God So Loved

Intro

Nicodemus Comes By Night

John 3:1–8 NKJV

There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Nicodemus, a Pharisee and ruler of the Jews came to Jesus at night to satisfy his curiosity.

In this conversation, Jesus speaks about being “born again” in order to see the kingdom of God.

Jesus is speaking about a “spiritual regeneration”.

Born of the Spirit.

This is “New Covenant” language.

Nicodemus is still confused, so Jesus expounds further:

John 3:9–15 NKJV

Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.

Jesus testifies to “heavenly things”; those things that are “spiritual”.

Jesus testifies to the reason for the Father sending him from heaven.

He will be lifted up and all who believe in him will not perish but have eternal life.

For God So Loved

John 3:16–17 NKJV

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

This brings us to one of the most recognized verses of the Bible.

Motivated By Love

It is because of the great love of God for humanity that he sent Jesus.

God so loved, he gave...

Love is always generous.

Love is always willing to take appropriate action.

By giving Jesus God offered the remedy and the sacrifice for the penalty of our sin.

Remember, we stand condemned before God because of our failure to live under his authority for his glory.

Jesus is the “lamb of God, to take away the sins of the world”.

He is offered to “whoever will believe”.

Some Necessary Definitions

Believes–trust; believe in the truth of a reality or a person.

This belief is a trust in the reality of who Jesus claimed to be and what He came to accomplish.

Perish–destroy, ruin, cause destruction.

This refers to coming to a place of destruction from the life God intended at Creation.

Eternal–the nature of something as enduring, eternal.

This is not simply the duration but also the conditions.

Not simply time but the quality of this life.

Life–the absolute fullness of life.

This is the life God intended man to experience at Creation, yet ruined by sin.

The Message translation sums this up well:

John 3:16 The Message

“This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life.

It is important that we emphasize not just the duration of this life, but the amazing life it will be!

It is the life God had originally intended when he created mankind.

A life lived in the fullness of God’s presence with a restored “new heaven and new earth”!

Jesus said:

John 17:1–3 NKJV

Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

This life is only obtained by believing and trusting fully in who Christ is and what he accomplished for us.

“I am the way, the truth, and the life” Jesus

Jesus Came to Save, Not Condemn

As much as John 3:16 is mention, we must give attention to the following verses:

John 3:17–19 NKJV

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

Jesus emphasized his mission:

He came to save.

He didn’t come to condemn.

Unfortunately, the church has all to often taken the posture of “condemnation” rather than that of “good news” people.

This doesn’t mean that Jesus winked at man’s rebellion and sin.

This doesn’t mean that Jesus excused it away.

Jesus was well aware of how sin separates man from the life of God and the life God intended.

Condemn

Condemn means to pass judgment; it is a judicial word.

Jesus wanted to make it clear that it is man’s own actions that condemn; the judgment is passed because man is guilty before God.

Condemnation for the Unbeliever

Jesus takes it further–the failure to believe in him, to trust fully in the reality of who he is and what he accomplishes for us is what will condemn man.

EMPHASIS: In other words it will not be any individual sins that condemn anyone. It is primarily the failure of man to acknowledge Christ that results in eternal condemnation.

This is referred to as “the chief sin of man”.

Another way to consider this is to think about what it is that merits our salvation:

“I’m a good person.”

“I go to church.”

“I give to charity.”

None of these things, though seemingly good, will gain us entrance into eternal life.

It is only if we believe in Christ!

Final Words

Let’s conclude with Jesus’ word at the end of this conversation with Nicodemus.

John 3:19–21 NKJV

And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

Jesus, the light has come into the world.

He has revealed God, the heart of man, and God’s way to receive eternal life.

Yet, he makes it alarmingly clear, men love darkness and evil deeds.

Those who practice evil hate the light because it exposes what they’re doing.

But, those who acknowledge the truth of Christ are continually drawn to the light and live for God’s glory.

We are not afraid to be exposed because we are forgiven and free!

Hebrews 9:13–15 NKJV

For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

Our consciences are cleansed!

We don’t have to “hide” in the darkness!

We receive the promise of the eternal inheritance!