Today’s Scripture: John 3:14-21
16For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life. (GNB)
In my 1st grade classroom I assign weekly jobs to my class, and one of the more popular jobs is that of a messenger. The role of a classroom messenger is to deliver any notes of importance to the main office. It requires a sense of independence and responsibility to navigate the hallways with a friend to complete the assigned task. Our scripture passage contains what I consider the true and essential message of the Lenten season. It reminds us that Jesus gave up his life so that we may obtain eternal life.
As a public school teacher I do not discuss religion in the classroom. Jesus was a great messenger as a preacher, teacher and healer. However, his message was never mandatory; it was a message of hope and love and it was our choice to follow him or not. The central message to us is that God loved the world so much that God was willing to sacrifice God’s own son in order to give us the hope of eternal life.
May we successfully navigate the hallways to complete our assigned task and deliver this essential message to all who need to hear it.