One cold, dark night, in the city of Chicago, a blizzard was setting in.
A little boy was selling newspapers on the corner, the people were in
and out of the cold. The little boy was so cold that he wasn' t trying to
sell many papers.
He walked up to a policeman and said, "Mister, you wouldn't happen
to know where a poor boy could find a warm place to sleep tonight
would you? You see, I sleep in a box up around the corner there and
down the alley and it's awful cold in there for tonight. Sure would be
nice to have a warm place to stay."
The policeman looked down at the little boy and said, "You go down
the street to that big white house and you knock on the door. When
they come out the door you just say John 3:16, and they will let you in."
So he did. He walked up the steps and knocked on the door, and a
lady answered.
He looked up and said, "John 3:16." The lady said, "Come on in, Son."
She took him in and she sat him down in a split bottom rocker in front
of a great big old fireplace, and she went off. The boy sat there for a
while and thought to himself: John 3:16...I don't understand it, but it
sure makes a cold boy warm.
Later she came back and asked him "Are you hungry?" He said, "Well,
just a little. I haven't eaten in a couple of days, and I guess I could
stand a little bit of food." The lady took him in the kitchen and sat him
down to a table full of wonderful food. He ate and ate until he couldn't
eat any more. Then he thought to himself: John 3:16...Boy, I sure don't
understand it but it sure makes a hungry boy full.
She took him upstairs to a bathroom to a huge bathtub filled with
warm water, and he sat there and soaked for a while. As he soaked, he
thought to himself: John 3:16...I sure don't understand it, but it sure
makes a dirty boy clean. You know, I've not had a bath, a real bath,
in my whole life. The only bath I ever had was when I stood in front
of that big old fire hydrant as they flushed it out.
The lady came in and got him. She took him to a room, tucked him
into a big old feather bed, pulled the covers up around his neck, kissed
him goodnight and turned out the lights. As he lay in the darkness
and looked out the window at the snow coming down on that cold
night, he thought to himself: John 3:16...I don't understand it but it sure
makes a tired boy rested.
The next morning the lady came back up and took him down again to
that same big table full of food. After he ate, she took him back to that
same big old split bottom rocker in front of the fireplace and picked up
a big old Bible. She sat down in front of him and looked into his
young face.
"Do you understand John 3:16?" she asked gently. He replied, "No,
Ma'am, I don't. The first time I ever heard it was last night when the
policeman told me to use it." She opened the Bible to John 3:16 and
began to explain to him about Jesus. Right there, in front of that big
old fireplace, he gave his heart and life to Jesus. He sat there and
thought: John 3:16...I don't understand it, but it sure makes a lost boy
feel safe.
You know, I have to confess I don't understand it either, how God was
willing to send his son to die for me, and how Jesus would agree to do
such a thing. I don't understand the agony of the Father and every
angel in heaven as they watched Jesus suffer and die. I don''t
understand the intense love for ME that kept Jesus on the cross till the
end. I don't understand it, but it sure does make life worth living.
-Author Unknown-
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.
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but
that the world through him might be saved.
He that believeth in him is not condemned; but he that believeth not is
condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the
only begotten Son of God.
