John 3:16

In the city of Chicago, one cold, dark night, a blizzard was setting in. A little boy was 
selling newspapers on a corner where the people were going in and out of the cold outdoors. 
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. 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 to the door, 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. He 
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 where there was 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, and took him to a room and tucked him into a big old feather bed and pulled the 
covers up around his neck and kissed him goodnight and turned out the lights. As he laid 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 she 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 she took a big old Bible and sat down in front of him and she looked up at him 
and she asked, "Do you understand John 3:16?" He said, "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 she 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 would be willing to send His 
Son to die for me, and how Jesus would agree to do such a thing. I don't understand it, but it 
sure does make life worth living.

Author Unknown

John 3:16 
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. 
17. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him
might be saved. 
18. He that believeth on 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.