“Back to Basics”

John 3:16

Jesus loves me; this I know.

For the Bible tells me so.

Little ones to him belong.

They are weak but he is strong.

Yes, Jesus loves me!

The Bible tells me so.

The sermon is titled “Back to Basics” for a reason. What could be more basic than today’s text, John 3:16? For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Martin Luther called this verse the Gospel in Miniature. To paraphrase several commentators, John 3:16 is a succinct summary of the entire Gospel.

Could there be any hymn with a message more basic than that of “Jesus Loves Me, This I Know?” Basic does not mean simplistic. When Karl Barth, probably the most noted Reformed theologian of the Twentieth Century, was asked his opinion of the most influential work produced by American theologians, he replied, “Jesus loves me; this I know.” Although there are those who think that he was having a bit of fun at the expense of American theologians, the consensus is that Dr. Barth was being extremely serious.

And rightly so. What could be more appropriate as a brief confession of faith? JESUS LOVES US, THIS WE KNOW. FOR THE BIBLE TELLS US SO. ALL OF US TO HIM BELONG; WE ARE WEAK, BUT HE IS STRONG. Jesus loves us. How do we know that? Because the Bible – the very Word of God – tells us so. All of us are weak, fallen, imperfect, sinful people. Not only does the Bible tell us this, so too do our everyday experiences. The Good News is that he, Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God, is strong enough, perfect enough, and powerful enough to undo the consequences of our sinfulness. His is the very love and power of the Lord God Almighty. For he is the Lord God Almighty made manifest in human form.

There’s an amazing amount of theology packed into what we consider to be a simple little children’s song. Good theology. Real theology. Biblically-based theology. Theology that really does matter. It’s a theology that underscores today’s text. The Lord God Almighty so loved the world – every human being who ever was or ever will be - that he gave his only Son - his very own incarnate self - to live as one of us, model for us what it truly means to be a child of God, let us experience God up close and personal, and then die in our place on a cross. When we sing the words, “Yes, Jesus loves me,” we are singing about a love that will not let us go – the gracious and passionate love of God.

And by means of this love, this gracious and passionate love that will not let us go, we are saved from hell’s ultimate destruction. If we will believe that God’s love is real, and put our trust in Jesus who loves us, we will have life and have it abundantly both now and forever. We sin-ravaged human beings, so weak that we cannot save ourselves, can be lifted out of sin and be made eternally secure if we will but believe that, yes, Jesus does indeed love us.

Again, basic Christian theology, simple without being simplistic. Easy enough for a child to comprehend, yet encompassing the depth of the Gospel. Basic Christian theology. Our beliefs in a nutshell. At the same time easy to understand and yet still beyond our finite abilities to fully comprehend. A love so far beyond our comprehension that it must be symbolically acted out for us again and again, using elements we can see, taste, feel, and understand. Jesus loves us. This is a spiritual reality made visible in the broken bread and poured out wine of Communion, those symbols of our Lord’s broken and bleeding body. Jesus loves us. This is an eternal reality symbolized for us here and now in the waters of Baptism. Jesus loves us. Quoting from this morning’s baptismal liturgy, “See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and we are!”

Jesus loves me – easy words to sing. God so loved the world – easy words to recite. Not, however, always easy to live. As one commentator puts it, we cannot walk away from a confrontation with God’s love and remain neutral. There is no middle ground. And as Fred Craddock puts it, “A saving presence can also be a disturbing presence.” Many are called, but few are chosen. Some of us love darkness more than light. Not everyone responds to God’s love positively. Some will never be counted among the children of God. God’s love is so overwhelming to them as to be unbelievable – too good to be true. Sin-based human cynicism rooted in the Devil’s lies is, for such folks, more believable than God’s own truth.

When some encounter the saving presence of God in Jesus Christ, they find it to be to disturbing to handle. Some find the light of God’s love to be too revealing. Rather than honestly confronting the evidence of their sinfulness revealed before them in all of its awfulness, they deny it, refuse to believe it, and go looking for a god they can more easily manage. Furthermore, such people find the way of Christ too demanding. Follow Jesus in the way of the cross? No way! Die to self in order to live with and for Christ? You’ve got to be kidding! Seek to live a life of faithfulness, obedience, and servanthood? Not in this lifetime! Unfortunately, outside of Christ, this lifetime is all they will ever have.

God so loved the world – God so loves all people – that he gave his only Son. The love is universal. The response is not. Either we come to Christ or we don’t. Either we’ll be saved or we won’t. The light of God’s love shines on us all. Some will always, however, prefer the darkness. Some will never know the true meaning behind the words of “Jesus Loves Me, This I Know!”

Today we have heard a mother and a father re-profess their trust in Jesus’ love. Today we have heard them promise to teach their son about that love. As a church we have vowed to do the same, not only for Samuel, but also for every child whose life is significantly touched by this congregation. And in that vow, along with Dave and Joanne, we have re-professed our own trust in the love of Jesus.

Jesus loves us. This we know. For the Bible tells us so. All of us to him belong. We are weak, but he is strong. Yes, Jesus loves us. The Bible tells us so. Amen.