John 3:16

A little boy was selling newspapers on the corner, the people were in & 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 & 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 & down the alley
& 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 & said,
"You go down the street to that big white house & you knock on the door. When they come out the door you just say John 3:16, & they will let you in."

So he did. He walked up the steps & knocked on the door, & a lady answered.

He looked up & said, "John 3:16."

The lady said, "Come on in, Son."

She took him in & she sat him down in a split bottom rocker in front of a great big old fireplace, & she went off. The boy sat there for a while & thought to himself: John 3:16 ... I don't understand it, but it sure makes a cold boy warm.Later she came back & asked him "Are you hungry?"

He said, "Well, just a little. I haven't eaten in a couple of days, & I guess I could stand a little bit of food."The lady took him in the kitchen & sat him down to a table full of wonderful food. He ate & 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, & he sat there & 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 & 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 & turned out the lights. As he lay in the darkness & 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 & 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 bottomrocker in front of the fireplace & picked up a big old Bible.

She sat down in front of him & looked into his young face & said, "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 & began to explain to him about Jesus.Right there, in front of that big old fireplace, he gave his heart & life to Jesus. He sat there & 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, & how Jesus would agree to do such a thing. I don't understand the agony of the Father & every angel in heaven as they watched Jesus suffer & 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.

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.