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The Good News
Intro
What do you think about when you think about God?
For many they imagine some sort of grandfather like figure sitting in the heavens that is happy when you obey his teachings and ready to smite you when you disobey.
He is a
God’s love is not fickle.
God’s love is not trite.
God’s love is not fleeting.
God’s love is perfect, holy, and readily available.
This is probably the most well known verse in all of Scripture.
It’s on bumper stickers, t-shirts, necklaces, and even Football players paint it on their eye black.
For most of us this was the first verse of Scripture that we memorized.
It has been used to remind us that God loves us and to show others that God loves them too.
And this is an important statement in the New Testament b/c it summarizes the Gospel message in just a few short statements.
And yet unfortunately the meaning and impact of this verse can become somewhat dull for us.
Not because we don’t believe it.
But because we become desensitized to it’s meaning, depth, and richness.
Also, many times we stop with verse 16, when the following verses are just as important to the message being presented.
Let’s look at it today with fresh eyes.
God’s Love
Before we get into it too deep, I want to let you in on a few secrets about the original languages that the bible is written in.
Specifically, for our text today, Greek.
In Koine Greek, or the Greek that the bible was written in, they didn’t have quotations marks or any of the modern day styling of writing that we do today.
They don’t have red letters.
They don’t have any punctuation.
So when people translate the words into English they have to make decisions.
There are stylistic choices that need to be made.
Well here in these verses most of the English bibles attribute v. 16-21 as being spoken by Jesus.
That was a choice made many years ago, and is still followed today.
However, most scholars and theologians don’t believe that this is actually Jesus talking to Nicodemus, but rather John commenting on what had just been said.
Now there are specific reasons as to why that is, but it has to do with grammar, syntax, and phraseology.
I say all that to say this.
God’s word is good.
God’s word is perfect.
God’s word is inspired.
and these stylistic choices are helpful, but they are not perfect.
They are good, but not Inspired.
Just like the verse numbers and chapter divisions the red lettering is helpful, but not inspired.
Yet regardless of if this is John’s commentary on the Jesus conversation or these were actually Jesus’ words the truth of the Word’s remain the same.
So don’t get bogged down or overwhelmed, b/c the truth is still there.
The statement begins with a simple word that is often overlooked.
The word “for”.
This comes right after Jesus explaining to Nicodemus about what he came to do.
If we look back for a second to John 3:14-15 “14 “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”
We talked about it last week.
God desires to save people.
He wants people to have eternal life.
But the only way to have eternal life is to look to Jesus.
The only way this life is given is through the gift of the Father.
So b/c God wants people to have life he provides that life for us through the giving of the Son.
God shows us the extent to which he will go to provide salvation to his creation.
God’s love is unearned.
He provides it for us if we look to Jesus.
Just like those Israelites in the wilderness as they were bit by the venomous serpents they were saved by looking up to God’s salvation.
We are all infected with the venom of sin.
The only cure.
The only remedy is looking to Jesus.
We can ask the question why does God love us.
We can pontificate.
We can speculate.
We can bloviate, but the reality is God loves us b/c he loves us.
And it is unearned.
And God’s love is the only kind of love that is truly unearned.
I remember when I was chasing after Corrie.
I was trying to earn her affection.
I was trying to earn her love.
I was trying to prove to her that I was worthy to love back.
But God isn’t like that.
He loves his creation simply b/c it exists.
He loves you simply b/c you exist.
This is demonstrated by John’s use of the word world here in this verse.
We can miss the glory of this word here in John.
B/c most of the time we think about God’s capacity to love.
The world is so big.
There are so many people here.
God must be big if his love is big enough for the world.
But what is really going on here is much more glorious.
When John talks about the world.
He is talking about the falleness of the world.
He is talking about the rebellion of the world.
He is talking about the wickedness of the World.
Yes God’s love is wide.
But what’s most astounding is the depth of God’s love.
That God would stoop down to love a creation that hates his guts.
That God would have compassion on the people that Shout in his face “I hate You”
That God would save people that would rather live in their sin.
That’s what’s so amazing about God’s love.
Paul puts it this way.
Rom 5:8 “8 But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
God’s love is the backdrop by which he does everything.
God loves this rebellious world.
God loves you in your rebellion.
That is great news.
God’s love is demonstrated to us.
God’s love is tangible.
God’s love is sacrificial.
“For God loved the world in this way: That he Gave his one and only Son”
God’s love is not a thought experiment.
God’s love is not a philosophy.
God’s love is self-sacrificing.
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