Two Loves - John 3:16-21

"In 1989, a collector bought a dismal painting encased in a beautiful frame (for 4 dollars). After taking the frame apart he found a rare (original) copy of the Declaration of Independence behind the painting. It later sold for $2.4 million." - unbelievable facts

The passage we will unfold today is perhaps the most well known in the bible: John 3:16. If you are familiar with this text, it may be tempting to do a quick scan, but then discard the message. However, if you open your heart to God’s word, you will see that the message behind this verse is worth more than you could ever imagine. These few sentences that we will meditate upon are worth an infinite value.

It is tempting to approach a simple verse like John 3:16 with the mindset, “Okay, I think we’ve got this one down, can we move on to deeper teaching?”

Church, more than we need facts about history and debates over theories, we need renewal in our hearts. We need closeness with Jesus. John 3:16 is not JV Christianity. This verse is not reserved for our children's ministry. Understanding the love of God is varsity Christianity. Knowing greek is JV. Deep teaching is not adding obscure facts to your notepad. Deep teaching is teaching that transforms your heart to love God and love people. John 3 is well equipped for this miracle of a task.

Pray

As we unpack John 3, God’s love is rightly the main focus. We’ll focus on that love first. But as we search deeper past the frame, we’ll see that there is another love at play.

Here is the first love,

God so loved the world.

16 “For God so loved the world,

The good news begins with God. God did not love the world because the world is lovely, he loved the world because he is love. We did not motivate his love. The origin of his love is from his own chest.

The man Jesus was speaking to on this dark Jerusalem night was Nicodemus, a spiritual leader and teacher in the nation of Israel. I imagine that his eyebrows lifted when he heard the word world. As a Jewish man, he would have been encouraged to hear that God loves Israel, but God’s mission went beyond the scope of expectation. God loved the Roman soldiers who haunted the Jerusalem streets. God loved the gentiles who worshiped false idols. God loved the world.

There is no one God does not love. There is no one God cannot save. If Putin were to repent and trust in Jesus, he would be saved. If “that neighbor” would turn to Christ, they would be restored. If the family member who’s more stubborn than a pothole will humbly trust God, they will be made new.

He loves the world. And this love was not just a feeling, it took form through action. His love was proved in this way...

that he gave his only Son,

"An old legend tells of a traveler attempting to circle the globe who found himself trapped in quicksand. As he slowly sank, Confucius came by and said, “ it is evident man should avoid such situations.” And he went on his way. Mohammed came by and said, “Alas, it is the will of Allah.” And he went on his way. Buddha came by, and said, “Let this man’s dilemma be an illustration for many.” And he went on his way. Krishna came by and said, “Better luck next time.” And he went on his way. (Let me add one, an atheist college professor came by, tossed him a book and a bottle and said “enjoy your final moments.”) And he went on his way. Jesus Christ came by, reached out to the man, and pulled him out." Jon Courson

There is a reason the gospel is called good news. The message is primarily an explanation of what God has done, not what man must do. The gospel is not good advice, good inspiration, or a good example. It is good news. It is great news. It is the best news!

What gift could God have given to greater prove his love? What action could Jesus have done to improve upon saving this world through his death and resurrection?

The proof of his love is that he acted upon it. And now he calls for us to respond.

that whoever (is a kind person, opps misread that. Cusses less, opps misread that. Goes on a mission trip, opps misread that) believes (Believes!) in him should not perish (clean slate) but have eternal life (full plate).

The gift of salvation is free to us because Jesus paid the cost. Have you received it? We receive the gift by trusting that Jesus died for us and rose again to give us eternal life. Do you believe? Notice that we are not called to believe a set of facts. We believe in him! This passage is not calling you to accept a few statements, it is calling you to hang the full weight of your future upon a person! The savior, Jesus Christ. Believe now! Don’t even wait until the end of the message. Just believe and you will be saved. If you think that’s too good to be true, then you do not understand the sufficiency of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Check it out...

17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

The world has given God ample reasons to pour out condemnation. We talk badly about people made in his image. We act like the designer of the cosmos exists to serve us. We use our bodies for selfish pleasures instead of selfless worship. And yet, God sent his son to save us. This surpasses all expectations. And it certainly didn’t meet the expectation of Nicodemus.

The Jews were expecting a mighty king to overthrow the Romans and liberate Jerusalem from oppression. If there was one man, who on the surface, was failing to meet that job description it was Jesus. He was merciful to Israel’s enemies. He made the spiritual leaders uncomfortable. When accused, he was silent. When a group of soldiers came to arrest him he accepted and healed one of his captors ears.

Whoever you think Jesus is, I assure you, he is better. So good, that through him, anyone can be saved.

18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

Wo Wo Wo.... I thought we just read, that anyone can be saved and now Jesus is talking about condemnation. How does this connect? Just because everyone can be saved does not mean that everyone will be saved.

All who are currently living in unbelief, are condemned already. Hell is not just their future, if nothing changes. Inner hell is their current reality because they do not know Christ.

If you feel the weight of condemnation because of an unbelieving heart, it is not only because of what you have done, but also what you haven't done: trust in Jesus for renewal.

Unbelief looks at Jesus leaving heaven and says, not selfless enough. Unbelief looks at Jesus’ perfect life and says, not perfect enough. Unbelief looks at Jesus’ sacrificial death and says, not loving enough. Unbelief looks at Jesus’ resurrection and says, not powerful enough.

This morning, let’s all collectively turn from our varying degrees of unbelief and say to Jesus: you are enough.

His love is enough and this truth is vital as we consider the second love in John 3...

We so loved the darkness.

19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.

The problem of the unbeliever is not only hatred, but love. They love the wrong thing. They love the darkness. It is tint on the window enabling them to live how they want.

Just this past week I saw a new reality in scripture. The deference between desire and love. James teaches the church in Jerusalem that a Christian is tempted to sin when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Even if you are a Christian and have the Holy Spirit, there will be times when you still desire to sin. Sin does not force your hand, simply, we sin because we want to. But there is a difference between desire and love. Though a Christian may act upon the desire to lust, there is an undercurrent of hatred for that sin. Though a godly man may be lured to lie, in his chest he is grieved and repents.

The non-Christian on the other hand, loves sin. They are happy it exists. It makes them feel the warmth of escape. And when you love something, you will defend it. Wherever you find love, know that hatred is close by.

20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.

Plato once taught, “We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.”

Those living in unbelief are not only afraid of the light, they hate the light. The light puts their love for sin at risk.

Pastor David Guzik explained it like this, "Those who consciously reject Jesus often present themselves as heroic characters who bravely put away superstition and deal honestly with deep philosophical problems. It is far more often true that there is a moral compromise at the root of their rejection."

Unbelief is a coverup.

Let us not forget, that Jesus, in this same book describes himself as the Light of the World. So let’s read this verse again,

20 For everyone who does wicked things hates Jesus and does not come to Jesus, lest his works should be exposed. Have we gone too far? I know non-Christians who are incredibly sweet and selfless. There are unbelievers i’d rather grab coffee with then some cranky Christians. They love their families. It sure doesn’t seem like they hate Jesus.

If you love Jesus before being saved, be assured that it is a Jesus of your own imagination. Not the Jesus of God’s word.

The world loves a false Jesus who affirms sexual perversion.

The world loves a false Jesus who perfectly fits into their political ideology.

Nicodemus would have loved a Jesus who condemned Rome, instead he got a Jesus who called him to be born again.

If Jesus agrees with every opinion and preference you have, you are not worshiping the Jesus of the bible. You are worshiping a Jesus made in your image.

The historical man, Jesus Christ, the savior of the world, challenges all of our presuppositions. Before knowing him, he makes us uncomfortable because his light exposes our darkness. And he can’t help it, light is his very nature. So before knowing him, we rebel against him.

Author Eugene Peterson illustrates this in his paraphrase of our text,

“This is the crisis we’re in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God. Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won’t come near it, fearing a painful exposure."

We're like children playing hide and go seek by covering our own eyes.

If this is true, that by nature we love darkness, how can anyone be made new? The only reality in this world strong enough to overcome love is a greater love.

Martin Luther King Jr. was onto something when he said...

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”

We cannot achieve a new heart by mustering up love for the real Jesus. Only his love for us can spark real love for the real Jesus.

1 John 4:10 “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

Let God’s love carry you into the light.

Be carried out into the light.

The most heightened moment of love I have experienced in this life is when my sons little body was placed onto my chest for the first time. The weight of his body, about the weight of a handful of books, felt heavier with joy than all the pain I have experienced in this world. He was mine. He was my child.

When he was birthed into the light of this world, it was messy. He was crying, a little slimy, and fully loved.

The same is true for those born of the Spirit. As the Holy Spirit pushes us toward the light of repentance, we approach God dirty, messy, and fussy. How will we be recieved in the presence of God? We will be loved. We will be cherished. Because we are his children.

21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

When you repent of your sins and trust in Jesus alone for salvation, you are born again. And in love, as God looks at you, his child, he can clearly see: you are mine, you are my child.

God is the author of our salvation. And God is the finisher of our salvation....

Our sinister love for darkness could have motivated God to condemn the world, instead,

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

In the Summer of 1962 a famous german theologian was giving lectures at academic institutions across America. One night he was asked by a student, “What in your judgment is the essence of the Christian faith?” After pausing, he said he could answer in one sentence, “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the bible tells me so.”

John 3:16 is as deep as it gets. This is varsity Christianity: love.

Do you see the value? Do you see the price? Do you see the love?