John 3:16-The Greatest Rescue Mission (June 30, 2024-Family sunday-20 minutesish)

Intro: Dunkirk?

the problem

our rebellion, righteous judgement stands over us, john 3:36

Romans 1:18–20 NIV

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

Romans 3:23 NIV

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

the world: However astonishing this scope, John’s primary wonder is probably the gracious embrace of God’s love, for its object is the world, which John consistently sees as fallen and organized in rebellion against God. It is against the background of the wickedness of the world, even more than its vastness, that God’s love shines out most gloriously

Bruce Milne, The Message of John: Here Is Your King!: With Study Guide, The Bible Speaks Today (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993), 77.

The Message of John 4. John the Baptist and Jesus (3:22–36)

The wrath of God is a difficult notion to hold together with the love of God, also affirmed in this chapter (16). The place from which to view these divine perfections in their mutual relationship is the cross, to which John will bring us before long. At this point, however, we should note that the Bible in general, and Jesus in particular, take the wrath of God with an awesome seriousness. For Jesus, God’s wrath is not the outworking of some impersonal principle of retribution. It is a personal reality. God personally resists those who resist him. Further, God’s wrath, unlike our fitful and often uncontrolled emotion, is without sin or error in its exercise

until we understand this, the Gospel message makes us humans out to be pretty good-worthy of God’s attention while the Bible teaches the opposite.

Tim Keller: You are more sinful than you ever thought you were.And you are more loved than you ever dreamed you could be

2. the plan

The lamb of God! It is Finished

John 19:30 NIV

When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

3. the victory

On the third day, Jesus rose again!

just as Dunkirk rallied the Allied troops, so the resurrection of Christ instills hope and life!

John 20:30–31 NIV

Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

What is the right response?

Believe and tell!

The Message of John 3. Conversation with Nicodemus (3:1–21)

Regeneration also makes clear the radical difference between Christians and non-Christians. We are either one or the other, born again, or dead in sins; we have come to the light, or are still in darkness; we are saved from condemnation, or under condemnation. There is no middle ground. We may not necessarily recall the details of our regeneration. That is not the primary issue, which is that we are now living in constant dependence on Jesus Christ as our living Lord and Saviour and growing in our spiritual life, which is God’s ever-renewed gift

Believe:

Romans 5:8 NIV

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 4:25 NIV

He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

world-the perishing, sinful, made up of jews and gentiles

perish-stand condemned

believe-receive, put faith, trust in, more than mental assent-correct perception of Jesus’ identity, conviction that what we heard about him is true, and a trust in his ability to save

eternal life-knowing God, entering into His holy presence-eternal

condemn-act of judgement, Gods wrath remaining on those who reject Christ