John 3_16_21 Study Notes for message

John 3:16-21

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.

19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

World (5x) (Vs. 16, 17, 19) Cosmos (Noun) – “Created order” The Whole Cosmos of man, including Gentiles, the whole human race. (see 2 Cor. 5:19)

God (4x) (Vs. 16,17,18,21) Theos (Noun) “Supreme divinity”

Son (3x) (Vs. 16,17,18) Huios (Noun)

Believeth/believed (4x) (Vs. 16,18) Pisteuo (Verb) “to have faith” to entrusts ones spiritual well being to Christ. (Trusts in, clings to, relies on)

Only Begotten (2x) (Vs. 16,18) Monogenes (Adj) “only-born” “sole” “Unique”

Condemn/Condemned/Condemnation (4x) (Vs. 17,18,19) Krino (VERB) (3x) to judge to punish. Krisis (1x) noun. “Tribunal” “Accusation”

Loved (2x) (Vs.16,19) Agapao (Verb) to love in a social or moral sense

Light (5x) (Vs. 19,20,21) Phos (Noun) Luminous

Darkness (1x) (Vs. 19) Skotos

Purpose Statement (Vs. 16)– Why did God give His Son? Because He loved the world (The created order of man)

Cause and effect (Vs.16) – Since God loved the world he gave His Son

Cause and effect (Vs.16) – Whoever believes doesn’t perish but had eternal life.

Action role of God (Vs. 16) – gave His son

Action role of man (Vs.16) – believeth

Contrast (Vs.16) Perish/Everlasting life

Contrast (Vs.17) Condemned/Saved

Action Role of God (Vs.17) God sent His Son

Action Role of God (Vs.17) God saved.

Contrast (Vs.18) He that believeth on Him his not condemned but the one who believes not is condemned already

Cause and effect (Vs.18) one is condemned because he has not believed on the Son of God

Action role of man (Vs.18) believe

Contrast (Vs.19) Man loved darkness other rather than light Light/darkness

Action role of God (vs.19) The light has come into the world

Action role of man (Vs.19) Evil deeds

Action role of God (vs.20) Expose evil deeds (Man doesn’t want to know that there deeds are wrong they want to keep doing them)

Contrast (Vs. 20,21) Doeth Evil/Doeth truth

Contrast (Vs. 20,21) the one who hates the light does evil deeds, the one who is in the light, his deeds are accomplished by God.

Contrast (Pericope) God loves the world man loves darkness

Main Verb (Vs. 16) Loved

Important Verb (Vs.16) Gave

Important Verb (Vs 16) Believe

Important verb (Vs. 16) Perish

Main Verb (Vs. 17) Sent

Important Verb (Vs. 17) Condemned

Important Verb (Vs.17) Saved

Main Verb (Vs.18) Believe

Important verb (Vs.18) Condemned

Main verb (Vs. 19) is

Important verb (Vs. 19) Loved

Main Verb (Vs. 20) Doeth

Important Verb (Vs. 20) Hate

Important Verb (Vs. 20) Cometh

Important Verb (Vs. 20) Reproved

Main Verb (Vs. 21) doeth

Important Verb (Vs.21) Wrought

Summary Statement

God so greatly loved His created order of man that He would give His Son’s life so that the man who believed on the name of Jesus would not be destroyed but saved and have life as Jesus has it. This sending of His Son was not in judgment of the world but for means of saving the world. Judgment has already been cast upon those who do not believe but for those who do believe there is no judgment. The judgment is this, Jesus who is the light of the world came into to the world to expose evil but men loved evil so much that they hated the light. Their hatred stems from the love of their deeds and they would rather continue in their deeds than to repent of them. But the one who believes in Jesus, His actions are brought forth by God.

Exegesis

Jesus speaks with Nicodemes and gives several illustrations “Birth” “Wind” “The serpent on the pole” (A story of judgment because of sin, a story of grace because God provided a remedy, and a story of faith because when they looked they were saved! “light and darkness”

John uses “life” 36 times I this Gospel

John 3:16-21 (The Full Pericope is 3:1-21) “A Spiritual Conversation”

Main Idea [Jesus has a conversation with Nicodemus explain to him that neither his heritage as a Jew or his deeds as a Pharisee could gain him entry into the Kingdom of God. Entry into the Kingdom is granted by Grace alone through faith alone in Christ Jesus alone and is available to Jew and Gentiles.]

Intro: The great evangelist Billy Graham enjoyed a friendship with many U.S Presidents, but in his book “Just As I Am” Graham had a great love and special friendship with the 35th President, John Fitzgerald Kennedy. Billy Graham had known Kennedy before his election as President and once elected he made it clear that he would anything to help the new president unify the nation under one leadership.

Just a few days before Kennedy’s inauguration, Graham was invited to play golf with the President Elect. The two men enjoyed conversations about world events and politics, but Graham was most passionate about their conversation of Jesus and His pending return to earth for those who follow Him. Kennedy was so intrigued with their discussion that he requested to meet again with Billy Graham about Christ.

They continued to stay in touch through Kennedy’s presidency and were together in Feb. 1963 at the national day of prayer breakfast. After the gathering, Kennedy and Graham walked out together toward the presidential motorcade on this particularly cold and snowy day. Suddenly the president stopped in his tracks, turned and invited Graham back to the White House so he could discuss something with him. But Graham was battling the flu. Fearing he’d make the president sick, he declined and asked if they could meet another time.

The president agreed it could wait for a more convenient occasion. But that moment never came. For Graham, this moment will forever stay with him. In his book he wrote, “His hesitation at the car door, and his request, haunt me still. What was on his mind? Should I have gone with him? It was an irrecoverable moment.”

There are conversations that are important to have and today I am going to have a Spiritual Conversation with you from one that Jesus had with a ruler of Israel.

Nicodemus was a Jewish man, a Pharisee, a member of the Sanhedrin, and also a seeker of truth. He witnessed Jesus’ miraculous signs that Jesus did in Jerusalem over the 1st Passover of His earthly ministry. He came to Jesus by night and Jesus had a Spiritual conversation with Him and used four (4) illustrations to drive His point home about entry into the Kingdom of God.

1st. Born again, [New Birth] “When one is old.” Born again wasn’t a new term in fact according to Jewish culture and rabbinic theology, Nicodemus had been born again 4 times. Bar Mitzah (Coming of age, now he owned his sin), Marriage, Ordination as a Rabbi, and as head of a “Rabbinic Seminary” (“The teacher of the Jews”) But Jesus is talking a spiritual birth. Regeneration.

2nd The wind, In Hebrew and Greek the word wind can also be translated “Spirit.”

The whole world lies in judgment but Jesus was given to bring everlasting life 3:14-17

World = Created order of man (All people “races” “ethniticities”)

These verses are the third Illustration that Jesus uses to explain how one can see (enter into the Kingdom of God). His illustration is one that Nicodemus would have known well. “The Bronze Serpent,” This story illustrates great truth about the world of man and the Kingdom of God. The Sin brought judgment “death” to the people, many were bitten by the serpents and died. God gave Grace, when Moses prayed to the Lord, God gave means for salvation. When God made means for salvation, man looked upon the means in Faith. Therefore, Nicodemus could not gain entry to the Kingdom of God according to his heritage

The Bronze Serpent the pole

Judgment (Death)

Grace (Means of Salvation provided)(God’s step)

Faith(The look of faith) (Man’s step)

Life(They where healed and lived)

The Savior on the Cross

Judgment (all men Jew and Gentile have been bitten by the snake of sin and lie in condemnation) God sends no one to hell, it is man’s sin that sends one to hell.

Grace (Given) (Why? LOVE!) Romans 5:8

Faith (Believes – trust, rely upon)

Life (Everlasting life – life as Jesus has)

The world lies in darkness but Jesus came bearing light 3:18-21

The fourth illustration is the contrast between light and darkness (Which John often uses). Jesus is the light of the world who came into the world to bear light in the dark recess of man’s heart. But for as much as God loved the world man loved his evil deeds and hated the light because they were exposed by the light. All deeds of unregenerate mankind are evil and therefore not even “righteous” Nicodemus could gain entry to the Kingdom of God according to his deeds.

God’s love vs. man’s love

Light vs. darkness

Ill: The best way to reveal the crookedness of one stick is to place a straight stick beside it. Coming into the world as a Perfect Man, the Lord Jesus revealed the crookedness of all other men, by comparison.

Conclusion: Nicodemus could not count on his heritage as a Jew or his deeds as a Pharisee for access into the Kingdom of God, Jesus taught Him that Access into the Kingdom of God is by Grace alone, Through Faith Alone, In Jesus Alone! Progressively we see in the Scriptures that Nicodemus inched his way towards Jesus then finally receives Jesus by faith unto salvation, WHAT BEGAN IN THE MIDNIGHT OF CONFUSION (3:1-21) EVENTLY CAME INTO THE SUNLIGHT OF CONFESSION! (John 19:38-42)

God loves you and has made available to you everlasting life in the presence of Christ, and if there are a thousand steps between us and God, He will take all but one. He will leave the final one for us. The choice is ours