The entire gospel story is rooted in divine love—not human worthiness, but God’s character. Before we were born, before we could choose right or wrong, before we even knew we needed saving, God’s love was already planning our rescue. The cross reveals the lengths to which love will go: the Father giving His only Son, the Son willingly laying down His life, the Holy Spirit drawing sinful hearts to respond to such overwhelming grace. No one is beyond the reach of that love, and no sin is too dark for its light to penetrate.

Karla Faye Tucker, a Texas woman was sentenced to death for a brutal double murder in 1983. In prison, she was hardened and hopeless until a fellow inmate handed her a Bible. Reading John 3:16 for the first time, she said it was as if “the words lifted off the page and wrapped around me.” She surrendered her life to Christ, and over the years, those who visited her saw an unmistakable transformation. Her anger turned to peace, her bitterness to compassion. She spent her final years ministering to other inmates, sharing the message of forgiveness that had set her free long before her execution. Even the guards who once feared her testified that she radiated calm and kindness. On the night of her death in 1998, she looked at the witnesses behind the glass and said, “I love all of you. I’m going to be with Jesus now.” Her life became a living illustration of John 3:16—that God’s love can redeem even those society deems irredeemable.

Karla’s story reminds us that salvation is not earned by goodness or status; it is received by grace through faith. The same love that reached into a prison cell still reaches into boardrooms, homes, and hearts today. “Whosoever” truly means everyone—the broken and the proud alike. When we accept the gift of Jesus Christ, eternal life begins not only beyond the grave but within us, as His love transforms our character, restores our dignity, and teaches us to love as He loved.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us before we ever loved You. Help us to grasp the depth of Your love shown in Jesus Christ, and let that love transform how we see others and ourselves. May we live as daily witnesses of Your saving grace. Amen.