"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."  In John 3:16, Jesus opens up a promise to whosoever believes in Him--WHOSOEVER!  There is no race or ethnicity, no social caste or class, no physical or mental ability that can bring us to Him faster or hold us from Him longer, because He said whosoever believes. "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God" (John 3:17-21).

"The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world" (John 1:9). Jesus Christ was born into this world to bring life to every man. The light of Christ is available to every man--whosoever believes. "In [Christ] was life and that life was the light of men" (John 1:4).

"Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, Your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, Your justice like the great deep. O Lord, You preserve both man and beast. How priceless is Your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of Your wings. They feast on the abundance of Your house; You give them drink from Your river of delights. For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light" (Psalm 36:5-9).

"For You have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling that I may walk before You in the light of life" (Psalm 56:13).

"After the suffering of His soul, He will see the light of life and be satisfied; by His knowledge my righteous Servant will justify many, and He will bear their iniquities" (Isaiah 53:11).

Jesus promises light and life to whosoever will come to Him. In 1739, Charles Wesley penned the familiar lyrics that encapsulate the promise:

"Hail the heav'n-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings
Ris'n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.
Hark! The herald angels sing,
'Glory to the new-born King!'"  Amen