For God So Loved

Introduction

Good morning! A special welcome to all the kiddos, parents, if your child makes noise, please don’t worry. They’re part of the church, they're not a bother, and they’re welcome here.

If you have your Bibles, please get them open to John chapter 3. We’re going to cover verses 1-21 today, which is Jesus’ encounter with a man named Nicodemus.

Now, if you’re familiar at all with the books in the Bible, we’re going through Jesus’ encounters with people which are recorded in the “gospels”. And there are four of these books in the Bible, all detailing the stories of the witnesses of Jesus.

So, John’s Gospel is also known as “The Gospel According to John”, or the Apostle John.

And I think this word has been watered down a bit over the course of modern Christianity. You may hear phrases like “that’s gospel truth right there!”. We even use it as an expression, which makes more sense, which is to “share the gospel” with someone, or evangelize.

But the word itself, apart from our Christian idioms, simply means “good news”. To proclaim good news.

And there’s an unexplainable feeling when you get good news, you know? Over the course of a lifetime, I think we all receive good and bad news in different waves.

I remember some really bad news I’ve gotten over the years, one of which was being laid off from a job.

The first news was “hey, we don’t have any money left and we can’t pay our suppliers”. Okay, that’s bad news since I’m in charge of literally buying everything that comes into the shop. The second news was “that means we can’t pay you, either”. Okay, that’s worse news.

It’s a pretty yucky feeling to be let go of a job, and sometimes bad news just leaves you reeling with no hope for the future.

But, then there’s good news.

I remember sitting in a tent, camping with my family after purchasing a house and moving to Clinton, then listing our old house on the market and waiting for a buyer to come along. And on that camping trip, in my in-laws back yard, I got a phone call that we had an offer on the house for more than asking price.

Now that was good news. It’s a feeling hard to describe, you feel like all the pressure in your body gets released and you can really enjoy your life and your family without the looming feeling of what’s ahead.

I also remember a time a few years after that moment, sitting near the same tent camping again, when the northern lights were extremely visible here, and a sense of awe and wonder rushed over me.

It’s like that same feeling of good news, where suddenly this astral anomaly that I have zero control over shows itself to me, almost as if the hand of God stretched a colorful blanket over the entire sky, and my life problems are momentarily diminished because my life in this universe suddenly seems so small.

See, the problem with good news is that it’s completley unnecessary without bad news. That relieving wave of comfort when you receive that good news only exists because you’re in a present state on tension.

And the tension John presents here is universal. It’s found in all of us. At some point, as we’re wondering through life, assuming were all good to go, we encounter this thing called death.

The moment you face death, whether it’s your own mortality, or a loved one, maybe it’s a natural disaster that wipes away an entire city, maybe it’s even as simple as the family pet passing away - in that moment you realize how little power you actually posses in your own hands.

But Jesus, as He entered the world, brought something called life. He bought the power over creation. He brought the only remedy that has historically worked against the bad news, death.

He brought the good news, life, as a gift to us.

What John writes in our passage today is perhaps the most succinct message of the good news Christ brings, and it contains one of the most well-known verses of all time, John 3:16.

So, I’d like to invite our reader up to read John 3:1-21. And if you are physically able, would you please stand for the reading of God’s word?

Thank you, please be seated.

Body

Okay, so John starts this story by introducing this man named Nicodemus.

Now, what do we know about Nicodemus?

Well, for starters, he was a Jewish man. That alone says a lot about Nicodemus in way of his personal life, devotion to God, what his family structure would have been. Even what his schedule would have.

But, John gives us more than that. Not only was Nicodemus a Jewish man, he was a man from the Pharisees.

If you’re not aware, the Pharisees were a sect of Judaism, kind of a political group, and they were the dominant influence on the actual practice of Judaism in Jesus’ day.

They were known primarily for their strict adherence to the Torah and the Old Testament law, the law of Moses. In general, if you were a Pharisee, you were well educated.

The best scribes and lawyers and debaters came from this group.

And I know the word Pharisee can bring up negative connotations immediately in your mind, because it seems at every turn Jesus was calling them a “brood of vipers” or flipping over their tables.

But, the Pharisees were actually very well respected in 1st century Palestine. See, after the Jews came back from exile in the Old Testament, they were recovering their lost documents and stories, and rebuilding the temple.

It seems that the Pharisees were simply trying their best to continue the region of their ancestors. They were dedicated to God’s commands and law.

I believe the majority were legitimately seeking and loyal to Yahweh, God most high.

So, when we encounter the fact that Nicodemus was a Pharisee, we should be thinking “oh, good”. He’s one of the good guys. Because that’s what the original Jewish readers of John’s gospel would have thought.

So, when you think of him, think “Nicodemus is a devout follower of Yahweh”.

Nicodemus is a devout follower of Yahweh

And not only was he devout, Nicodemus was also a ruler of the Jews. This meant he sat on the Sanhedrin, which was the legal counsel and authority of all Jews. They made decisions and heard cases, and they’ll come up many more times in the New Testament, and will eventually declare Jesus guilty of blasphemy.

So, from all that, here’s what we know about Nicodemus: He was born into the right family, race, and religion. He was knowledgable in the Torah, in God’s commands. He was trained under the watchful eye of the Pharisees, and knew how to defend and debate. He knew people had the right connections, and sat on the highest authority in the land.

Yet, with all this confidence, with all these traits that the common man could only pray to one day attain, Nicodemus comes to Jesus at night.

This is curious.

Our text doesn’t really say why exactly he came to Jesus at night, but John puts that small detail into his gospel for a reason.

Maybe Nicodemus was embarrassed to be with this guy from Nazareth, a lowly farming city. They even spoke differently that in other regions, so maybe Nicodemus didn’t want his reputation tarnished.

It could be that the other Pharisees didn’t want to associate with Jesus because of his teachings, or didn’t believe in his miracles.

Some theorize that John was simply using a metaphor, that Nicodemus was under a “spiritual night” and that his soul was dark.

And some of all of these theories may be partially true, but I think a general insight we can pull from our text is that Nicodemus was curious.

He saw Jesus performing these works of God.

He even admits it to Jesus - John 3:2 ““Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one could perform these signs you do unless God were with him.””

Nicodemus affirms his status as Rabbi, that he’s a teacher from God. God is with Jesus, he admits.

And here’s what I think, for as much or as little as that’s worth, that Nicodemus has been wrestling with the fact that Jesus may be the messiah. He may be God’s chosen vessel to finally bring the nation of Israel back to her former glory.

So Nicodemus chooses the safest way to test the waters. He dips his toe in before jumping in. Under the guise of night, in the darkness, he subtly asks Jesus if these things are true.

And I know what you may be thinking, Nicodemus doesn’t ask a question. What are you talking about.

But, in saying “Rabbi, we know you’re from God, and God is with you, and you’ve performed all these miraculous things”, Nicodemus is actually asking a question.

This is why verse 3 seems to jarring. In response, Jesus says

John 3:3 “3 Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.””

If you’re like me reading the story, you have to stop and say “what?”. Nicodemus didn’t ask about the Kingdom of God, or being born again or anything of the sorts.

But, Jesus knows the underlying heart of Nicodemus.

Because what Nicodemus is asking has everything to do with the identity Nicodemus finds in himself, which is Jewish.

He belongs to Israel, and to Yahweh.

So, knowing this, Jesus has to change his world. Jesus introduces a paradigm shift.

Paradigm Shift - Bad News

And this is the bad news. Now, a paradigm shift is defined as “a fundamental change in approach or underlying assumptions”.

Nicodemus had all the things. He followed all the commands. He was a jew of jews, a pharisee of pharisees. The kingdom of God was his for the taking.

So, Jesus had to give him some bad news. That no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.

Now, Nicodemus is used to rabbis speaking in riddles. So, his response to Jesus isn’t extremely ignorant, obviously Nicodemus knew you can’t physically enter the mother’s womb a second time.

What Nicodemus was saying to Jesus is “I don’t understand the riddle you’re trying to teach me, or how to respond”.

So Jesus has to say it in a different way. Look at verses 5 and 6.

John 3:5–6 CSB

5 Jesus answered, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Unless someone is born of water and spirit. What?

See, a lot of people read this and instantly make the connection to baptism. That we have two baptisms, one where we get dunked, and one where we get baptized in the Holy Spirit.

But there’s more to play here, and that’s not at all what Jesus means.

Don’t think of water and spirit as two different things. They’re one and the same. Let me explain from a Jewish point of view.

Remember back to our series in Genesis. God created everything, and to give life to man, He breathed His spirit, the breath of life, into Adam. That’s in Genesis 2:7. Unfortunately, in Genesis 6:3, God would tell us that His spirit would not live in mankind forever, because we were corrupt.

But, everyone looked forward to this moment as prophesied in Joel

Joel 2:28 CSB

28 After this I will pour out my Spirit on all humanity; then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your old men will have dreams, and your young men will see visions.

Notice spirit is poured out, like water. The concept of water is deeply connected to this, as we can see in Jeremiah when the people tried to find life themselves, yet failed.

Jeremiah 2:13 CSB

13 For my people have committed a double evil: They have abandoned me, the fountain of living water, and dug cisterns for themselves— cracked cisterns that cannot hold water.

Spoiler alert for anyone who thinks Jesus didn’t claim to be God, remember who declared Himself the living water?

But here is where the pinnacle of this idea comes together in such an important way. An important way that Nicodemus should have absolutely known.

Ezekiel 36:25–27 CSB

25 I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will place my Spirit within you and cause you to follow my statutes and carefully observe my ordinances.

This is the proper backdrop that Jesus is teaching within. The theme is very simple - everything is made anew. New heart, clean water, new spirit. It’s not a changing or an upgrade. Its totally new.

And this is what Nicodemus was missing. Through the law, and through his rankings, through his family name as a Jew, Nicodemus thought he could waltz right into God’s promised land, right into the Kingdom. In his mind, he had already attained it.

In fact, Jesus can’t believe he doesn’t already understand what it is to be born again. To be regenerated by the water and the spirit of God.

And again we pile all these things on Nicodemus, but we really aren’t much better, are we?

Like Nicodemus, we don’t have firm grasp on our problem. On our bad news.

Like Nicodemus, we may be legitimately seeking good, legitimately seeking this higher power, spiritual power, common good, universe thing and creating this version of goodness in your head that just doesn’t match our God.

It might be - I was born into a nice family. I’m going to work hard, provide as much for my family as I can, and retire one day.

I read my Bible, listen to Christian music, come to church. I’m nice to the people that are nice to me.

I identify with the correct political group. I try to be on the right side of history. Insert your good deeds here.

What we try to do is fix ourselves by continually patching up our deficiencies. We do good to duct tape our hearts together in an effort to make it more functional and more pleasing to God.

But God doesn’t want to fix and patch you up. God wants regeneration. God wants new creation.

The bad news is our problems have almost nothing to do with what we’re doing. The Bible isn’t a book about behavior or sin management. Jesus didn’t once time critique the actions and piety of Nicodemus.

What Jesus criticizes is the status Nicodemus has on his birth certificate. He’s born of the flesh. And so are we.

And he’s taken aback by this news. He says “how can this be?”. I’m sure in the back of his mind is the question “who do you think you are? A self-proclaimed, uneducated, bastard child from Nazareth. Do you have any idea who I am?”

But Jesus continues. And in verse 12 Jesus claims to speak of “heavenly things”. then makes a bold statement.

Jesus says this John 3:13 “13 No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven—the Son of Man.”

See, the Jews has stories of saints going up into heaven, and coming down to give special revelation. Some sects of Jews even claimed Moses did this.

But, Jesus is making it clear here that He alone came down from heaven - not as a man who ascended then descended, but as God who descended to reach man.

And this seems to be an allusion to Proverbs 30:4, which reads

Proverbs 30:4 CSB

4 Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in his hands? Who has bound up the waters in a cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is the name of his son— if you know?

The Proverb is essentially saying “Gods wisdom is from heaven, superior, better than and other wisdom, divine” Thus, Jesus is again claiming Godship. And it’s fitting that John writes the word, the logos, is Jesus himself.

Then, the story shifts. It takes a a turn.

Now, starting in verse 14, Jesus references a story found in Numbers chapter 21. Nicodemus would have known this by heart.

Let me read you this story.

Numbers 21:4–9 CSB

4 Then they set out from Mount Hor by way of the Red Sea to bypass the land of Edom, but the people became impatient because of the journey. 5 The people spoke against God and Moses: “Why have you led us up from Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread or water, and we detest this wretched food!” 6 Then the Lord sent poisonous snakes among the people, and they bit them so that many Israelites died. 7 The people then came to Moses and said, “We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you. Intercede with the Lord so that he will take the snakes away from us.” And Moses interceded for the people. 8 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake image and mount it on a pole. When anyone who is bitten looks at it, he will recover.” 9 So Moses made a bronze snake and mounted it on a pole. Whenever someone was bitten, and he looked at the bronze snake, he recovered.

So, Jesus claims to be the true son of man, ie true son of God. Then, he compares the Son of Man to the bronze snake that is lifted up, whom upon looking at that snake, would be saved from the venomous snake bite.

Do you see the parallel?

The Israelites turned to the bronze snake, lifted on a pole, so their life was spared.

Now, Jesus, the Son of Man, who will be lifted up, whether that means on the cross or in glory, and anyone who looks up at Jesus (believes in Jesus) will be saved. They will get eternal life.

Even in all their grumbling, even though God rescued them out of Egyptian slavery and provided all the food and water they needed, He still provided a way out of punishment. A way out of death.

And that’s what makes this news so great. Because snakes in the wilderness represents exactly what we face today - certain death. No way to escape. No where to run.

Good News - For God Loved

Even though there is no reason. Not a single reason for God to save us.

For God Loved. That is the reason He sent His only Son. For God Loved.

And I really like how the CSB renders this translation, because I’m sure you’ve all memorized John 3:16 as For God So Loved. But that’s a tough English translation to understand.

That “so” you see is replaced with “in this way”. Another way to think of it is like this: God loved the world by giving His only son. Or By giving his only son, God showed he loved the world.

It’s not a “ God loves us so much”, instead it’s “this is how God showed us His love”.

Similarly, Jesus is the “one and only” son. And the Greek behind that phrase means

A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed. μονογενής

to being the only one of its kind or class, unique (in kind)

Jesus was unique in kind. He was God’s unique son. This is actually the same word used in Hebrews when depicting the story of Abraham offering up Isaac on the mountain.

Hebrews 11:17 CSB

17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. He received the promises and yet he was offering his one and only son,

Now, we know Abraham didn’t have just one son at that time. Remember Ishmael? Isaac wasn’t even the first born.

So what does that tell us? Just like Isaac was chosen as a sacrifice by God, Jesus was chosen as the final sacrifice. Because we was the perfect, unblemished lamb. Chosen as the unique, one of His kind, only one in His class. The only remedy for death.

John 3:16 CSB

16 For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

What good news.

Jesus then goes on to say an equally important line

John 3:17 CSB

17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

The purpose of Jesus coming to earth was not as a judge. Not as a condemner. It was to save the world.

Because Jesus doesn’t condemn. Jesus says we stand condemned because of ourselves.

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 3

because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.

And Jesus uses the metaphor of light and darkness to raise this point. Anyone who is self-righteous and hides behind their own good works is indeed condemned, because they reject the notion of the need for regeneration. They don’t want the light to be shed on their evil actions, they simply hide in the dark so God or whoever else can’t see their true selves.

Sound familiar? Remember who came under the guise of night at the beginning of the story?

On the other hand, those who step into the light, everything is exposed. They realize there’s no point in hiding, they give their lives up to God, and they let God cleanse them by giving a new heart.

And this is the gospel, friends.

This is the clearest picture I can find.

Forget heaven and hell for a moment. Forget fire and brimstone. Forget babies with angel wings.

Our problem is death. Our problem is we can’t even see the Kingdom of God, much less enter it, because we have the wrong passport. We have the wrong birth certificate.

We are born of flesh. And what that has yielded is more flesh.

That’s why Paul writes in Galatians

Galatians 2:20 CSB

20 I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

If you claim Christ, our death isn’t future. Our death has already happened. We consider ourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

You have the opportunity to enter the Kingdom of God now through dying with Christ on the cross, and being resurrected in the spirit.

Why are you acting like death is far away? Eternal life is right now.

God’s promise is now. He want’s you to be new, right now.

Jesus wants to give you a new heart, he wants to renew you. Because that’s been his plan all along.

God Wants to Renew You

I know this, because it all over the Scriptures. Let me read a few for you.

Jeremiah 31:33–34 CSB

33 “Instead, this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days”—the Lord’s declaration. “I will put my teaching within them and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34 No longer will one teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know me, from the least to the greatest of them” —this is the Lord’s declaration. “For I will forgive their iniquity and never again remember their sin.

Revelation 21:3–4 CSB

3 Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them and will be their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away.

The bad news is if you don’t believe in Christ, if you aren’t faithful and loyal to Jesus, this is the best there is. The world as we know it now, on Earth.

And to be fair, some things are great. The Grand Canyon, the sunsets. Meals shared with great friends. Birthdays, laughter, bringing home your newborn for the first time. Bright faced moments.

But we’re still left with sickness. Fruitless work. Cherished friends and family who depart from the faith. Birthdays after 30. Saying goodbye to loved ones. Not bringing your newborn home from the hospital. Suicide, genocide, evil. Death.

God knew this was going to happen. God knew we would depart from him. He knew we would worship other gods and grumble at Him.

And yet, he sent his only son anyway. He made a plan from the beginning of time to give us a new world. To let us be with Him in a new creation. The entire plan of redemption ends with you. Gods entire covenant plan, rescuing his people from slavery, giving the law, sending the prophets, sending Jesus.

It’s all for you. You are the only reason any of these plans were set into motion. Because God wanted you, he wants to redeem you. He wants you to be under the new covenant, he wants to give you a brand new heart.

He sent his son, to die on a cross, so you could become a new creation.

You know, today is kind of a bitter sweet moment. As Michael Scott would say, I hate bittersweet chocolate. What’s the point, why not just sweet. And I understand that.

But as my last Sunday here, I’m flooded by all the memories.

I sat right there and rediscovered my faith almost 12 years ago as Brandon and the band played a song called “Great I Am”. And I realized as I sang, tears running down my face, that God wasn’t really the Great I Am in my heart.

I got married to Emily in this place, and I’ve seen her transform into a wonderful partner, wife, mother, and lover of Christ.

I graduated from two different colleges, got jobs I loved, got fired from a job, and eventually started working here.

We adopted a child, had two children, lost a child. All in the confines of this place.

I’ve made countless friends, and you’ve become my family. The staff here has mentored me and they’ve shown me what being a pastor, husband, and a man of God really means.

You’ve held me up at my weakest, and celebrated with me in the joyful times.

You’ve been the church to me, for that, I thank you from the bottom of my soul. It would take an eternity of lifetimes to pay you back.

But through all that, I hope you can look back and remember one thing. All I ask is that you take this parting word and run with it. If you remember nothing else I’ve ever said, or done, or even my name. Remember this:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.