Whoever…

John 3:16 states: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

“Whoever” unrolls the welcome mat of heaven to humanity. 

“Whoever” invites the world to God.

Jesus could have so easily narrowed the scope, changing “whoever” to whatever. “Whatever Jew believes” or “Whatever woman follows me.” But He used no qualifier. The pronoun is wonderfully indefinite. After all, who isn’t a “whoever?”

The word sledgehammers racial fences and dynamites social classes. It bypasses gender borders and surpasses ancient traditions. 

“Whoever” makes it clear: God exports His grace worldwide. For those who attempt to restrict it, Jesus has a word: “whoever.”

 “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven” (Matthew 10:32)

“Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 10:39)

“Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother” (Mark 3:35)

“Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16)

“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them” (John 3:36)

“… but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14)

“All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away” (John 6:37)

“… and whoever lives by believing in me will never die” (John 11:26)

“And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely” (Revelation 22:17 NKJV)

Titus 2:11 assures us that “God’s grace that can save everyone has come’ (NCV). Paul contended that Jesus Christ “sacrificed Himself to win freedom for all mankind” (1 Timothy 2:6 NEB). Peter affirmed that “it is not His [God’s] will for any to be lost, but for all to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9 NEB). 

God’s gospel has a “whoever” policy and that is simply powerfully exciting and even awesome!