Who is Jesus and WhyIt Should Matter to YOU!

[0:00] take your Bibles please and turn to John's Gospel John chapter 3 if you're visiting with us there's a black Bible in the chair in front of you you can pull that out find page 73 in the back in the New Testament they renumber the New Testament John chapter 3 John 3 we're gonna study 31 to 36 excuse me John 3 31 to 36 it's interesting when I first went through John's Gospel 15 years ago when I first came here I took larger chunks and it was good because I was forcing myself to take larger chunks and yet it was hard because I was used to doing 2, 3, 4 verses at a time so I forced myself to take larger chunks of scripture and to preach through that and so when I come to 5, 6 verses

[1:15] I'm like gosh what do you do with this? that's when you laugh there you go there you go now because we're used to from Master Seminary we're used to just preaching through 2, 3, 4 verses at a time so but yet I've trained myself to take larger chunks and on purpose I want to do that because my agenda is to get you as much scripture as possible as many genre scripture as possible so if you're only here for 2 years at Cottonwood Bible Church you would have heard sermons from maybe 3 or 4 different books in the Bible from Old Testament and New Testament and that's the purpose of what I want to try and do to give a plethora of books for you to understand and a plethora of genres for you to be aware of that's kind of my agenda that's my goal so it's odd for me to slow down like this in John's gospel but yet I think it's needed especially with what we see here in John 3, 31 to 36 so let me read and then we'll jump in to our study

[2:18] John 3, 31 and I believe this is John the Evangelist speaking not John the Baptizer the one who comes from above is above all the one who comes of the earth is from the earth and speaks from the earth the one who comes from heaven is above all what he has seen and heard that he testifies and no one receives his testimony the one who has received his testimony certifies that God is truthful for the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God for he gives to him the spirit without measure the father loves the son and has given all things into his hand the one who believes in the son has eternal life but the one who does not obey the son shall not see life but the wrath of God abides on him who a person is makes a difference who a person is when you really know them makes a difference

[3:25] I enjoy watching spy thriller films I'd watch this spy thriller film like a month or two ago there's this guy he was like deep deep deep undercover and you don't know this until like mid three quarters of the way through the movie and you're like wait he's with these terrorist people who why is he doing this you're thinking what what's going on why is he doing he's like planning with these terrorists and he's making these bombs and you're thinking what's going on and I'm and Chris is like why are you biting your nails I'm like I don't know I'm just nervous stop picking your nails and then you find out that oh he's oh he's a good guy oh it changes things who a person is makes a huge difference then you know he ends up finding the bad guys and gets the bad guys all this but people end up paying for it in the end but it's just it's intense but once you find out who he is that makes a huge difference oh this should make a difference if you get a letter from just somebody sure if you get a letter from the president of the United States bigger deal unless you don't like the president then isn't it you're like versus a letter from my wife not for you for me you get a letter from your wife

[4:52] I'll slap you anyways versus a letter from my wife I mean it's different it changes things who a person is makes a difference at least it should if if I were to tell you that you're getting a $10,000 tax refund like oh okay if you get a letter from the IRS that tells you you're getting a $10,000 refund then you're like okay this means business who a person is makes a difference right who Jesus is makes a difference or at least it should John's gospel is calling readers to come and believe in Jesus or come receive Jesus come know Jesus and today we'll see once again who is Jesus and why it should matter to you who is Jesus and why it should matter to you we've said this at the very beginning when we started through this gospel you might come to this passage and it's like what does this mean to me no the Christian life is how do you fit into God's story not how does God fit into your story it's not about how

[6:09] God fits into your life how do you fit into God's life how do you fit into what God's doing and you figure out it's not about you it's not about me who is Jesus who is he his identity his origin his authority the bond the bond that he has with the other persons of the Trinity the Father and the Spirit who is Jesus you will see he's from above he's the Son he's given authority he's given the Spirit they the Trinity love each other that's who he is here in verses 31 to 36 John the Evangelist breaks in some would say again giving his readers some significant info about Jesus identity origin authority and the bond that he shares with the other persons within this entity that we call the Trinity and John the Evangelist will tell us who Jesus is verses 31 to 35 and why it should matter to you verse 36 he's from above he's the Son he's given authority he's given the Spirit they love each other that's who he is so why does that matter why should that matter to you here's why

[7:50] God's immeasurable love which is embodied in the person of the Son who is divine in his identity his origin his authority and this bond demands a response a personal real intimate belief into him that's why it should matter equally immeasurable is God's wrath God's wrath toward those who do not believe in essence you're disobeying God and you're rejecting his love remember John 3 16 for in this way God loved the world that he gave the only begotten Son that all the ones who believe into him will not perish but have everlasting life God's immeasurable love is embodied in this person and Jesus and the Son and it demands a response of personal real intimate belief into him it should matter to you it should matter to you because

[9:12] God will have a personal response of love towards you if you embrace the Son or a personal response of rejection towards you if you personally reject him in his Son it should matter to you if you don't know Christ today if you're here and you have not responded to Jesus you haven't turned from your sin and trusted in Jesus Christ alone this is why it should matter to you because God's wrath abides on you his wrath abides on you and he personally intimately rejects you because you've rejected his love but he will personally and intimately love you if you receive his love remember the Christian life is how you fit into what

[10:21] God's doing not how God fits into your life that's not what this is about it's how do you fit into God's story what he's doing you know Christian this should matter to you even more so because if you unite yourself with some other partner it displays a lack of faith in Jesus since you really don't think Jesus is above all and doesn't have all to offer you for you I will say later you commit spiritual adultery we commit spiritual adultery if we unite ourselves with some other quote unquote partner because we really don't think Jesus has everything that we need and everything that we want we think there's something else which is idolatry he is above all he gives me everything I need the father's given everything into his hands sure it's he's in everything everything I need and wants in Jesus why do I doubt that it's a lack of faith right it's a good thing

[11:48] Jesus dies for that doesn't it good thing he dies for that too so let's start in 31 to 35 who is Jesus who is Jesus 31 to 35 notice how he begins the one who is from above is above all interesting verse 31 and 32 pulls together themes of the chapter this is the reason why Jesus must be supreme remember last week happily content with Jesus supremacy over your life why should you be happily content with Jesus supremacy over your life because he's from heaven he's from above he's above all in contrast to John the baptizer notice what he says the one who's of the earth is from the earth and speaks from the earth that's about John the baptizer or you know as John the baptist there's a contrast here he's presenting the evangelist Jesus' origin is heaven and when he says earth

[12:52] John the baptizer earth he doesn't mean like being sinful he's talking about John was finite limited he was from the earth and speaks of the earth his origin is from the earth and called people to repent pointing to the only one who could give life and whose authority whose origin is heavenly see this his origin his identity gives him such authority and that's from heaven and yes John and Jesus were ministering at the same time Jesus was dunking people John was dunking people well Jesus was doing it for his disciples right and John was dunking people baptizing we're gonna dunk four people next week but they're not the same they're actually opposite Jesus' identity is origin and authority vastly different from John you have infinite versus finite superiority versus inferiority and so so take this and hold to this no one else has this origin no one else has this identity no one else has this authority not Buddha not Hinduism not Sikh not Islam not Judaism not Mormonism ended up talking to three Mormons

[14:27] Friday night like 830 at night they were coming by I talked with these guys these came up not Jehovah of the witnesses not any other religion of the world the eternal son of God is the very word of God who was is from heaven that's who he is and then look at what John the evangelist says in verse 32 what he this one who's from above has seen and heard that he testifies or bears witness he's the word of God God speaks the greatest way that God reveals and expresses himself is in the son so Jesus he's the very word he testifies to what he's seen and heard John test

[15:27] Jesus testified to what he has seen and heard regarding himself being the very word of God he spoke from personal experience what was true real and genuine if I speak for myself I'm tainted I haven't seen everything I haven't heard everything so if I say I speak with authority you'd be like you're crazy right you don't have full knowledge of what you've seen you don't have full knowledge of what you've heard you don't have that that's what you'd say to me that's what I'd say to you not so with Jesus that's what I was telling these Mormons I said the Bible is the Bible is the word of God and it's sufficient you have to come to a place where you come to that place where you come to that place it's sufficient if you don't you must repent and recant everything you guys believe in the book of Mormon Jesus completely says and does all that

[16:33] God says and does is how Carson put it because he's the son of God and the word of God listen he can only say and do what God says and does because of his identity because of his origin because of his authority and notice what the evangelist says the last part of verse 32 and no one receives his testimony well that sounds familiar brings us back to chapter 3 verse 11 where Jesus says you don't accept my testimony our testimony it takes us back to chapter 1 where Jesus they don't receive him remember that people will not receive his witness his testimony unless the spirit comes in like the wind and does a God working in their life they're born new remember that in chapter 3 so the word is God's words he's seen and heard he testifies to this but then notice the contrary look at verse 33 the one who's received his testimony certifies that God is truthful so there are those who do receive his testimony and she or he has certified or they attest to the fact that God is truthful

[17:53] God is telling the truth what's that mean well it's like a seal that certifies the document God is truthful because he's spoken in the son who is the truth the word is the word from us from God the word is the word for us from God and the certifying one writer puts it like this it reflects the truthfulness of the object of the witness so Jesus testified to God as the word thus God is truthful so to believe in Jesus is to believe God to believe God is to believe Jesus but to reject who Jesus is his origin his identity his authority is to reject God himself you cannot one cannot have God without Jesus and vice versa you can't have God and not have Jesus you can't have Jesus and not have God I mean they they go together because they would be calling God a liar not truthful that's impossible notice how he continues verse 34 for the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God so

[19:15] God sent Jesus and Jesus spoke the very words of God to say that Jesus does not speak the very words of God is to call God a liar others do not speak God's words only Jesus to respond to the fathers to respond to Jesus in the same way because of what he says he speaks the very words of God and we know that Jesus speaks the very words of God because God has given to him the spirit without measure notice he says for he gives the spirit without measure and the idea here is the context is not having nothing to do with Christians if you've read this and say oh he's talking about Christians here that's nothing to do with you you're not in this at all you don't come until verse 36 you know what I'm saying he don't give you the spirit without measure he gave it to

[20:22] Jesus father gave the spirit to Jesus without any measure the spirit came descended and remained upon Jesus the one sent by the father is the one through whom God speaks and to whom he gives the spirit God son has a unique position he's in full and unhindered communion with the spirit and given everything the father can give which includes his love the father does nothing without the son and the spirit empowers the son you see the unfolding of the trinitarian love because notice what he does here in verse 35 the father loves the son has given all things to his hand he loves the son there's this bond relationship that the father has with the son and the spirit is connected to this as well this relationship between

[21:23] God the father and the eternal son Jesus is one of love now you you start stepping into a realm of which you and I have not ever seen before we step into this area of understanding that we will not fully comprehend until we are in glory God gives himself that's what love means and he loves to give himself to the son who gives him such great pleasure what does he say this is my beloved son with whom I am well pleased so pleased with my son I love my son this love relationship takes us back to verse 31 he's from above all so

[22:35] John the evangelist he unfolds for us and begins to unfold for us the relationship among the trinity the intra trinitarian fellowship between the father the son and the spirit which is full of self love for each other this will come up later in John's gospel in John chapter 5 Jesus will say truly I say to you the son can do nothing of himself unless it is something he sees the father doing for the father does these things the son also does in like manner for the father loves the son and shows him all things he himself is doing he brings this up well in chapter 8 Jesus says I proceeded forth and have come from God for I have not even come of my own initiative but he sent me he says later in chapter 8 verse 47 the one who is of God hears the words of

[23:36] God why because Jesus speaks the very words of God for this reason you do not hear them because you are not of God because the father loves the son so much he's given the spirit to him without any limit and placed all things into his hands that that's his gift to the son so the ultimate source of our redemption is the loving relationship between the father the son and the spirit it's love and they're giving to each other so salvation it's it's not about you it's about a love relationship between the father the son and the spirit the three persons of one God and when we begin to understand this love relationship within the trinity then we'll begin to understand how this salvation really isn't about us and yet we get to receive it and be involved in this love the father loved the eternal son giving him us as an expression of the love he has for him the spirit is the one who brings us to a place where we experience that love how we're born new that's why it's called in that one word what is it what is it again oh yeah grace so here's this love between the father and the son and the spirit and this wonderful beautiful of self love and giving to each other and then what do they do they take you and they pull you into that they take humans creation and you get pulled in and now you can be in this love that's amazing you're now a part of this love and if the father has given all things into the hands of the son then that means the son has everything we need and want to satisfy us so to deny that is to commit spiritual adultery you have everything that you need think about it

[26:27] God doesn't need you God is so satisfied the triune God is satisfied with himself amongst the three loving each other and they decide to have a love gift creating humans and displaying that love that they have for each other thus we're displays of that love so that means that love is everything you need and for us to deny that we're committing spiritual adultery or it's idolatry because something else you think I think satisfies me you see which leads us into this why does it matter why does it matter because verse 36 the one who believes in the son has eternal life there's only two responses towards the eternal son who is loved by the father lavished with the spirit there's only two responses you either believe him or disobey him or as

[27:47] Carson said there's either genuine trust or defiant disobedience there's no third option and if one believes one embraces or receives loves knows the son and notice he says and that one who believes she or he has has you have it now eternal life it's a present possession life needs to come that's experienced now well how is it experienced now because remember if you remember Jesus will later tell us what eternal life is from John 17 he will say this is eternal life that they may know you the only true God in Jesus Christ whom you have sent eternal life is not just going to heaven you say to people you want to go to heaven you won't have any more cancer you will look like you are 25 all the time and you will run and you will never get tired and this and that you can eat whatever you want never get fat and this and that and you are like yeah

[29:00] Jesus won't be there so if people think that you missed the point of what heaven is because heaven is about Jesus Jesus is about heaven it's him remember eternal life is personal relational intimate because it's knowing the only true God in Jesus Christ whom he has sent remember you're pulled into this love the love that the father has for the son the son has for the spirit the spirit for the father and the son the father for the spirit and you're this love that they have and you're pulling people into this love and he has a plethora of people millions of people that he's chosen before the foundation of the world to be displaced of this love that he has for himself you get in on that and if God never needs anything he's just always giving himself and giving that love to each other and you're pulled into that love then you have everything you need in God you see and for us to deny that you say that love's not enough

[30:19] I need I need to have to be satisfied so I need you know fill in the blank right which is why he says the next part of verse 36 but the one who does not obey the son that's the correct translation shall not see life not to believe is not to obey not to obey means you don't believe that means one disobeys or rejects the son rejects what you're rejecting love failing failing to trust Jesus is as much disobedience as unbelief Carson put it that way is a great way to put it that one will not see life but then he says in the last part of verse 36 the wrath of God abides on him to deny the son being discontent with him and God's wise sovereign purposes being accomplished through him is to betray your trust in Christ and faithfulness to him

[31:35] God give us grace to not betray that committing spiritual adultery so if eternal life is personally relationally intimately knowing the only true God in Jesus Christ to be sent then God's wrath is also a personal relational intimate response from God to the non-believer the son the son is God's love expressed in personal form not to obey or receive God's love is to receive his wrath God's wrath is personally defined just like God's love is personally defined that's what makes it more weighty it's a personal response

[32:45] Carson says from a holy God to the one who's rejected him after he the father and his son has come to this sad fallen lost evil wicked rebellious world to save the world you've rejected love see everything about these verses is intimate it's personal it's love it's giving it's relational isn't it who is Jesus who is he he's from above he's the son he's given authority he's given the spirit they the trinity they love each other that's who he is and John's trying to get us as his readers to really understand this is who

[33:49] Jesus is and this is why it should matter to you it should matter to you because God's immeasurable love embodying the person of the son who is divine and his identity his origin his authority the bond he demands a response of personal real intimate trust into him equally immeasurable is God's wrath toward those who do not believe in essence you're disobeying God you're rejecting love it should matter to you because God will have a personal response of love toward you if you embrace his son or a personal response of rejection towards you if you personally reject him and his son Christian it should matter to us it should matter to you because if we unite ourselves with some other partner it displays a lack of faith trust in

[34:55] Christ because we really don't think Jesus is above all and we really don't think he has all to offer us for us I mean think about it we unite ourselves to food substances drugs alcohol sex people stuff money fill in the blank that's a lack of faith that Jesus gives you all that you truly need and want we doubt that he pulls you into this love everything you need and to doubt that you deny and you betray that love that make sense it's idolatry it's a good thing Jesus died for that because don't we deal with that it's constantly we're bombarded telling us that no

[36:05] Jesus doesn't satisfy you God is holding out on you that's been the deception since Genesis 3 right Jesus help us to see more of who you are and to trust you more let's pray that Jesus help us to see more of you more of who you are and to trust you more and we we put up our hands we say yes my faith is weak and we know that so we ask that you spirit take the truth of your word and plant it deep inside of us shape and fashion us by the word that we may know and have confidence that your love is what we need and we're displays of that love of course that's all that we need we're displays of the love that you have for each other it's just kind of stupid that we don't think that way and it's our thinking help us to change our thinking renew our minds we pray spirit that we may lift up

[37:43] Jesus and praise you father for the love that you have for in this way God loved the world that he gave the only begotten son that all the ones who believe in him may not perish but have eternal life which is knowing you and Jesus Christ whom you sent if you would please take this time maybe about a minute or so to fill your mind with truth to reflect on what we've seen from God's word to ponder what we've seen from the truth here in John 3 and let this be a special time where you can focus your mind and your heart upon the

[38:46] Lord upon his word maybe in time of confession Lord I'm not trusting you as much maybe we need to do that I'm going to trust in your love cherish these few moments like what like a minute and a half cherish these few moments between you and the Lord then we'll sing and pray cherish these moments between you and the Lord would you do that now please