John 3:16 That He Gave His Only Begotten Son Series

Note: The resources I used was John 3:16 by Max Lucado, Daily Study Bible by William Barclay

Title: that He Gave His Only Begotten Son

Theme: To show God’s love is a love of action.

Text: John 3:16b

Introduction

As we began this journey two weeks ago we learned the importance of being “born again”. This is a unique concept in that many people would love to have the opportunity to start over again. This is that opportunity we are amazed by the change that come on in a persons life because of salvation. We are enamored by the testimonies of people that we hear where they came from, deep in drugs and sin and the Lord came in and saved them.

Romans 5:20NKJV Moreover the law (revelation of God to what is right and wrong) entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, 21 so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 5: 20 All that passing laws against sin did was produce more lawbreakers. But sin didn't, and doesn't, have a chance in competition with the aggressive forgiveness we call grace. When it's sin versus grace, grace wins hands down. 21 All sin can do is threaten us with death, and that's the end of it. Grace, because God is putting everything together again through the Messiah, invites us into life--a life that goes on and on and on, world without end.

Joh 3:3-6

(3) Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, 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, "Most assuredly, 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.

This is not just a change in life style or works. There are people out their who change. I talked with a young man the other day who boasted in the fact that 10 months ago he had quit drinking. This was good. Yet this “born again” change is by the spirit. The is not just something that shows on the outside but that which is done on the inside.

As we look at this next section I want us to go back to John 3:13. This is what sets the stage for this verse. We often quote John 3:16 by it self but to get a better understanding we must go back to a few verses before. For us this is not a new concept. As one has said, “In a America we are not short on hearing the gospel, our problem is following it.”

Most people have this verse and others memorized as a child yet never get the concept of what it means. So let us look back at verse 13.

Joh 3:13 "No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.

Php 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: (7) But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: (8) And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Php 2:6 MSG He had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. 7 Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human!

(8) Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn't claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death--and the worst kind of death at that: a crucifixion.

(14) "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,

Php 2:9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,

This is a prediction of what would happen. At this time Nicademus nor the disciples could see what would happen. The talk of crucifixion and resurrection was rebuked by Peter and scoffed at by the Pharisees.