's our response. The rest of the verse is us. Look at it, whoever believes in him. Whoever.

Everyone of us is included when God wraps his gift. The gift is left, if you will, at everyone's doorstep. Everyone of us has the gift laid before us. I love that thought, that he hasn't singled out a particular one that's special over another. Then how do I connect with the one who gave him to me? Look at the verse, so that whoever believes in him. Here's the turning point. No wonder it's forever the heart of the issue. Whoever receives him, whoever trusts him, whoever leans on him, whoever will simply unwrap the package and take the gift.

We're busy about the wrapping, we're busy about studying the gift, but we're not as faithful to acknowledge that we need the gift. A lady said to me this morning, she says, I thought about something that happened recently as Christmas is coming. She said, I have a friend who told me they were going to give me a particular thing and told me what it was, and they'd leave it at my door. And she said she didn't know it, but I didn't really need it, and so I took it and I put it on the counter. And she said I walked away and it's still sitting there. When I go home, I'm going to unwrap it. I may be surprised to see what's inside that gift.

And for some gifts, the wrapping is absolutely gorgeous. Give you an example, my sister has a room in her house for nothing but wrapping gifts. Only to wrap gifts. We wrap usually by the refrigerator or on the floor. She's got a room. And when you get a gift from Luci, whoa, you don't even want to unwrap it. I want the wrapping because it's often, I won't say it's better than the gift, but it's very attractive wrapping. Jesus comes to us wrapped beautifully, the sinless son of God, death on a cross on our behalf. But that's not enough. I've got to believe in him. I've got to trust him.

Now, there are people today who try to make believe into a work, which drew me to Bill Butterworth's song that he wrote when he was writing a musical for young teens. He calls it Believing on Him. It kind of has a rap sound to it. Don't get your hopes up. I'm just going to read it, okay? Not by working or by joining or by paying or by going, but believing on him. Not by stopping or by trying or by giving or by crying, but believing on him. Chorus: Heaven is for those who simply will believe, all by grace, not of works, get it straight, good grief. Not by Sunday school attendance or by keeping Ten Commandments, but believing on him.

Not by being very clever or by all of your endeavor, but believing on him. Not by money that you're giving or by lots of holy living, but believing on him. I'm getting into it. Not by striving or by dying or by learning or by earning, but believing on him. Not by going under water or by dating preacher's daughters, but believing on him. Butterworth kind of reached at that level right there. Heaven is for those who simply will believe, all by faith, not by works, get it straight, good grief. Not by Sunday school attendance or by keeping Ten Commandments, but believing on him. Believing on him. That's it. And some of you have not even done it. What are you waiting for? Why am I yelling? What are you waiting for?

You working your way there, you wasting your time. What an insult. It's like my sister giving me one of her lovely gifts and I say, okay, now what do I owe you? You don't owe me anything. Moses lifted up the serpent. All they had to do was look and live. Jesus lifted up on the cross, so that whoever believes in him. Don't make it read more than that. Whoever believes in him.

You do that kind of thing all the time. You walk in here, you fold down your chair, and you plop your big seat right there in that chair, and you trust that chair to hold you up. Most of them do. Sit right down. You don't even give it a second thought. You're going to fly somewhere, you call, you get the time, you believe them. You set your plans according to the time that you were given by somebody you never even met. You go to the airport, you believe the gate will be that gate, get on the plane, you get in, you buckle up. You're not in the back of the plane going, I've got to get this plane in the air. Come on, everybody, get into it.

You sit back, why? Because you believe that law of aerodynamics is going to get you in the sky and it's going to take you where you're going. Because you believe in that gift of that law. Why in the world would you not believe in this? Because after all, look at the results. That wraps it up. By believing in him, you will not perish, but you will have eternal life. You know how many people are scared to death of dying? Most. I've seen people on airplanes when you get ready to take off, they're going through their beads. Why? Scared to death of crashing. Hey, when it's time to crash, live it up, man. It's your time. You're going to go. No problem. I believe in him.

But if I didn't, man, I'd buy dozens of beads. Be going through them all the time. I couldn't sleep knowing I'd perish. But now I won't perish. I'll have eternal life. Isn't that great? Isn't that good? That is so good. And I have people go, oh, really? That kind of thing. Nicodemus, what did he do with it? Well, we know for sure he later did believe because he's one of those that took him down from the cross and helped embalm the body or wrap it like a mummy to put it in a tomb. Do you know that? By then, Nicodemus had believed.

Now admittedly, you're believing a truth that's written, somebody's told you, and I did when I was a little boy. If you haven't, trust me, it gets harder as you get older because you think you know more and you get a little sophisticated thinking I can't really trust something like that. Which brings me to my final story that I have stolen from Max Lucado in his book 3:16. It's a terrific story. Tell me my part again, I groaned. Just trust me, she assured. She was a bubbly college-age baseball cap rope holder. Trust me translated into take a backward leap off a 50-foot cliff wearing a belay harness and a what-did-I-get-myself-into expression.

People love rappelling. They relish the stomach-in-the-throat sensation. Not me. I prefer the seat-in-the-chair one. I've traveled to Colorado to experience a week of rest to the fullest. Fresh air, great view, good coffee, long talks. These events made my list. Half-gainers off a mountain didn't. Blame persuasive friends and stupid pride for my presence on the peak. The platform team assured me of a safe landing. Ever done this, the girl asked? Uh, no. She handed me a leather harness and told me to step in. It's kind of like a diaper, she smiled. I may need a diaper, I thought. What about you, I inquired? Have you lowered anyone down a mountain? Oh, I've been working here all summer, she beamed. It was barely July.

It's simple, she continued as she clipped me in and handed me gloves. Hold the rope and jump. Bounce off the wall with your feet. Someone make a law the words jump, bounce, and wall should never be spoken in the same breath. How do I keep from crashing? You don't. I do that. You? Yeah, I hold the rope. Little comfort. Not only was she half my age, she was half my size. More the ballet than the belay sort. But don't I do something, I begged? Yeah, you trust me. I inched up to the edge of the cliff and looked down. Frodo felt safer looking into the pit.

Do you have any valuables, I heard someone ask? Only my life. Ah, you're funny, she chirped, sounding so much like my daughters that I remembered my will was out of date. Come on, it's your turn. I gave her one more look, a look akin to the one that 3:16 promise often prompts. Can I really trust that whoever believes in him shall not perish? Jesus' invitation seems too simple. We gravitate to other words. Work has a better ring to it. Whoever works for him will be saved. Satisfy fits nicely. Whoever satisfies him will be saved. But believe. Shouldn't I do more?

Then he concludes it with: This passage offers a solemn promise, a simple promise. Snake-bit Israelites found healing by looking at the pole, sinners will find healing by looking to Christ. Everyone who believes in him will have eternal life. The simplicity bothers and troubles many people. We expect a more complicated cure, a more elaborate treatment. We too expect a more proactive assignment. We have to somehow come up with another remedy. Not so. Remember my rappelling partner? She told me to fix my gaze on her as I took the plunge. She shouted, "Keep your eyes up here." I didn't have to be told twice. She was the only one of the two of us smiling. But since she did her work, I landed safely. Next trip, however, you'll find me in a chair on the porch.

I've never rappelled because I have a brain. I have a theory you cannot fall off the ground, so stay on it. However, if I ever had to, there's only one way I could make it. Only one way. I'd have to trust someone else. And I would rely on that one to make sure I got down safely. That's what John 3:16 is all about. Not simply a verse to be learned, but a statement to be applied. What's this got to do with Christmas? You have to be told that? That the gift has been wrapped for you. Simple wrapping that you may have made very complicated. All you have to do is tear open the wrapping and take the gift. Believe in him, and what God offers becomes a reality.

That's what I've done. I did that when I was a little boy. A lot of things I didn't know about theology or Jesus or the Bible or stories through the Bible, but I knew this, that if he offered me a gift like this, I'm a fool not to take it. This Christmas season, I pray that you will take the real gift, not spend your time simply on others that will have a temporary benefit, temporal appeal, and then pass along to something else. Turn to him now.

Let's bow our heads. That's the verse of scripture that you've memorized but maybe never really thought through. Have you ever trusted in the Lord Jesus? Have you ever relied on him to hold your rope as you dangle over the unknown, your future, eternity? One day you'll be very, very close, right on the edge of death, and your only hope to get through it is the gift of Jesus Christ. Now I urge you to believe in him. Just look and live. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Thank you, Father, for the promise of eternal life through this marvelous gift that you have provided. Forgive us for the wasted moments of trying to earn what cannot be purchased, trying to win what has already been given. Thank you for giving us your son. We take him now anew with great gratitude. We believe on him, whom to know is life everlasting. In his name we pray, and in his name we rest our hope for eternity. Everyone said, amen.

Bill Meyer: You’re listening to Insight for Living and the Bible teaching of Chuck Swindoll. Chuck titled today’s message God’s Greatest Gift. We’ll hear a personal word from Chuck in just a few moments, so stay with us. Did you know that Chuck offers a daily devotional that comes to your inbox every day? If you’re looking for spiritual nourishment in the new year, we invite you to take advantage of this free resource. You can sign up today at insight.org/devo. When you spend a few minutes watching the news, it’s easy to become discouraged. It seems like there’s turmoil on every front, all around the world. Far too many people live in fear as they go to bed at night. And yet Christmas time should be a season where peace abounds, especially in the heart of Christians. Chuck.

Chuck Swindoll: My friend, you know when we hear the word peace, we usually think of serenity, maybe silence. And sure, that's part of it. But here's what I've learned: I need peace when my life is in chaos. And God gives us peace even when our world is in turmoil. Think about Mary giving birth to Jesus. She was the absolute picture of peace, but Bethlehem, that was anything but peaceful. The town was overcrowded, noisy, chaotic, just like our world today, filled with political tension, economic pressure, and rampant secularism. Yet Mary had peace. How? Because she trusted God's promises. This Christmas, we celebrate Jesus, the baby born in Bethlehem who is our everlasting light, our Prince of Peace. He came to bring peace that the world cannot give and cannot take away.

Remember what Paul wrote to the Philippians. He said God's peace protects our minds and hearts when, get this, when in faith we release our resources. So let me ask you something: Would you be willing to step out in faith with your giving in order to share the light of Christ? Every gift you give at year-end shows your confidence in his provision. It demonstrates trust that he'll take care of you while you're taking care of his work. This advent season, your contribution to Insight for Living brings this peace that surpasses all understanding to everyone who listens through our radio broadcasts, digital platforms, and all our companion resources. Please follow these instructions and reach out with your generous gift to Insight for Living. Together as pilgrims living in dark times, let's share the Prince of Peace.

Bill Meyer: Yes, we can share the Prince of Peace together. When we band together and fuel the ministry of Insight for Living, it allows countless people to hear about the peace that surpasses understanding. To send a donation in the mail, write to us at Insight for Living, Post Office Box 5000, Frisco, Texas 75034. Rest assured, when you give a special year-end gift to Insight for Living, God is using your generosity to make an impact.

I'm reminded of a kind note that said, "Chuck, I grew up thinking I had to prove myself in every aspect of my life. It seemed like I was never good enough. Your teachings on grace have helped me. I've tried so hard to please others that I overlooked the simple fact that the love that Jesus has for me is enough. I finally have the peace that passes all understanding. Thank you so much." Wow, that is such an encouraging word. You can impact others too by making a special year-end gift. Address your donation to Post Office Box 5000, Frisco, Texas 75034. You can also call us at 1-800-772-8888. That’s 1-800-772-8888. And you can give a gift online at insight.org/donate. I’m Bill Meyer, inviting you to listen when Chuck Swindoll describes the believer’s greatest hope tomorrow on Insight for Living.