Day 24

“Everyone who believes in him may not perish

but may have eternal life.”

John 3:16

The verse from the Gospel of John reminds us that a word does not need to be long in order to be important. But is a very short word, yet it is essential in grasping the hopeful message of Good Friday and Easter Sunday. In fact, it almost sums up what these two days are all about. God knows there is a Good Friday side to life. We sin, we hurt one another, and we die—all parts of the failing and futile reality in which we live. If they were the only parts and if sin and death had the final word, life would be terribly despairing and dismal.

But we also experience an Easter side to human life. God does not abandon us to the grave. God’s care for us is so great that God comes to us in Jesus Christ so that those who believe in him will not perish but share in the undying life that God gives.

Daily Practice

Every time you use the word but today in a sentence, remind yourself of God’s gift of love and eternal life.