I’m going to ask two Bible trivia questions. Before I do, close your Bible and cover the rest of this article with your hand. Promise not to look at either until after you’ve made your guess.
Question 1: Who said these words, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life?”
Question 2: Who was the speaker talking to when the words were originally spoken?
Answers: Jesus said these words to Nicodemus (were you right?).
Nicodemus did not understand what Jesus meant by being “born again,” and he had come to Jesus for clarification. I get the vibe from their exchange that Jesus felt like Nicodemus – being a Pharisee – should have known the meaning. However, he didn’t and as part of Jesus’ explanation we get the famous John 3:16.
I don’t have any statistics to prove it, but I would guess that John 3:16 is most likely the most recognized, memorized, and quoted verse of the entire Bible. And it’s no wonder. To me, it is the most succinct and simple summation of the gospel message. Had Nicodemus not asked Jesus his question, who knows, but we may not have had this verse today.
Encourage your children to follow the example of Nicodemus and question the things of faith/salvation they don’t understand (even when it is assumed they should). Make sure they know their resources (you, their Bible study leaders, prayer, other Scripture, men/women of God they trust) for finding the answers to their questions. Have them share their new understanding with their friends who might be struggling with the same question.
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