John 3:13-21

Review

Jesus gets a visit from Nicodemus.

he visits Jesus as night

and Jesus shares with Nicodemus that the only way that one can be saved is by being born again.

Nicodemus did not understand Jesus’ teaching, even though he was a teacher/leader of the Jews,

Jesus tell him that if he does not believe earthly things, how can he believe heavenly things.

Jesus continues...

John 3:13–21 NASB95

13 “No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man. 14 “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; 15 so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life. 16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 20 “For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 “But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”

So lets break this down.

John 3:13 NASB95

13 “No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man.

Jesus shares his authority. He speaks of both earthly and heavenly things.

He is sharing that He himself is God.

He is showing his connection with the Father while on earth and in Heaven.

Jesus then gives another Old Testament reference to this Old Testament teacher

John 3:14-15

John 3:14–15 NASB95

14 “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; 15 so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.

What does Jesus mean when he says this?

Lets look at Numbers:

Numbers 21:6-9

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Numbers 21:6–9 (NASB95)

6 The Lord sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died.

7 So the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, because we have spoken against the Lord and you; intercede with the Lord, that He may remove the serpents from us.” And Moses interceded for the people.

8 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a standard; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he will live.”

9 And Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on the standard; and it came about, that if a serpent bit any man, when he looked to the bronze serpent, he lived.

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What happen in the Wilderness?

The nation of Israel were sinning, so much that they brought on to themselves judgment by God with venomous serpents that would bite the people killing them.

The come to Moses asking him to speak to the Lord to free them

The Lord said make a fiery serpent and set it on a standard (pole)

The serpent is view as a symbol of sin Genesis 3

God Tells Moses to make a bronze serpent, set it on a pole, and if people look at it will live.

To look means

- to see, reveal, understand, to choose

To live means

- to stay alive, revive, to bring to life

So the Lord tell Moses to place a symbol of sin on a pole, lift it up, and those who look at it, see it, understand it, choose it will live, be made alive, revived.

Why is this story so special?

Jesus must be lifted up in death.

Jesus is without sin, and never sinned, But he will be lifted up as all sin to die.

Jesus says that he will be lifted up on a pole (cross) representing sin

Interesting thing........

Show photo

Also something else.

Genesis 40:20-22

Genesis 40:20–22 NASB95

20 Thus it came about on the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, that he made a feast for all his servants; and he lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants. 21 He restored the chief cupbearer to his office, and he put the cup into Pharaoh’s hand; 22 but he hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had interpreted to them.

Interesting thought, that both the cupbearer, and the baker were lifted up.

- one was lifted up and restored,

- the other was lifted up and impelled

One to life and one to death.

Christ is lifted up to death

we believe in Him and are lifted up to life......

John 3:16 God’s love

John 3:16 NASB95

16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

Jesus dying on the cross is the great act of Love that God has given us.

God’s intensity of love for us.

He gave is only son

that whoever believe...

- Greek word πᾶς (pas) - meaning individual, everyone, anyone

Anyone, everyone. Who makes the personal decision to trust, to be completely dependent on Jesus will LIVE

You have been bitten by a serpent and are dying. If you stare and look upon the bronze serpent,

you will live

You have been bitten by the filth of sin, and you are heading to hell. but if you believe, look upon, trust in you will live.

Verse 17

John 3:17 NASB95

17 “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.

Jesus did not come to the world (That God loves) to destroy the world, (like sin, like the serpents) but came so that the world will believe through Him.

Verse 18

John 3:18 NASB95

18 “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Jesus is making it clear. between those who believe an those who don’t.

lets go back to the snake bite.

You are bitter by a Black Mamba (the snake)

if you are bitten by this snake, death is almost defendant.

Now there is a antivenom a way for you to live, IF

Jesus is saying that death is sure. But not for those who believe in Him

Jesus is the ONLY way to salvation.

Verse 19-21

John 3:19–21 NASB95

19 “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 20 “For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 “But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”

This is the Judgement

Jesus came into the world (which was dark.)

But the World loved sin, darkness (being separated from God)

The world’s sin is so strong, they don’t want there sin to be exposed. Jesus is the light that shines in the darkness

- roaches that hide at night.

they hate the light. They are at war with God because they don't want to be seen in there sin

When the world accuses Christians of judging

Sinful things that is said is not a sin

The one who practice (to make, to produce) the truth.

he comes to the light (who is Christ)

his deeds (doing, work) will be reveled that he is from.