WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:07.440 Good morning. Please turn in your copy of God's Word to John chapter 3. John chapter 3. 00:00:08.740 --> 00:00:15.540 ! In the past couple of days, my voice has been going in and out. 00:00:15.540 --> 00:00:24.660 ! And so I've tried Thieves Tea, I've tried Elderberry, I've tried Firesider, 00:00:24.660 --> 00:00:29.600 and if you know what those three things are, that tells you a lot about who you are. 00:00:31.000 --> 00:00:40.560 So, including myself and my wife. So, today we'll be looking at John chapter 3. I'll be reading 1 00:00:40.560 --> 00:00:47.159 through 17, but there are only two verses in this time that we'll be taking a look at. 00:00:48.260 --> 00:00:53.780 So, join me and I will be reading in chapter 3 of John, verse 1. 00:00:53.780 --> 00:01:01.600 Now, there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came 00:01:01.600 --> 00:01:07.640 to Jesus by night and said to him, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God. 00:01:08.340 --> 00:01:16.079 No one, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him. Jesus answered him, 00:01:16.079 --> 00:01:22.640 truly, truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 00:01:23.459 --> 00:01:27.420 Nicodemus said to him, how can a man be born when he is old? 00:01:28.879 --> 00:01:32.680 Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born? 00:01:33.680 --> 00:01:39.599 Jesus answered, truly, truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, 00:01:39.599 --> 00:01:47.099 he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born 00:01:47.099 --> 00:01:54.060 of the Spirit is Spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, you must be born again. The wind blows 00:01:54.060 --> 00:01:59.239 where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. 00:01:59.579 --> 00:02:06.099 So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus said to him, how can these things be? 00:02:06.099 --> 00:02:12.819 Jesus answered him, are you the teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? 00:02:13.400 --> 00:02:18.740 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and bear witness to what we have seen, 00:02:19.199 --> 00:02:25.859 but you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, 00:02:26.039 --> 00:02:32.719 how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except 00:02:32.719 --> 00:02:42.280 he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, 00:02:42.680 --> 00:02:51.419 so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so 00:02:51.419 --> 00:02:59.020 loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have 00:02:59.020 --> 00:03:05.660 eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the 00:03:05.660 --> 00:03:15.280 world might be saved through him. So really, if you're going to shrink this thing down from 13, 00:03:15.640 --> 00:03:20.280 where it says, no one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 00:03:20.280 --> 00:03:32.439 14 and 15 explain that, and so do 16 and 17. So you have recurring words. In just 16 and 17, 00:03:32.520 --> 00:03:38.580 what we'll be looking at specifically this morning, you have God, and you have Son, the Son, 00:03:39.020 --> 00:03:44.860 and you have world and those who believe, and you have these recurring themes. And John, what makes 00:03:44.860 --> 00:03:49.860 John's gospel so easy to read is because he uses the same words, same characters over and over and 00:03:49.860 --> 00:03:55.960 over again. There's repetition, there's patterns, and we'll even see that as we go through 16 and 17. 00:03:56.420 --> 00:04:01.720 So if you have your notes, if you write things down, on the back of the bulletin, there's actually 00:04:01.720 --> 00:04:09.700 some space to write something down if you want, because if you write it down, you'll see that 16 and 17 00:04:09.699 --> 00:04:16.560 flow very beautifully, and they preach themselves. So that's our goal this morning. But if you're 00:04:16.560 --> 00:04:22.199 holding a baby like I usually am, I'm going to repeat myself, just like John, so that you will get 00:04:22.199 --> 00:04:29.439 the main point and outline just by repetition. So if you're writing something down, I'll end with this. 00:04:29.439 --> 00:04:39.719 B, there's three points. God loved, and that's his, God loved the world. That's the first point, God loved. 00:04:40.420 --> 00:04:47.480 Two, God gave his Son. Second point, and the verses under that would be that he gave his only Son, that 00:04:47.480 --> 00:04:52.100 whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. That's the second point, God gave his 00:04:52.100 --> 00:05:05.140 Son. Third and last point is God sent his Son, and that includes all of 17. So the Gospel of John, 00:05:05.140 --> 00:05:13.439 and John specifically, uses the word for love more times in his Gospel than all the rest of the Gospels 00:05:13.439 --> 00:05:21.400 combined. So it's an easy pointing to, you can point to the Gospel of John, the first John, for the advent of 00:05:21.399 --> 00:05:29.199 love this morning. Pretty easy, but this is a major theme in his Gospel. And John reuses the same words 00:05:29.199 --> 00:05:34.299 over and over again, as seen in our text. Again, to remind you, there's repetition here. I want you to 00:05:34.299 --> 00:05:42.719 catch that. And for context, before we begin, know that it's Jesus talking to Nicodemus, and that will 00:05:42.719 --> 00:05:50.859 become more and more important as we go on. Because my goal for this is that for you to not look at, 00:05:50.860 --> 00:05:59.080 especially verse 16 as a bumper sticker, or a billboard. I want you to have a fresh take on 00:05:59.080 --> 00:06:07.439 John 3.16. And part of this is I want you to take John 3.16 together with verse 17. So instead of a 00:06:07.439 --> 00:06:15.460 period at the end of 16, I want you to put a comma. And I'll show you why I do that as we go on. 00:06:15.459 --> 00:06:27.359 So first off, first thing that you may, may, maybe not disagree with me, but for God so loved the world 00:06:27.359 --> 00:06:39.279 is where it begins, right? Well, if you notice, if you have an ESV textbook, Bible, there's a footnote. 00:06:39.279 --> 00:06:43.699 It's like a textbook, right? They have footnotes. And the footnotes are very important. 00:06:44.500 --> 00:06:51.219 Example, perfect example of this, is there's a footnote after the world. Because they say, 00:06:52.279 --> 00:07:00.299 for this is how God loved the world. And so maybe for God so loved the world that that emphasizes the 00:07:00.299 --> 00:07:08.179 intensity of God's love, which may be a part of it, but it's not the main emphasis that should be 00:07:08.180 --> 00:07:14.220 in the text. It's, for this is how God loved the world. So that's, that's an important point, 00:07:14.220 --> 00:07:22.900 because it's linking, that word is linking back to 14 and 15, describing verse 13. Hopefully it makes 00:07:22.900 --> 00:07:31.519 sense. But it's, I propose to you that is, for this is how, or for in this way. It's not intensity, 00:07:31.519 --> 00:07:36.279 but it's a manner in which, or a way something has been done. 00:07:38.120 --> 00:07:43.019 So what this is, is in the, if we look at 14 and 15, he talks about a serpent. 00:07:43.579 --> 00:07:49.979 And he talks about Moses. And this comes from Numbers 21, verses 4 and 9, or 4 through 9, 00:07:50.259 --> 00:07:54.879 about the bronze serpent. And so for background, for story, for the background, I'll read you 00:07:54.879 --> 00:08:02.980 that story. You can turn with me if you want. But for Numbers 20, chapter 21, verse 4 through 9, 00:08:03.279 --> 00:08:13.699 there's a small story in Numbers that John, or that Jesus uses to lead to what he says in our text 00:08:13.699 --> 00:08:19.959 today in 16 and 17, to point to himself. So it's important for us to get that context. So Numbers 00:08:19.959 --> 00:08:31.139 chapter 21, verses 4 through 9. From Mount Hor, they set out by the way to the Red Sea to go around 00:08:31.139 --> 00:08:38.039 the land of Edom. This is Israel. And the people became impatient on the way, and the people spoke 00:08:38.039 --> 00:08:44.439 against God and against Moses. Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For 00:08:44.440 --> 00:08:51.860 there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food. Then the Lord sent fiery serpents 00:08:51.860 --> 00:08:58.940 among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. And the people came to 00:08:58.940 --> 00:09:05.940 Moses and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord 00:09:05.940 --> 00:09:13.760 that he take away the serpents from us. So Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said to Moses, 00:09:13.759 --> 00:09:21.159 make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole. And everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live. 00:09:21.919 --> 00:09:29.539 So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the 00:09:29.539 --> 00:09:39.720 bronze serpent and live. And flip back to John chapter 3, 14 and 15. And as Moses lifted up the 00:09:39.720 --> 00:09:46.440 serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have 00:09:46.440 --> 00:09:54.940 eternal life. So that's all introduction to the next two verses, 16 and 17. So for our first point, God 00:09:54.940 --> 00:10:04.080 loved. God loved the world. We already said, For in this way, that's an introduction. First point, 00:10:04.080 --> 00:10:09.560 God loved. God loved the world. This is the heart and the center of the text. We could say the next 00:10:09.560 --> 00:10:18.620 few points are sub-points of this main point, is God loved, which is our theme for Advent this morning, 00:10:18.740 --> 00:10:26.340 is love. The Advent of love and God loved. And we'll see how and why God loved. So talk about grammar 00:10:26.340 --> 00:10:30.480 here. You have, for a sentence, you have a verb and you have a subject and you have a direct object. 00:10:30.480 --> 00:10:34.539 You don't have to have that direct object, but you have a verb and a subject. And we have that here. 00:10:35.060 --> 00:10:45.759 The verb is loved. And I, again, this is a popular word for John to use. He uses it over and over. 00:10:46.680 --> 00:10:54.899 And this describes what God did and what he continues to do. He loved. And that's connected to the subject, 00:10:54.899 --> 00:11:06.679 God. God loved. The God of Moses is the same God here. In Numbers 21, John chapter 3 is the same God. 00:11:06.779 --> 00:11:11.959 And this is important for Nicodemus because he's speaking to a specific person. And that's easy to 00:11:11.959 --> 00:11:16.860 be lost in. We can always forget about that because there's a break here, but it's in a conversation with 00:11:16.860 --> 00:11:23.620 Nicodemus. And he is a ruler of Israel, and that's important. And the direct object is the world. 00:11:23.620 --> 00:11:28.320 So very simple. It's very basic. And it's no wonder why this verse is so popular. 00:11:29.659 --> 00:11:41.899 But it's God loved the world. So we have to ask, who is the world? So this gets, the world is pretty 00:11:41.899 --> 00:11:52.899 vague, right? So we have to do work to define the world well. And does the world mean 00:11:52.899 --> 00:12:02.039 everyone in the world without exception? Is it without exception? Everyone ever? It doesn't seem 00:12:02.039 --> 00:12:10.819 that way because in the exact same verse, there's a limitation. That would mean that Christ died for 00:12:10.819 --> 00:12:20.079 everyone without exception. And as we get into the verses, even in 16, later half 16 and 17, 00:12:20.080 --> 00:12:28.259 we'll see that cannot be true because you have this idea of potentially true and actually true. 00:12:28.920 --> 00:12:33.740 Potentiality and actuality. And we'll see this a couple more times before the end. 00:12:35.740 --> 00:12:43.940 Those who believe in Christ are secure by his blood because this doesn't mean all without exception. 00:12:43.940 --> 00:12:53.420 That means all without distinction. All without distinction. It's important to note that. 00:12:54.880 --> 00:13:02.640 So D.A. Carson in his John commentary defines world as created human order in rebellion against its 00:13:02.640 --> 00:13:11.020 maker. See how specifically John uses it. And he takes that. How does John use the world in other places? 00:13:11.019 --> 00:13:19.939 It's never positive. It's almost always negative. Sometimes it's neutral. The world, when he uses that. 00:13:20.600 --> 00:13:28.220 That's important. So what this means is for Nicodemus, notice that what he doesn't say, what Jesus doesn't say, 00:13:28.480 --> 00:13:37.879 Jesus doesn't say God loved Israel. He does not say that. He says God loved Jew and Gentile alike. 00:13:37.879 --> 00:13:47.559 That's what that means. That is a big pivot for not only Nicodemus, but for the gospel as we see 00:13:47.559 --> 00:13:56.879 this transition from Israel to the Jew and Gentile alike. That's important. So the questions we should ask, 00:13:57.639 --> 00:14:05.580 how should we love the world? Or how should we love our neighbor? We should mirror the character of God, 00:14:05.580 --> 00:14:14.740 and we can use this text as a model for that. We can look at how God loved, and we likewise preach the 00:14:14.740 --> 00:14:23.900 gospel to all people without distinction. Careful to preach the gospel to all peoples without distinction. 00:14:25.180 --> 00:14:33.200 The world needs to hear God loves the world through his son. The world needs to hear the gospel. 00:14:33.200 --> 00:14:47.980 And so as we move on to the second point, we have God loved. God gave. Second point. So that he gave his only son. 00:14:49.080 --> 00:14:52.300 This could be rendered so that he gave his only son. 00:14:52.299 --> 00:15:02.659 But this shows how God loved the world. This is the how portion. We'll get into the why in the next 00:15:02.659 --> 00:15:09.959 portion. But this is how God loved the world. And so another thing that you should note about your 00:15:09.959 --> 00:15:14.799 text is it could only, or you may have in your text, only begotten. 00:15:14.799 --> 00:15:23.919 God emphasizes the uniqueness of his son. Has uniqueness in mind. So that's the key word there. 00:15:24.439 --> 00:15:33.419 Only, only begotten emphasizes uniqueness. So only his unique son he gave. 00:15:33.419 --> 00:15:42.719 Because he loved the world. It was then God gave the serpent to Israel in 00:15:42.719 --> 00:15:52.579 Numbers 21. That was then. And then now God gave his son to the world. See the shift that's happening? 00:15:53.659 --> 00:16:00.399 Even in Nicodemus' interaction, like this is towards the end of his interaction with Jesus, 00:16:00.399 --> 00:16:06.059 you never know what Jesus is going to say. If you just read through it on your own, 00:16:06.759 --> 00:16:11.639 he doesn't have, Nicodemus doesn't come to him with a question. He comes with a statement. 00:16:12.360 --> 00:16:20.159 And then I'm sure Nicodemus is super confused where he's going, and especially where he ends up 00:16:20.159 --> 00:16:28.220 in our verses here. So then it was Israel God gave the serpent to, but now God gave his son to the world. 00:16:28.220 --> 00:16:32.600 It's important to see that shift. And then now to the why. 00:16:34.279 --> 00:16:38.180 That whoever believes in him, that's the why. 00:16:39.320 --> 00:16:41.940 The why God loved the world. 00:16:42.860 --> 00:16:46.040 And so it could be rendered in order that everyone who believes in him 00:16:46.040 --> 00:16:47.879 could be rendered that way. 00:16:48.920 --> 00:16:52.620 The why of loving God, of God loving the world. 00:16:52.620 --> 00:16:59.000 Remember, it's not everyone without exception, but it's in him. 00:17:01.019 --> 00:17:09.700 That's an important connection, because that's connecting in him with the last words of 17. 00:17:10.059 --> 00:17:13.839 In him, now, through him at the very end. 00:17:14.359 --> 00:17:15.200 Now verse 17. 00:17:15.200 --> 00:17:18.960 In Christ alone. 00:17:20.240 --> 00:17:24.580 The display of the love of God to us in Christ alone. 00:17:26.580 --> 00:17:32.000 And now there's a point and a counterpoint set where it's not this, but that. 00:17:32.140 --> 00:17:32.700 That's next. 00:17:33.200 --> 00:17:35.319 Should not perish, but have eternal life. 00:17:36.259 --> 00:17:39.319 This is not this, but that. 00:17:39.519 --> 00:17:43.120 There's another point and a counterpoint set later. 00:17:43.119 --> 00:17:44.919 But here's the first one. 00:17:45.699 --> 00:17:46.279 Again, a repetition. 00:17:47.679 --> 00:17:51.479 Not perish, but have eternal life. 00:17:52.319 --> 00:17:56.779 And that's hinging on believing in Christ alone. 00:17:59.599 --> 00:18:06.659 Not destruction for those who believe, but eternal life for those who believe. 00:18:06.819 --> 00:18:08.859 Not this, but that. 00:18:08.859 --> 00:18:12.740 Again, this is not a potentially true statement. 00:18:13.859 --> 00:18:16.899 It is a certainly true statement. 00:18:17.059 --> 00:18:18.919 It is not potentially true. 00:18:19.279 --> 00:18:25.259 It's actually true that whoever believes in Christ alone will have eternal life. 00:18:25.259 --> 00:18:31.400 Those who believe in Christ are secure by his blood. 00:18:31.839 --> 00:18:34.660 And we can say this with certainty. 00:18:36.160 --> 00:18:42.160 So we could go many different directions in the application of this point here that God gave his son. 00:18:43.680 --> 00:18:45.640 But let's just take husbands. 00:18:46.319 --> 00:18:47.220 I'm talking to you. 00:18:47.220 --> 00:18:53.420 So does your love reflect the kind of love God has demonstrated? 00:18:54.539 --> 00:19:00.279 Do you love your wife in a way that glorifies God? 00:19:01.380 --> 00:19:03.920 This could feel overwhelming. 00:19:04.079 --> 00:19:09.039 And I know it does for me to live up to this high standard. 00:19:09.039 --> 00:19:16.980 But we think about even we are always thinking about, it seems like in speaking about Ephesians 5.25, 00:19:17.220 --> 00:19:25.259 where Paul writes the command from Paul to love your wife just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. 00:19:26.039 --> 00:19:27.019 It seems overwhelming. 00:19:27.019 --> 00:19:36.599 But I'm giving this to you husbands, using and thinking and meditating on John 3.16 and 17, 00:19:37.240 --> 00:19:46.339 to use this as a model and encouragement that we should look to God for the way we should love our neighbor and our closest neighbor, our wife. 00:19:47.339 --> 00:19:54.559 We are called in the testament to love our wives and our wives to respect their husbands. 00:19:54.559 --> 00:19:57.240 So it's not love, love. 00:19:57.460 --> 00:19:59.139 It's for us to love our wives. 00:19:59.240 --> 00:20:01.159 And that's important for our text today. 00:20:02.700 --> 00:20:10.000 And so this is a reminder of the triune God's sacrificial love to his people, John 3.16 is. 00:20:12.240 --> 00:20:24.419 And so we as husbands are commanded to sacrificially love our wife and our children as the triune God has loved us. 00:20:24.559 --> 00:20:27.940 And 3.16 is a model for that and how we can do that. 00:20:28.740 --> 00:20:39.659 In Stuart Scott's massive book, talking about overwhelming, but it's big, The Exemplary Husband, he defines love. 00:20:40.039 --> 00:20:41.359 And I'll give you his definition of love. 00:20:41.359 --> 00:20:51.099 Biblical love is a selfless and enduring commitment of the will to care about and benefit another person. 00:20:52.179 --> 00:20:59.099 By righteous, truthful, and compassionate thoughts, words, and actions. 00:21:00.159 --> 00:21:00.919 Think about that. 00:21:01.059 --> 00:21:01.919 I'll repeat it. 00:21:01.920 --> 00:21:18.640 The book of love is a selfless and enduring commitment of the will to care about and benefit another person by righteous, truthful, and compassionate thoughts, words, and actions. 00:21:19.920 --> 00:21:26.100 It reminds me of looking to God and his son in the giving and the love. 00:21:26.099 --> 00:21:31.419 The hymn, there's a hymn, it's titled, Though a Church is One Foundation. 00:21:31.839 --> 00:21:32.699 And they have this line. 00:21:33.719 --> 00:21:34.500 It's beautiful. 00:21:34.639 --> 00:21:35.000 I love it. 00:21:35.919 --> 00:21:36.899 There's a line that says, 00:21:37.459 --> 00:21:42.439 From heaven he came and sought her to be his holy bride. 00:21:43.279 --> 00:21:47.639 From heaven he came and sought her to be his holy bride. 00:21:47.640 --> 00:21:54.980 Husbands, let our love reflect the way God has loved us through his son. 00:21:56.660 --> 00:21:58.720 All right, third point. 00:21:59.720 --> 00:22:00.540 God sent. 00:22:01.060 --> 00:22:02.920 God sent his son. 00:22:03.740 --> 00:22:06.520 And under this point is all of verse 17. 00:22:06.900 --> 00:22:09.940 And this entire verse is a point, counterpoint. 00:22:10.259 --> 00:22:12.820 Not this, but that, set. 00:22:12.819 --> 00:22:18.279 And it's another, it's the second how God loved the world. 00:22:18.579 --> 00:22:19.799 This is a second how. 00:22:20.759 --> 00:22:22.720 For God did not send his son. 00:22:23.480 --> 00:22:24.579 This is the how. 00:22:26.220 --> 00:22:31.720 For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world. 00:22:32.000 --> 00:22:35.659 Or it could be rendered into the world in order that he might condemn the world. 00:22:37.039 --> 00:22:41.579 But in order that the world might be saved. 00:22:42.819 --> 00:22:45.980 He did not send his son into the world to condemn the world. 00:22:46.500 --> 00:22:49.579 But in order that the world might be saved. 00:22:51.039 --> 00:22:58.000 In order that the world might be saved is the second why God loved the world. 00:22:59.579 --> 00:23:01.819 There's two hows and there's two whys. 00:23:03.839 --> 00:23:08.240 And again, but in order that the world might be saved. 00:23:08.799 --> 00:23:11.259 Now this is a potential. 00:23:11.259 --> 00:23:14.160 There is potentiality here. 00:23:14.859 --> 00:23:17.059 The might be saved is a potential. 00:23:17.940 --> 00:23:19.700 But the last two words. 00:23:20.579 --> 00:23:21.720 Through him. 00:23:22.779 --> 00:23:28.759 This makes what was potential into actual. 00:23:29.500 --> 00:23:31.019 Only through his son. 00:23:31.460 --> 00:23:32.599 Through Christ alone. 00:23:33.319 --> 00:23:35.440 Can the world be saved. 00:23:35.440 --> 00:23:38.120 And so the potential. 00:23:38.120 --> 00:23:41.120 The potentiality has crossed over into actuality. 00:23:41.920 --> 00:23:43.039 Through the blood. 00:23:43.539 --> 00:23:44.559 Of Christ. 00:23:45.320 --> 00:23:47.320 Those who believe in Christ. 00:23:47.940 --> 00:23:48.860 Are secure. 00:23:49.580 --> 00:23:50.940 By his blood. 00:23:51.320 --> 00:23:52.200 By the son's blood. 00:23:52.539 --> 00:23:54.820 By Christ alone's blood. 00:23:54.819 --> 00:23:55.819 By the son's blood. 00:23:55.819 --> 00:23:57.500 So in conclusion. 00:23:59.019 --> 00:24:00.740 God loved the world. 00:24:01.859 --> 00:24:03.339 God gave his son. 00:24:04.139 --> 00:24:05.859 And God sent his son. 00:24:06.639 --> 00:24:09.279 Because God loved the world. 00:24:10.559 --> 00:24:11.259 Pray with me.