John 3.18
September 22nd 2013
Welcome welcome.
We are in John chapter 3 beginning at verse 14 today.
First let’s pray, hear the Word put to music, and spend a few minutes of quite time with the Lord.
PRAYER
MUSIC
REFLECTION
Alright, we ended last week with verse 13 which presented us with a bit of a perplexing situation – some bibles including a line and others excluding it.
In the end the line and verse was spoken by the Lord to teach Nicodemus that if he couldn’t or wouldn’t understand or accept things that were done on earth than how on earth could he expect to understand heavenly principles that Jesus was presenting him.
Remember, the comment or question that Jesus was responding to was Nicodemus asking the Lord (in verse 9)
How can the things you have described relative to being born from above be?
In verses 10-13 Jesus speaks to the fact that Nicodemus had some issues with understand heavenly truths.
And now in verses 14-21 He specifically tells Nicodemus How these things can be – how a man can be born from above.
It’s a wonderful and impacted message full of some of the most oft-quoted passages in the New Testament.
So let’s read our text for today John chapter 3 verses 14-21.
“HOW CAN THESE THINGS BE?” Nicodemus asks, and Jesus says:
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Jesus tells Nicodemus, “You must be born-again.”
Nicodemus asks, “How can these things be?”
Jesus responds with:
14 As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
No listen. This is not just Jesus telling a story out of the blue NOR is it Jesus suddenly testifying to Nicodemus what His mission and ministry is all about.
This is Jesus telling Nicodemus “how rebirth occurs.” And because he is speaking to a Jew of Jew, one whom He came to save, He appeals to an Old Testament illustration to show him the means by which a man may be born of the Spirit – believing on Him.
The Old Testament story the Lord appeals to is the one where Moses lifts up the brazen serpent in the wilderness.
It’s found in Numbers 21:8-9 and serves as a tremendous picture of Christ.
Numbers 21:4 And the (COI) journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way.
5 And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.
6 And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.
7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.
8 And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.
The people were bitten by flying fiery serpents. There was no cure for the bite. Moses was directed to make an image of the serpent, and place it in sight of the people, that they might look on it and be healed.
There are several important points to consider about this picture.
First, the COI were being punks. Verse
5 says:
“And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.”
Now, they had been brought out of Egypt by miraculous means by God and yet they did nothing but faithlessly complain, speaking against God and Moses.
The next verse says the Lord sent firey serpents but the Hebrew allows for this to be read, “and the Lord let firey serpents.”
I tend to see God in these terms. He will allow or disallow certain things – depending on what He is seeking to achieve in the lives of those he is working with. We see this in the book of Job.
I mean those firey serpents could have been chomping at the bit to fly in upon the COI for months and maybe God held them back. But now, in light of their attitude, maybe He thought, “Okay, a little attitude adjustment is on the way.”
We have a tendency to think of God as wanting to throw down on humanity – I don’t believe this. Everything He does must be done in love – even if it means painful and troubling situations.
I would also suggest that the fact that some of the COI died due to the bites was a non event to Him either as He is looking to bring about the salvation of the entire Human race and His perspective is very different from ours.
So He allowed the firey serpents in and they did what they do best – bit people.
What did the bite produce in the COI? They said to Moses:
“We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.”
God has always worked this way in the macro and microcosm among men.
Nations become recalcitrant and wicked and He allows nature to take its course which often results in them turning.
In Hebrew there is a word, Gader, and it means and enclosure, or a fence and it is often translated as a hedge.
When people groups, nations, churches, families, or individuals rebel against Him, He will (from a biblical stand-point) pull back the hedge that protects them, and allow invaders in to bring them back to a humble repentant state of mind.
Many people will say, God sent AIDS or God send Hurricane Katrina or God sent the planes into the Twin Towers but in my opinion this is not consistent with a large part of scripture.
But letting the hedge of protection down is. And in the end, and in the face of rebellious people, I would consider the painful reminders a blessing.
I have the opportunity to counsel people who are caught up in sin. I don’t mean people who have made a mistake but people who have embraced certain aspects of sin as “lifestyle.”
For example I work with a man who has problems with visiting prostitutes. He’ll call me frantic and say something like,
“Shawn, I’ve done it again.”
Now remember, I’ve been receiving calls like this from him for years. He will always begin to fret and say something like:
“Do you think I’ll get a disease?”
I’ll say, “I hope you do.”
And he’ll say: “What what kind of friend or pastor are you?”
And I’ll say, “one who cares about you.”
Whatever it takes to bring people around is my opinion. Even death.
Now, aside from God allowing the flying serpents in, there is another picture here I believe Jesus is referring to – a picture of sin itself.
And I think it was this picture that Jesus was bringing to Nicodemus.
All of us, from birth possess a sin-nature. All of us in time commit sin relative to God and His holiness.
In order to overcome such sin is to receive and believe God’s provision for it, and in doing so we will also experience being born from above.
There is no cure sin just as there was no cure for the sting the COI received in the wilderness.
They were stung and they were then headed toward death.
Realizing this, they came to Moses and:
Recognized that they were sinful (saying, “We have sinned”) then asking Moses to have the Lord save them from the Serpents.
No different than what most people do when they too see themselves as having sin and going to the Lord asking for help, a reprieve, and/or forgiveness.
And what did God tell Moses to do – make a brazen serpent (or a serpent of brass).
In the Old Testament brass is a symbol of Judgment (but it wasn’t really brass, which wasn’t discovered until the 13th century) but was copper and was a symbol of obstinacy and sometimes of judgment.
Additionally, it would have taken Moses (or those helping him) time to make the figure, adding to the people’s anxiety and therefore reliance upon the Lord.
Once it was made, the Lord told Moses to put it on a pole and lift it up, so all could see.
Of course we have a picture of Jesus being lifted up on the cross for the sins of the world (which is why he says to Nicodemus):
14 As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
But this is perhaps the most important element of the illustration or picture –
Jesus says in verse 15:
15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
Notice Jesus doesn’t say:
That whosoever “works for Him,” “belongs to His church,” is baptized in His name,” or “does anything else for Him . . .” should have eternal life, but whosoever believeth in Him.
The illustration from Moses and the COI is perfect because what did Moses tell the COI to do once the Brass Serpent was created and then lifted up on the pole?
Numbers 21:8-9 And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.
I love that – in fact I think we could say to anyone who has not been born-again, “Have you beheld Christ? Have you looked upon Him?
Nothing else will do. Nothing else will remove or save any of us from the sting of sin and death – just the simplicity of looking upon, beholding, and believing in Him.
This is faith, looking upon, believing in.
Listen closely to 1st John 5:4
“For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.”
Paul said in Philippians 3:9
And be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.
This is the salvation moment and there is nothing more nor anything less.
It is a living gift waiting to be given to any and all who will look and believe.
And there is absolutely no other cure.
As I’ve already intimated, the points of resemblance between Christ being lifted up and that of the brazen serpent include, of course, that for the COI to live physically they had to first believe and trust in the remedy (and then look upon it) just as in order for us to live spiritually we must do the same toward Christ.
Of course the Lord was lifted up on the cross just as the serpent was lifted up on the pole.
And finally, the manner or action for healing was the same – believe and look.
How easy. How absolutely simple.
“Believe this is the remedy and then look at it, to it, upon it.”
That is the ticket to seeing the Kingdom of heaven, for being born-again, for experiencing eternal life, and for NOT perishing (as Jesus says in verse 15)
Now, the word perish in the Greek is “apolomee.”
It does not always mean destroyed or obliterated – in fact in most cases it means to be marred, or to be lost.
For example, when Jesus says that He was sent to the lost sheep of the House of Israel, the Greek word is the same – appolomee – but this certainly does not mean those lost sheep were totally wiped out.
I mention this because by looking to Christ those who are saved are saved from hell.
And hell is a holding tank that everyone of us want to avoid. It is a place where people perish in the apolomai sense (and not in the total obliteration sense.
Refuse to look, die in your sins. Simple as that.
Die in your sins, prepare to perish, to sinking down to the pains of hell, which is a place of darkness, weeping, and gnashing of teeth.
It is not a place of permanence, but only a holding cell until the Great White throne judgment.
Neither is it a place of fire or burning but a miserable dark holding tank of woe. Why would God subject human beings to such a place?
I am of the opinion that it is a place of purging the most stubborn, the most evil, the most truculent and willful go until the final judgement.
Is it a place God wants or desires or relishes over that people enter?
Not hardly. (verse 16)
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
(beat)
This is a very popular and important passage because it truly lays out the heart of God for each of us and for this fallen corrupt world – His love.
So much love that he gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever BELIEVETH IN HIM should NOT perish, but have everlasting life.
Some are of the opinion that Jesus came and suffered or redeemed only some, or only the best, or only the Christians or Jews.
Not so
God so loved the world. The model is all of us are under the cloud of sin, none of us could do anything about coming out from under it, but God so LOVED the world He gave His only begotten Son to save it.
Did He save the world or just pay for the sins of it?
He paid for the sins of every human in the world and overcame the deaths that such sin results in – spiritual and physical. In this way He saved the entire world.
Hebrews 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
2nd Corinthians 5:15 says that “he died for all,”
John 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me
Romans 5:18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
1Ti 4:10 For therefore we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, specially of those that believe.
1st John 2:2 “He is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world.”
Listen closely . . .
Verse 16 says it clearly:
“God so loved the world that He GAVE . . .” Gave.
To the world . . . His Only Begotten Son.
A totally unencumbered gift. He was sent from above and did the work and gave His life freely for all of us and the work is done.
He and His work and life finished salvation. Our response to it is a totally different subject but the fact of the matter is God so loved the world that He gave us the greatest gift imaginable and He is the means by which the entire world has been, has been, has been . . . redeemed.
We are not redeeming the world.
We are not saving people.
They have been redeemed and saved from sin and death. The work finished by Him.
It’s almost like God has built a city out in some far off place, a beautiful city and has built it for anyone and everyone to come and live.
How do people know of the city? By others sharing it, talking about it, giving good reason that others should believe in its existence.
The city has been built. Everyone has been invited to live there by the builder. The only job left is to let people know about it.
And God has constructed this amazing feature relative to the city – it is by people hearing about it that they believe in it and want to receive it and become a citizen of it.
So it is with His Son, the only means of escaping hell.
A clear understanding of this ought to make our reception of His Son . . . it ought to make our lives as possessors of this Good News unique to those who have yet to understand.
Filled with the fruit of the Spirit, as it were . . .
“ . . . love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” Galatians 5 says
We have learned about, believed in, and accepted – RECEIVED – the gift God gave because He loved us so much!
Burdens – Gone.
Hope provided.
Life renewed and regenerated as citizens of His heavenly city here and now.
But here’s the deal – a clear understanding of this gift and the reception of it – ought to also alter our attitude toward the outside world that has yet to receive it.
This is a soapbox of mine (so I apologize in advance for the emphasis).
I have been working on an outline for a new book for a number of years now.
Everything is beginning to coalesce and fall into place and I am thinking the title will be:
A LIBERAL HERETICAL BIBLICAL CHRISTIAN FAITH . . .
With liberal being defined as willing to embrace ideas outside accepted practice and heretical being someone who thinks outside Christian orthodoxy.
Today, and in the hands of many people, Christianity has moved away from the idea that “God saved the world by giving it a free gift” and moved to a multitude ofe notions which suggest that
Jesus only saved some of the world and that as part of this elite group our duty is to attack and condemn the existing world and all of its sin, and try to reform it through apparent Christian ideas.
In my opinion these perspectives have totally lost contact with what John 3:16-19 suggest.
Remember, the only difference between them and us is we received the free gift and they have yet to receive it.
And what is that free gift just waiting for them to take up and receive?
Salvation,
Forgiveness of the sin of faithlessness, and
An escape from the clutches of hell card.
With this notion firmly in place we (who have been saved by grace through faith) are placed in a wonderful and unique position – we do not have to condemn anyone ever for anything, we do not need to worry about who receives the gift and who does not (that’s God’s business – we ought to only share the fact that the gift exists) and finally, there is no purpose under the sun for a Christian occupy themselves with saving the world from moral corruption since it is already corrupt and has been from the Fall.
We have support for this thinking in verses 17 and 18 so let’s read them together and then talk about them.
But listen carefully:
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
We have a couple of conditions present here in the Bible that we have to consider.
First (and we can never forget it) God is love. He does not possess love, He is love.
And love created this world and all that it is.
Second, God is all knowing – and He knew before creating a single material item – it’s destiny.
Satan did NOT thwart God and His will, neither did Adam.
Third, because of His love, He gave Satan and Man . . . freewill. Knowing which direction it would all go He could have despotically forced Satan and Adam to do things His way.
But not our God. He does not force, but listen closely to the fourth point – While allowing for freewill He does, being a sovereign God of Love work all things out according to His goodwill and pleasure.
Psalms 115:3
“But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.”
Proverbs 19:21 which says
“There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.”
Jesus said in Matthew 19:26
“with God all things are possible.”
Ephesians 1:11 (puts a sharp end on this point saying – speaking of Jesus it says),
“In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.”
And listen to Isaiah 45:5-9
“I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:
6 That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.
7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.
8 Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I the LORD have created it.
9 Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?
Isaiah 46:9-11 where God says:
9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,
10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:
11 Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.
I think from scripture we can say that God who is love is paradoxically also in control while allowing men and women to freely act and choose.
What a God.
With this being the case, what would the God of Love desire? Let’s again turn to scripture:
In Jeremiah God says:
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”
In the face of all this information what do we think when we read in 2nd Peter 3:9 that
“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
OR what does 1st Timothy 2:3-4 mean which says
“For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth?”
We get a picture, a glimmer of the whole matter (may the Holy Spirit guide) when we read a section of scripture from 1st Corinthians 15 beginning at verse 23.
Listen to what Paul describes here.
23 “But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.
24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. (LISTEN)
28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.”
(long beat)
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
(long beat)
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world . . . through him . . . might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
As followers of Him neither are we sent to condemn the world that is condemned already – but to share with all possible the gift given that saved it.
In so doing we help free the captives in and through His name, we set those in chains at liberty through His shed blood, and we help all who are headed directly to hell to by-pass its grip, and go directly into life eternal.
(long beat)
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