Visionaries pt5

WE SEEK TO KNOW JESUS AND UNITE OUR NEIGHBORS WITH HIM.

Sometimes the simplest statements are the best. We could overcomplicate this, but I don’t want to do that. To end our series I just want to take some time to talk about one of the most well known statements that Jesus ever made concerning Himself and His mission.

What did God do? (v16)- sent His Son

John 1–11 (2) A Discourse on Salvation (3:11–21)

John’s Gospel does not offer the world a superficial idea of the love of God in salvation. The verbs for “loved” (ēgapēsen) and “gave” (edōken) here express the genuine self-giving nature of God in having sent (apesteilen) his “only Son” (monogenous huiou) on an unrepeatable mission into the world

If we ever miss this, we miss the whole thing. God is the pursuer. The initiator. He doesn’t wait for us to figure out we need Him. He comes for us.

John 1–11 (2) A Discourse on Salvation (3:11–21)

The full perspective is that God is the initiator and principal actor in salvation, and we should never think that salvation originated with us

And when you look at the verse, you also have to be struck by why He does it. He is driven by His love- for humanity. I want you to hear that this morning. God loves you. Not just your neighbor. Not just the church people. Not just the good people or the nice people. He loves you. And the word for love there is unconditional love. That means you didn’t do anything to earn it and you cannot do anything to lose it.

John 1–11 (2) A Discourse on Salvation (3:11–21)

God is a caring God. Loving-kindness (ḥesed) is a principal characteristic of the God of the covenant. In the New Testament God’s purpose in sending Jesus was not to condemn (krinē) but to build the bridge in reconciling sacrifice (hilasmon; cf. 1 John 4:10) for human beings

The Gospel according to John 6. Extended Comment I (3:16–21)

John begins by insisting that the Son’s mission was itself the consequence of God’s love. The Greek construction behind so loved that he gave his one and only Son (houtōs plus hōste plus the indicative instead of the infinitive) emphasizes the intensity of the love

Rest in that for a moment.

Now as you sit with that, hear this. He didn’t just come to tell you He loves you. He came to give you a way out. Out of death. Out of destruction. Out of the things you wish you had never done or seen or heard. A chance to have a new life, and even more, an eternal life, free from pain and sadness and death.

What did He not want to do?- (v17)- condemn the world

Verse 17 speaks even more about what He did not come to do. A lot of people wrestle with this. It’s a serious objection to Christianity. All this God talk is about making people feel superior to one another. And even if Jesus is real, He just came to judge me and make me feel guilty. God could never want me.

And yet, Jesus says He didn’t come to condemn the world. He did not come with a judge’s robe or a gavel or a list of grievances. Verse 16 says He came with unconditional love. And verse 17 says He came not to condemn but...

Why did He do it?- (17)- to save the world

And to do it thru Himself. Jesus accomplished the path to salvation by laying His own life down. We are literally saved thru His sacrifice. He dies so we can live. I think if we are not careful we can gloss that over. Someone innocent died so that someone who is guilty can be set free. That’s exactly what has happened here.

And it happened while we were still guilty- (Romans passage here) That’s the most amazing part. Jesus didn’t die for friends or family. He didn’t heroically die for a spouse or a child. He died for His enemies. People who had dedicated their lives to doing the opposite of what He had done and had asked them to do.

And yet He willingly died for them.

What must all of us do? (v18-20)- make a choice

John 1–11 (2) A Discourse on Salvation (3:11–21)

What makes human choice so crucial in this Gospel is the immediate nature of judgment/condemnation. Condemnation is not left to some remote future that might lull the unbeliever into a comfortable feeling that for a while one can sit on the fence of uncommitment. John makes it absolutely clear that condemnation has “already” (ēdē) taken place for the unbelievers. The idea here then is not one of a possible projected condemnation for the unbeliever but the necessity of escaping an already existing condemnation

John 1–11 (2) A Discourse on Salvation (3:11–21)

The only way to overcome that condemnation is to believe in God’s Son and thereby experience the present reality of the kingdom of God (3:3, 5), that reality called eternal life

And that’s why Jesus, and Jesus alone, is justified in putting this choice in front of us. There are really 2 sides. Jesus makes it clear here. There isn’t a middle ground. We are choosing Him- all of Him even the parts that frustrate us or make us uncomfortable or angry- or we are choosing against Him. There is no buffet line when it comes to Jesus. It’s an all or nothing proposition.

And Jesus even identifies the dilemma we face. We have to choose what we love. He uses the contrast of light and dark. Coming into the light means you can be seen. When we follow Jesus we do not have to hide anymore, because we have been forgiven.

When we choose not to follow Jesus, we choose to stay in the dark- so that, we hope- our deeds go undiscovered. The problem with that, is God sees everything. We may hide from our spouses, our kids, our friends, everyone, but God knows.

And He keeps calling us, no matter how often we reject Him, but at some point we will run out of breaths. And apart from Jesus, we will face what Jesus calls condemnation. Permanent, eternal separation from God, all that He has blessed us with.

What a horrible thought.

How does God respond to our choice?- (v21)- brings good works out of it

John 1–11 (2) A Discourse on Salvation (3:11–21)

The close connection between doing and being—namely, between practicing good or evil works and the nature of a person—is an important theological concept in John because believing is not merely a matter of mental affirmation but of life commitment

But what a promise. That when we come to Him, He brings good works out of our lives. He CHANGES our hearts so that what we pursue and do are in line with Him. And that makes them good!

Think about that for a moment. Jesus wants to save us because He loves us and He knows we can do amazing things- because that is what He has made us to do!!! You were created to do god works! (Ephesians verse here)

What does this have to do with our neighbors?

Everyone should have a chance to hear about Jesus. Everyone should get to see God’s good works. We have that mission handed to us by Jesus (Matthew 28:18-20) Everyone should have the chance to leave the darkness and enter into God’s light. And the mission God has given to us is to help people to do that. To introduce people to Jesus!

The question we all have to answer is, why are we not doing it?

We have nothing to gain by withholding the Gospel. And our neighbors have everything to lose. Will you gain a sense of urgency today, propelled by the love God had for you to give you that love of others!