Out of Context 3: John 3:16

Intro

the most popular passage in scripture

one of the most misused in scripture

an amazing message taken out of context and used to make something else

Book

one of the four gospels

the most unique of the four- the other three all share sources with each other and follow a similar narrative pattern, even if they are all writing from different perspectives

John focuses most on stories told with vivid language

some things not in the same order but are meant to give emphasis

less parables, more Jesus before the cross

Jesus is God and he is the way to God, life, love, and hope

Chapter

Jesus and Nicodemus

very early in the story

an unlikely character meeting at an odd time to ask an interesting question

they have a conversation about who Jesus is and what he came to do

Jesus came to give life through the spirit by making himself a sacrifice

Verse

the qualifier of what came before it

why is it that now the mysteries of heaven are being revealed?

why is it that we are only now able to be born again and receive life in the spirit?

because this has been God’s plan all along

as though it were a clarification of all the fun things we have in chapter one

Jesus is God’s will lived out to reconcile man back to him

so what are we being called to believe in?

Application

do you believe simply that Jesus was and is and is to come and therefore have life eternally?

the kingdom is not so simple

it does not require just the mind part of you or the emotional part or the conscious part

the price for entry into the kingdom is all of you even though all of you wasn’t enough