The Hard Sayings of Jesus: Part 2
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John 3:
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
Illustration about Miscalculation.
Chamberlain, the Prime Minister of Britain, in negotiations with Hitler over Czechoslovakia noted about the German leader that, "Here was a man who could be relied upon when he had given his word." Hitler had told Chamberlin that his intentions regarding Czechoslovakia were limited. One historian noted that, “Rarely had a statesman made such a serious miscalculation.”
1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
2 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.”
3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
4 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?”
5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’
8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
9 Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?”
10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?
11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony.
12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?
13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
"Here was a man who could be relied upon when he had given his word." The Reich chancellor's intentions were "limited," Chamberlain said. Rarely had a statesman made such a serious miscalculation.
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
Man has an innate tendency to think of himself as far better than he really is.
People have a tendency to proclaim his own righteousness.
Jesus asserts that people are not born into this world spiritually ok.
Jesus asserts that people are not born into this world spiritually ok.
5 Look, I was guilty of sin from birth, a sinner the moment my mother conceived me.
The text that teaches the love of God like no other text sets that love against the backdrop of God’s wrath.
The text that teaches the love of God like no other text sets that love against the backdrop of God’s wrath.
The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive The God of Love and Fury
Bible here puts God’s condemnation in close proximity to the most famous verse on love anywhere in the Bible.
Bible here puts God’s condemnation in close proximity to the most famous verse on love anywhere in the Bible.
Bible here puts God’s condemnation in close proximity to the most famous verse on love anywhere in the Bible.
The Background of this text comes when Nicodemus is coming to Jesus by night.
This teacher coms to Jesus and Jesus tells him that he must be born again.
How can these things be?
Jesus goes on the drive the point home that the only way that Nicodemus can be rescued from God Judgment is through the saving work of the Son.
What does it mean that the serpent was lifted up in the wilderness?
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:
God’s provision for people dying under the poison of the serpent was to a substitue serpent. You see Jesus was teaching Nicodemus that “He had to take on Himself the sting of death. He had to take on Himself the poison of sin on the cross.”
He must be lifted up on a cross; He must become the substitute serpent, if you will. He had to take on Himself the sting of death. He had to take on Himself the poison of sin on the cross.
The situation back in the book of Numbers is that the people were snake bitten.
4 From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient on the way.
5 And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.”
6 Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died.
7 And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.
8 And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.”
9 So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.
The people were under the sentence of condemnation.
The people were under the sentence of condemnation.
Many were dying and some were dead. They were under divine judgment.
Please get the picture - When you are bitten you are facing certain death.
Jesus is telling Nicodums that they had the sentence of death on them.
The only remedy for this judgment - was to look on God’s provision.
God made a provision for their redemption.
God made a provision for their redemption.
Don’t pick this text up and apply it without the context.
Don’t destroy by robbing it of context.
Don’t destroy by robbing it of context.
The back story is that people were perishing and in need of salvation.
What do we understand from this? What is Christ’s pointing out to Nichodimus and you and me.
That we are not like the simple model of the atom.
Atom has Protons - Positively charged particles.
By that point, Chamberlain should have rethought his strategy, since Hitler's stance must have raised the question as to why he would risk a military conflict if he were merely interested in Sudetenland, a concession that the West had already made. But after his first meeting with Hitler, the premier noted: "Here was a man who could be relied upon when he had given his word." The Reich chancellor's intentions were "limited," Chamberlain said. Rarely had a statesman made such a serious miscalculation.
Elections - Negatively Charged particles.
Neutrons - Non-charged particles.
So we tend to categorize people as without Christ - Condemned
With Christ - Redeemed
- Those who are not condemn but not yet redeemed.
Look at this picture of of the Atom - Electrons - Protons and Neutrons.
Christ taught that there is no spiritual neutrality.
Christ taught that there is no spiritual neutrality.
According to Jesus every person is in one of two categories.
I was asked the question last night - A question about 14 year old boy who had a ATV accident. He never committed himself to Christ. The question was was he old enough? Is he morally accountable for his actions? At his age - at this point in his life? Is it possible?
What our conversations revolved around is that my family who Loves Christ and seeks to serve him - they were struggling with the hard sayings of Jesus as they are applied to people they know personally. It is a lot more comfortable when we apply these tough teachings to people we have no emotional attachment.
Without Christ = Condemnation
Without Christ = Condemnation
This is why we preach and teach. This is why we do ministry. Because Jesus taught us that our children, grandchildren, our neighbors, our co-workers, and friends, our solders, our politicians, our world is not ok!
Everyone is snake bitten - everyone without Christ is already condemned.
In Christ = Salvation
In Christ = Salvation
God sent his Son to save condemned men.
God sent his Son to save condemned men.
Spurgeon Said,
While others are congratulating themselves, I have to sit humbly at the foot of the cross and marvel that I’m saved at all.
John The Most Distorted Verse?
smorgasbord of salvation options
You have to understand this from the illustration point that Jesus has made. If the snake bit people don’t look they want live. Refusing to look to God’s provision means there is no salvation from their state of condemnation.