Come And See His Love

Come and See His Love

John 3:1-18

Introduction

Many people believe that the most beloved verse in the Bible is John 3:16. I like to include verse 17 as well:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

It’s a powerful teaching of Jesus and for this message I’d like for us to spend some time with the story that brings that message to us.

John tells us about a man who comes to Jesus out of the shadows of the night - an unlikely person to seek out some time with Jesus.

-He is a Pharisee (separate) - wanting to live a life separate from sin. Pharisees were ultra-committed law keepers, and wanted to make sure everyone else kept the law as well. Swindoll: “No one rivaled the Pharisees in being religious. No one could!” He was trained to believe that by obeying each technicality of God’s Law, he was attaining God’s approval.

-He is a part of the Jewish Ruling Council. The Sanhedrin, the body of seventy elders that controlled Jewish matters in Jerusalem. Swindoll: They “served as Israel’s Parliament / Congress and Supreme Court.”

-He was a spiritual and social leader; a teacher of Israel.

Nicodemus came to Jesus by night. To escape the criticism of the Sanhedrin? To seek some uninterrupted time together? Clovis Chappell characterized him as “…a man who had got far on into life. His hair was white. He was now an old man, old in honor and in years.” He goes on to say that in spite of all of his hindrances, it is not so important that he came to Jesus at night, but that he came at all.

Jesus, Master Teacher, and someone who knew the hearts of men, gets right to the heart of the discussion with his night time visitor. Several times the word BELIEVE is mentioned. Here are some things we BELIEVE from this passage!

1. We Believe Religion and Goodness Cannot Save Us

John 3:1-3 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 

2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” 3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”

If religion and goodness could have ever saved a man, it would have saved Nicodemus!

Jesus is saying these words to one of the most morally upright, religious, law-keeping, spotless, no-skeletons in the closet, righteous men in Israel! His accomplishments in following the letter of the law could not save him. If he is not saved, then what about us? “Entrance to heaven is out of reach, even for the most moral, upstanding, law-keeping person you know.” (Carter)

2. We Believe in Being Born Again!

John 3:4-8 4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” 5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

In the last chapter Jesus flipped tables, now “Jesus is flipping Nicodemus’ theology upside down. Nicodemus thought entering God’s kingdom had everything to do with physical birth. If a person was born a Jew, he would automatically have a spot in God’s kingdom. … But Jesus says the opposite. No matter who a person is, he is automatically kept out of God’s kingdom by his sin. He would only be let in if he were born again.” (Carter)

Each of us must also be born again of water and spirit. This teaching runs throughout the NT. The waters of baptism give us an opportunity to step into the death, burial, resurrection of Jesus. The Spirit comes to live within us and brings new life.

Titus 3:5 “he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit”

Romans 6:3-4 “…all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.