The Love of God - You are loved

John 3:16 (NRSV)

For God so loves the world, God gave God’s one and only, unique, begotten Son that anyone who believes in him might stop dying and live an abundant never ending life.

Quick poll: how many of you have the words from John 3:16 written in red in your bible? The red words are the ones Jesus said and in this case, it would have been the continuation of what Jesus said to Nicodemus. So, by show of hands (even if you are online, if your bible has these words in red, raise your hand)

My Bible doesn’t do the red letters, at least not the one I am preaching from, but it does have all of this section in John 3, starting in verse 10, and then all the way through the end of the chapter in quotes. Remember Jesus and Nicodemus are having a conversation, a deep one, about what Jesus is doing and whether or not he is a prophet or who exactly he is and Jesus has told him he must be born again or born from above and Nicodemus is either actually perplexed or feigning being confused because he first says (and I read this in a very sarcastic voice) What the heck Jesus, no body crawls back into their mother’s womb and is born a second time! That’s ridiculous.

And Jesus responds by clarifying that it is a rebirth in the Spirit of God: something that Nicodemus should understand, since he is a teacher of the law. Yet Nicodemus’s next question is telling: How can this be? Based on the way Jesus responds, it seems likely that Nicodemus understood what Jesus meant; he just didn’t like the implications of it. He’s asking a clarifying question out of astonishment, not out of confusion. Nicodemus gets it - he just doesn’t like it.

And so Jesus goes on to chastise him for that posture - one of reluctance and reticence, instead of one of learning and reception. Nicodemus has come to Jesus thinking they are equals or that Jesus is at least just a little under him; Jesus is explaining to Nicodemus that he is mistaken. Nicodemus needs to start over, needs to rethink how he has thought of all the things to now; Nicodemus is used to being the wisest or at least one of the most learned people - here is Jesus telling him he needs instruction.

And it makes sense that Jesus would end with an Old Testament reference to Moses, drawing a parallel for Nicodemus that he would have gotten pretty quickly.

Which could have ended the conversation. In fact, some scholars think it does. You might have a footnote at the bottom of your page, connected to John 3:21 that says “Some interpreters end the quotation at verse 15” What that means, then, is that John who wrote this gospel would have written these words as a commentary or additional explanation for us to understand what Jesus had said to Nicodemus. And it changes, pretty radically, the character and tone of the words. If Jesus didn’t say them, they shift from his declaration of the Gospel to John’s understanding of who Jesus is.

And I don’t think we get to know which one is accurate. I think it is important for us to sometimes wrestle with a text, to sometimes not completely know the answer. Because there is a certain level of mystery surrounding God. I lean most days to agreeing these letters should be red and enfolded in quotes. And that from this statement of Jesus’s to Nicodemus, that John later was able to pen the letter we call 1 John, because it echoes these verses.

1 John 4 (NRSV)

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. And this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming; and now it is already in the world. Little children, you are from God, and have conquered them; for the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore what they say is from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us, and whoever is not from God does not listen to us. From this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.

By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world. God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God. So we have known and believe the love that God has for us.

God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. We love because he first loved us. Those who say, “I love God,” and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.

or in I John 3:1

1 John 3:1 NRSV

See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

or in I John 3:11

1 John 3:11 NRSV

For this is the message you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

1 John 1:5–7 NRSV

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

1 John 4:19 NRSV

We love because he first loved us.

These words could either be the expansion of what Jesus said to Nicodemus or John’s interpretation of all of Jesus’s ministry life and his understanding of who Jesus was, not through explicit words, but through the continuous implicit testimony of Jesus’s actions and work and miracles and sermons

Either way, if we know that the Gospel is summed in this verse:

John 3:16 (NRSV)

For God so loves the world, God gave God’s one and only, unique, begotten Son that anyone who believes in him might stop dying and live an abundant never ending life.

Then we know that we are loved. And what John does in his later letter is explain to us what it looks like to live out that belovedness in our lives. Love one another. God is love. We are loved as children of God. People love to read I Corinthians 13 at weddings, to talk about love not being selfish and rude but kind and patient; but if you really want your wedding to reflect the love of long term committment, I recommend reading I John 4:7-12, because it says “look because you are loved, you can love better” and that is way more applicable to marriage in the long run.

Maybe you’ve heard the saying “Hurt people hurt people” and it’s true: if you have suffered abuse in your life it is much more likely you will inflict some sort of abuse on someone else. And it doesn’t even have to be as severe a hurt as abuse. As recently as last Saturday, I had to come to terms with the fact that because I had spent a lot of my life moving around and thus lost friends and connections with a community, I have a tendency to push away people before they leave me. It’s a hurt that I didn’t even fully recognize until I lashed out at someone very close to me and had to apologize. But if having been hurt can push us to say and do things that hurt others in our lives, then being loved ought to push us to say and do things that are loving to those around us as well.

And we are loved. Whether Jesus pronounces the Gospel to Nicodemus in John 3:16 - 21 or John interprets Jesus’s life and ministry for us so we can wrap our minds around the Gospel more fully: either way, the bottom line is that we are loved and we are loved so that we can love others. And because the love we receive from God is not transactional - it isn’t a love poured out because we are worthy because of something we have done (God isn’t loving toward us based on our striving, but based on God’s nature)

But we can see love in all that God has done in the world from creation to how everything has played out.

What does it mean to say God loves us?

God loved us: and so God created us, formed us from the dust.

God loved us: God let us fail, to let us choose our own way over God’s – to let us chain ourselves to sin and defeat and heartbreak and sorrow and death.

God loved us and planned and provided a rescue, a way back: through wanderers, murderers, adulterers, defaulters, promise-breakers, foreigners, strangers, and lovers. The long history of scripture tells us that God loves all of us and can use any of us.

God loved us and sent us mothers, judges, kings, and prophets who loved and spoke for God and kept reminding us of the promise of redemption

God loves us and shows us how evil and wrong continually mess things up and how following God closely fosters holiness and bestows the blessing of God’s presence

God loves and sent us Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, to preach and live peace, grace, hope, joy, and love.

God loves us even though we rejected Jesus, abandoned him to die, buried him in a borrowed tomb.

God loves us and so raised Jesus from the dead and sent the Holy Spirit to remind us of all we have in Christ and empowers us to live like Jesus.

God loves us and wants us to live an abundant life infused with all the fruit of the Spirit, redeemed, free, loved.

God loves us and still allows us to choose our own way over following Jesus.

God loves us and promises the hope of forever, of resurrection from the dead, and final judgement of all.

God loves the world…God loves you. No matter who you are or what you have done, you are enough to God just because you exist. God has given, God has shown up, God has seen you because you matter to God

God wants you to know it. God wants you to live in it. God wants you to be able to love others because you know you are loved.

God’s love is expressed to us every week, most tangibly, as we gather at this table: The Son who died and yet lives, gave everything so we could know the depth of God’s love.

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Let us pray:

Holy and gracious Father:In your infinite love you made us

for yourself, and, when wehad fallen into sin and become

subject to evil and death,you, in your mercy, sent Jesus

Christ, your only andeternal Son, to share our human

nature, to live and die asone of us, to reconcile us to you, the

God and Father of all.

He stretched out his armsupon the cross, and offered himself,

in obedience to your will,a perfect sacrifice for the whole

world.

On the night he was handedover to suffering and death, our

Lord Jesus Christ tookbread; and when he had given thanks

to you, he broke it (breakbread), and gave it to his disciples, and said, "Take,

eat: This is my Body, whichis given for you. Do this for the

remembrance of me."

After supper he took thecup of wine (raise cup); and when he had given

thanks, he gave it to them,and said, "Drink this, all of you:

This is my Blood of the newCovenant, which is shed for you

and for many for theforgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink

it, do this for theremembrance of me."

Therefore we proclaim themystery of faith together:

Christ has died.

Christ is risen.

Christ will come again.

We celebrate the memorialof our redemption, O Father, in

this sacrifice of praiseand thanksgiving. Recalling his death,

resurrection, and ascension,we offer you these gifts.

Sanctify them by your HolySpirit to be for your people the

Body and Blood of your Son,the holy food and drink of new

and unending life in him.Sanctify us also that we may faithfully

receive this holySacrament, and serve you in unity, constancy,

and peace; and at the lastday bring us with all your saints

into the joy of youreternal kingdom.

All this we ask throughyour Son Jesus Christ: By him, and

with him, and in him, inthe unity of the Holy Spirit all honor

and glory is yours,Almighty Father, now and forever. AMEN.

And now, as our Savior

Christ has taught us,

we are bold to saytogether,

Our Father, who art inheaven,

hallowed be thy Name,

thy kingdom come,

thy will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our dailybread.

And forgive us ourtrespasses,

as we forgive those

who trespass against us.

And lead us not intotemptation,

but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom,

and the power, and the glory,

for ever and ever. Amen.

(Facing the people, theCelebrant says the following Invitation)

Beloved – Drink the wine. Eat the bread. Know you ARE loved. The gifts of God for the people of God - you may receive

(Everyone comes up to receive)

Let us pray.

Celebrant and People

Eternal God, heavenlyFather,

you have graciouslyaccepted us as living members

of your Son our SaviorJesus Christ,

and you have fed us withspiritual food

in the Sacrament of hisBody and Blood.

Send us now into the worldin peace,

and grant us strength andcourage

to love and serve you

with gladness andsingleness of heart;

through Christ our Lord.Amen.

Benediction: God loves you. Go, love the world with God.