Eternal Life
This particular Bible verse I remember seeing as a young boy watching a Houston Oiler game in the Astrodome. I got a children’s Bible that Christmas and do not like to admit that I never read it much, often sifting through the pages, just looking at the colorful pictures. As a seven-year-old boy this was where my love for football began and my curiosity of God started.
My dad bought season tickets for our family to attend Houston Oiler games, which became a fun tradition in the Hickman household. The “Love Ya Blue Days” was growing big throughout Houston. Bum Phillips was the head coach at the time and Earl Campbell (The Tyler Rose) was dominating teams typically dragging defenders across the AstroTurf. After the game on the ride home, I remember sitting in the back seat listening to the radio post-game interviews with the coaches and players. When we got home, I would quickly throw on my Oiler gear and play football with my brother in the back yard with my dad as the all-time quarterback. Games would end with my getting upset because my older brother would beat me every week. This is where I learned to compete and became passionate about the game.
Over the years this Bible verse kept popping up in many stadiums across the country. I was curious. What did this verse mean? Why are millions across the world wanting to see this bible verse? That was when I finally opened my Bible up to John 3:16 and read it.
John 3:16 says…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.
What does it mean to perish? It means to enter into the definite and never-ending suffering of hell caused by sin. The only liberation from this sin-driven eternal death is Jesus Christ.
The Pope explains: “Christ goes towards his Passion and death with full awareness of the mission that he has to fulfill precisely in this way. Precisely by means of this suffering, he must bring it about ‘that man should not perish, but have eternal life.’”
Precisely by means of his Cross, he must strike at the roots of evil, planted in the history of man and in human souls.
This verse speaks to my heart.
Not in a way connected to football games but connected to God. This verse in my eyes means that God loves you and me no matter what. He loves our flaws; he loves our failures, and yet he loves us for who we are.
He forgives us of our sins and gave his only begotten son to die for our sins.
Those are not just words but through action he gave his only son. And if you believe in Him, you would have eternal life with Him.
This Bible verse puts us at peace knowing if you believe and worship God, that no matter what, you will have an eternal life in heaven with Him.
This one Bible verse reveals so much of the Bible and depth of love God has for us all.
This Lenten season, my goal is to not just cut out bad eating habits that in a few weeks I typically fail at. Over the next forty days and throughout my life, my goal is to develop a stronger relationship with God so that one day I will have an everlasting life with him.
Author: Brandon Hickman, Head Football Coach
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