How does God love us?
John 3:16-21
Introduction
- The gospel of John screams of the faith that we should have in Christ
-- It is the clearest example of living life FOR the one who redeemed you and I
Last time:
- Nicodemus has come to talk to Jesus one evening
-- Nicodemus as a Pharisee would’ve had money, and power, and influence
-- But, Jesus turns the conversation to spiritual things – gives honest truth
-- APP: Sugar-coating was not something Jesus did with anyone’s questions
- However, Jesus’s answer is probably not what Nicodemus wanted to hear
-- There is a bit of a challenge in Nicodemus’s position to contend with
-- (v10) “you are Israel’s teacher, yet you don’t know these things?”
- Couple of take away’s from their conversation:
1) First, we see Jesus cutting to the chase and engaging honestly (v3)
2) Second, we see Jesus pointing only to what God has done (v6)
3) Third, when presented with a challenge, Jesus directs back to the truth
- So how do we witness? By presenting the things of God honestly!
-- We need to know what we know, and be willing to show that to others!
-- If we won’t, then who will … and if we don’t, what can it cost them?
- This brings us to a critical passage in John; prob. most known in the whole Bible
- Read John 3:16-21 / Pray
∆ Point 1 – Believers and Non-Believers
- People have always wanted to add too and complicate this passage (v16)
-- IMP: The fact remains … what Jesus said on that day still stands true today
- For us, salvation comes as a free gift; but we must believe it and receive
-- Nicodemus had great intellectual knowledge; but no spiritual knowledge
-- Re: This helps us understand why Jesus also spoke these verses (teaching)
- If you notice, Jesus uses variations of the word believe four times
-- But Jesus actually does something incredible here for us to understand
-- He separates humans into two categories: believers and unbelievers
- We know that the Gospel contains the whole story of reconciliation to God
-- We see the birth, the ministry, the cross, death, and (IMP) the resurrection
-- The entire message of Christ is affirmed in the key word: believe
- Now, notice the incredible mercy we are given by God
-- God has given you and I a gift … a gift to choose how we will live
- TRANS: However, there is even more to this verse we need to see
∆ Point 2 – Agapao, Monogenes, and Ekthetos
- In order to fully grasp this verse we have to look at a little Greek
-- These three words in Jn 3:16 give us tremendous insight to Jesus’s method (this is the HOW)
-- Re: He was direct with Nicodemus, and the Bible is still that direct today
- John uses the word “agapao” quite liberally in this book; 36 times
-- This is almost twice as much as any other book uses the same word
-- Literally, it means to love dearly … as the Father loved the Son (Jesus)
- Because of God’s love for us, we were GIVEN the Son as a gift
-- The love God has for us has no limits that He’d give His Son so freely
-- The decision we have here is what do we do with it? We accept or refuse!
-- APP: We do not get the opportunity of “deciding later”; it may never come
- Jesus used the phrase “one and only”, which translates to “monogenes”
-- In referencing Jesus, we were given God’s one of kind Son to redeem us
-- It is a picture that we must grasp when we refer to Christ today
- APP: Mono (only) and genos (the only of its kind)
-- Truly, there is no other like Christ, and God gave Him freely for us
- Finally, we have the word “ekthetos” – commonly translated as perish
-- Critical: This word actually means to cast out; to be offered for destruction
-- The word phrasing is clear: Those who refuse will be alienated from God
- TRANS: In context, v16 speaks much louder than what’s on the surface
∆ Point 3 – God gives us a Way out
- There is no way to really grasp impact of Jn 3:16 without v17-21 supporting
-- APP: Why? It gives us purpose …
- God’s purpose was never that humanity would be condemned; or cast out
-- Ref 2 Peter 3:9, “It is God’s desire that none should perish …”
-- We were created to worship; to praise Him - Re-read v15-18
- Jesus as we see, is the central theme in these verses:
• V15, 16, and 18: We see that things are done “in Him”
• V17: God’s saving grace is done “through Him”
-- APP: Because of Jesus, salvation/forgiveness is available to you and me
-- But, we must be willing to receive and accept what was done for us
- IMP: Again, what the Bible describes by perish is not cease to exist
-- It is to experience utter failure and loss; an eternity without hope (God)
- God’s word here, in unapologetic manner, divides the world into two groups
-- Those who are saved – and those who will not be saved by their own choice
- Whoever believes (v18) is a choice … a choice that we must decide to make
-- Now, notice the word, already … the Greek word, “kekritai”
-- IMP: Why is this here? At birth, we are already in a state of condemnation
-- Romans 3:23, “for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God”
- We are already sinners, and what God provides is our only way out
-- A way to be redeemed and made whole again (Re: only the Creator can redeem)
- TRANS: However, Jesus does not stop there, He gives us the full picture
-- We see in the following verses (v19-21) … (IMP) this is why we need a Savior
∆ Point 4 – Why do we need a Savior?
- People reject Christ because of the evil they already have in their hearts
-- John has already used the word light to describe exactly what Jesus represents
-- Reference John 1:9
- When the light of God shines on us, we see our sin for what it is – ugly
-- His light exposes in us what is not holy; what needs to be removed from us
- In the dark, we can hide ourselves with everyone else and think we’re ok
-- It is how (and why) so many Christians live a double life today
-- They pretend to have freedom in Christ, yet are a slave to their sin
- They experience surface joy by thinking they are “good to go”; but are not
-- They have convinced themselves everything is fine, but they live in captivity
-- Nicodemus had the same issue: head knowledge, but no heart change (v10)
- Re: The prophet Isaiah already laid out our condition for the OT reader
-- Isaiah 64:6-7, “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. No one calls on your name or strives to lay hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us and have given us over to our sins.”
- IMP: God is not going to force you to accept His gift of salvation
-- We may give others an invitation … but God demands REPENTANCE
-- This is why in context, we see that John 3:16 is more than just “feel good”
- But even today, many refuse to accept Christ and continue to live worldly
-- They convince themselves of a lie that Satan has fed them for years
-- It is why Romans Chapter 1 is so convicting – it shows us WHO we are!
- Turn to Romans 1, read 18-32 … go back to John 3
- Today so many continue to believe they are a-ok, while living in darkness
-- And in v20 we see that those who love the darkness actually HATE the light
-- We hate to have our sins exposed because we’d rather live for ourselves
-- Sure, we’ll take Jesus and His “fire insurance”; but that is all we want
- This is why, in context, v16 is SO convicting … it shows us who we are
-- In it we see where we’ve failed and God MUST rescue us; there’s no other way
-- IMP: God’s plan of salvation was always intended – this is why it’s free
-- There is nothing more that needs to be done; Proclamation: “TETELESTAI” (It is finished!)
∆ Big Idea
- So, let’s contrast a bit what we’ve seen today:
• Believers possess eternal life but unbelievers do not
• Believers live in the light while unbelievers live in darkness
• Believers are not condemned, but unbelievers are already condemned
- Those who practice the truth demonstrate that they do so because of God
-- He is the one who redeems; He brings us life and joy and peace
- He is the one who we can lean on for support and safety during the storm
-- And it is in Christ that we find relief … because of God’s gift TO us!
- So let me ask you something …
1. Are you sick and tired of trying to live a double life?
2. Does sin have a grip on you so hard that you have no peace?
3. Is your life filled with darkness but you’re pretending that you’re happy?
- John 3:16 is your invitation to come to Christ … because God already gave
-- God has given you a clear pathway to lay down your sin and be made new
-- God has already provided a way for you to be free, why not accept it?
- Look at me … for those not ready I want you to hear this today:
-- Why are you continuing to deny who He is by living in your own shame?
-- Stop letting your sin, your doubt, or your shame control you
-- v16 … for God so loved YOU …
- Pray
