Whosoever believes- Pt. I
So that you may believe- Gospel of john • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 51:37
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What does it mean?
What does it mean?
A methodical theological journey continues. We know exegesis means “what does the word say” and hermeneutics means “what does the word mean.” Here in John chapter 3 we are rich in hermeneutics for it is mandatory to understand if one is to be saved.
Previously we have looked at a few things here in John chapter 3.
Maybe take some time on your own and consider these questions and see what you remember from our previous lessons and write some notes for yourself.
What does it mean to be born again?
What does it mean born of water and Spirit?
What does it mean, must be born again?
I think a key verse to start tonight is a reminder from last week.
12 “If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?
Jesus is speaking to Nicodemus about spiritual things using earthly concept (the wind). And it is vital that he grasp it. Jesus is going to use history now to continue to help Nicodemus to understand things for eternal life.
(Insert -snake on pole medical here)
When you see the symbol of snake on a pole like this, what do you think of?
What does it mean, what does it represent?
(Insert Moses snake on a pole picture here)
Now when you think biblically about a snake on a pole what does you think of?
The illustration that Jesus uses in our passage is a historical one that would mean something to Nicodemus as a teacher of the Jews and is found in Numbers 21.
Tonight may we look at these things
Our Text (Jn3:14-15)
History of whosoever believes (Num21:4-9)
A promise about whosoever believes (Jn3:14-15)
Our Text
Our Text
May we lean and learn from the text itself and we will grow and go from there this evening.
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 did you notice?
Do you see an imperative (v.14) if so, what is it?
Do you see a promise with a condition in (v.15)If so, what are they?
Consider as you look at this passage can you know what this means?
(Transition) This is all a part of a bigger narrative we know as John chapter 3 and the interaction between Nicodemus and Jesus. Nicodemus had questions, Jesus had answers but the answers were not what Nicodemus was expecting or comprehending, so illustrations had to be used. Birth, Wind, History from Numbers 21 and promise concerning the Son of Man.
What Jesus uses as the illustration is from the Torah that Nicodemus would have had memorized as a young boy, so it would be significant to him. But now let’s turn to Numbers 21 and look at that passage so we can get a deeper understanding why Jesus used it in our passage tonight and the similarities and differences.
History of whosoever
History of whosoever
There is much we can learn about what was written before as noted in (Rom15:4). And the use of this historical remember is a perfect illustration for what Jesus would do and become. For there is a problem and there is a solution, let’s turn and look together (Num21:4-9)
4 Then they set out from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the people became impatient because of the journey. 5 The people spoke against God and Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this miserable food.”
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.
Can you identify the problems (vv.4-5)?
They were impatient, they knew the promise of God, but they were not happy with the time from promise to fulfillment. Can we get impatient at times too?
They also spoke against God and Moses, about words, about God’s provision, they did not like it.
So what Israel is saying is God I know your promises but I don’t believe you anymore that you are going to fulfill them.
God I know you have provided for us, but I don’t like the provision You are giving us.
They are in rebellion to God in belief, in trust and in provision.
God had a way, the problem is they were not willing to accept God’s way, and any other way keeps them out of heaven, out of God’s promised land.
God is just, and God is good, so God has to punish rebellion (sin) or He would not be God.
Because of the problem what did the Lord do (v.6)? What was the result?
Sent serpents and many died
What did the people realize was the true problem (v.7)?
They had sinned, they had spoken against the Lord
Moses did intercede for the people, but wait, there is more to come.
What is the solution to the problem (vv.8-9)?
Moses was to make a bronze snake and put it on a pole and lift it up.
Pay close attention to the end of the instructions on (v.8) - everyone who is bitten (sinners) when look at the serpent (God’s solution will live
Moses made the serpent and what did the people need to do? Needed to look to live. - - - God’s way has always demanded action. For Adam/Eve something to do and not to do. For Abram something to do. For Israel something to do. This is not a work, God through Moses did the work here, there part was to believe and to look at God’s solution (by faith). Keep that in mind when we return to our passage in John shortly.
Lessons to learn and apply from this passage
Admit you are a rebel, a sinner.
and then consider Dan9:5 “5 we have sinned, committed iniquity, acted wickedly and rebelled, even turning aside from Your commandments and ordinances.”
and Jos22:29 “29 “Far be it from us that we should rebel against the Lord and turn away from following the Lord this day, by building an altar for burnt offering, for grain offering or for sacrifice, besides the altar of the Lord our God which is before His tabernacle.””
Consider God’s mercy
Know God is merciful and gracious and receive it by faith.
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
Believe and look to God’s solution
(Transition) OK, I think by now you can see a parallel with our passage tonight and now may we turn back there for there is more to pull from it.
The promise about whosoever believes
The promise about whosoever believes
Jesus is trying to help tie the importance of belief and action up for Nicodemus, and for us too. This chapter is so theologically strong we have to take our time with it.
14 And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.
Interesting term lifted up. It actually can have two meanings to it.
Lifted up meaning crucified (Jn8:28, 12:32-34)
28 So Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me.
What will the lifting up prove according to (v.28)? It will bring belief for it fulfills the scripture
32 “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.” 33 But He was saying this to indicate the kind of death by which He was to die.
34 The crowd then answered Him, “We have heard out of the Law that the Christ is to remain forever; and how can You say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?”
Even with the right information (knowledge) but it needed belief and they still did not have it.
Lifted up meaning glorified (Jn12:23-24)
23 And Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
As the serpent was lifted up on that pole, so the Son of God would be lifted up on the cross. To save man from sin and from death as a result of sin. The serpent problem was due to sin, rebellion, the solution was to look and follow God’s plan, God’s way.
The whole world has a sin problem and Jesus is the sin solution. The sin problem is universal (Rom6:23) but so is the solution (Jn3:15).
We cannot earn our way to heaven, not to works, heaven must be entered only by the being born again of water and Spirit, to belief
Many today still rebel against God’s direction by saying a prayer or having a prayer said for them, where instructions are clear by faith look to Jesus, by faith follow His commands.
The pole and the cross were God’s solution to man’s rebellion problem. It is looking to the cross that we can see God’s mercy, it is in believing and being born again that we receive God’s mercy
Everyone needs Jesus and to come to Him His way.
We have time, let me share a story I read.
“On January 6, 1850, a snowstorm almost crippled the city of Colchester, England; and a teenage boy was unable to get to the churchhe usually attended. So he made his way to a nearby primitive Methodist chapel, where an ill-prepared layman was substituting for the absent preacher. His text was
22 “Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other.
For many months the teenager had been miserable and under deep conviction; but through he had been reared in church (by the way both his Father and Grandfather were preachers), he did not have the assurance of salvation (consider 1Jn5:13) The unprepared substitute minister did not have much to say, he kept repeating the text. He said “A man need not go to college to learn to look”, he shouted. “Anyone can look- - a child can look!’ about that time, he saw the visitor sitting to one side, and he pointed at him and said, “Young man you look very miserable. Young man, look to Jesus!” Well, the story goes on to say that he did, that young man was Charles Spurgeon and I think no more needs to be said about him. I think we have established to look to Jesus is to be born again, born of water and spirit! And without it there is no entrance into the kingdom of God.
The difference between perishing and living, between condemnation and salvation is faith, correct faith, obedient faith, trusting faith in Jesus Christ!
(Insert Jn3_14 picture here)
Jesus could have come to judge the world, but according to John chapter 3 He came so the world could be saved through Him. The world if filled with rebellious, sinful people, all fall short, all are worthy of death because of the sin problem, all have the opportunity to have eternal life through the Son who was lifted up!
Jesus offers eternal life, look again at (v.15)
15 so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.
see the word “have” some versions says “has” it is present tense, it is not off in the future it is to have and embrace now.
40 “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”
It is present tense and future too when you look at the above verse
And there is no other way except through the lifted up Son
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
and consider as we close
12 “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”
Must be saved if you want eternal life, must have salvation and there is no other way except through the blood of Jesus, the Son who was lifted up who took on our sins, he who knew no sin became sin for us (ref: 1Cor5:21)
I hope and pray that you have grasped the significance of these in context tonight. next week we will move on ever so diligently
(Pray) (Exit)