John 3:16

A Reflection on the Gospel for Sunday, May 31st, 2026:
Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

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John
3.16-18

​Jesus said to Nicodemus: “God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. The one who believes in him is not condemned; but the one who does not believe is condemned already, for not having believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God.”

Pause. Pray. Reflect.

(This reflection was originally published on 2 June 2023.)

John 3:16 has been called the core of Christianity, the most well-known and memorized verse in the Bible, a one-sentence summary of the Gospel, and the golden text. I have seen it written on signs held up by fans at football games, on electronic billboards, and even on shopping bags.

“God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish, but have eternal life.”

God, help me as I ponder the meaning of this powerful promise.

You love the world. 

Out of love for it, You sacrificed Your child. In the quiet, when I weigh the burden of sacrificing myself and the burden of sacrificing my child, I see that choosing to die myself – horrible as that might be – would be easier for me to bear than witnessing the suffering and death of my child. And yet, God, You made the hard choice for the sake of us.

Your Son atoned for sins that were not His own and could never be His own, for He was begotten of You, God – made entirely of the same divine stuff as You are, and therefore without fault or blemish. Out of love, He stepped down into our sullied shoes and became human like us.

Because of what Jesus did, we will no longer be condemned by the death that we bring into our lives when we choose sin. 

Jesus embraced death and, in so doing, He overcame it and rose to life after it, bringing out of Hell with Him all who chose to believe in Him. He brought me out of Hell with Him.

God, when I say I believe in Jesus, let my believing be more than acknowledging that Jesus came into the world and showed me how I might live a better life. Let me remember that belief means shaping my life according to Jesus’ teaching and seeking to know Him as my constant companion (in and with me) by deepening my relationship with Him, through faith.

God, remind me that unless I believe – actively believe – I remain condemned because I am turning back to death; I am choosing to reject Jesus and His message. 

Salvation is available to me but, as You embraced death, I must embrace You, so that You can shape the way I live every day.



Donna Davis

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