For All The Whosoevers (John 3:16) Series

For All the Whosoevers

Good morning! Please open your Bibles to John chapter 3. Trivia question: How many verses are there in the Bible? No googling. Just guess. [play high low]

Ok. There are 31,102 verses in the Bible. And if those 31,102 verses, there’s no argument that John 3:16 is the most well-known. Many of you can probably quote it from memory from the King James Version. Say it with me:

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.

I don’t think there is another verse of Scripture that is so much a part of the pop-culture mainstream than John 3:16. Think about it.

It’s on the bottom of every paper cup from in and out burger.

And on the bottom of every shopping bag from the clothing store Forever 21.

In the 80’s and 90’s a guy named Rollen Stewart became famous for wearing a rainbow wig and holding up a sign saying “John 3:16” at sporting events. That guy was not only featured on the Simpsons, but was also parodied by Christopher Walken in a Saturday Night Live skit.

Is there any other Bible verse that has been on the Simpsons and Saturday Night Live?

Well, Rollen Stewart inspired the wrestler Stone Cold Steve Austin to sell Austin 3:16 shirts.

In 2009 the Florida Gators won the national championship. Quarterback Tim Tebow wrote “John 3:16” on his eye black, and the next day over 90 million people Googled the verse to see what it said.

So this morning, I want to talk about John 3:16. And let me just say for the record that you’re going to be tempted to tune this sermon out. John 3:16 is so familiar to you that you’re going to think, “Oh, this sermon isn’t really for me. I’ve been a Christian ever since Vacation Bible School. This is really just for lost people.

Let me urge you to stay dialed in this morning for two reasons. Number 1, the gospel should never get old to you. We all need to preach the gospel to ourselves and be reminded of its power. And number two, we all need to share the gospel with others. So this morning is both a reminder and a training opportunity. And if that’s not enough to convince you to stay engaged, then let me urge you not to be a distraction to someone else, because there might be some in here that are hearing the gospel for the first time.

Let me pray for us and then we’ll get going.

[pray]

Background— nicodemus.

verse 2: This is kind of a polite exchange of pleasantries. Nic is like “I’ve heard so much about you. Your reputation precedes you.” And maybe he’s expecting the same thing. “I’ve heard of you, too, Nicodemus. Your knowledge of the Torah is impressive. You’re a member of the Sanhedrin (which was like the Jewish Supreme Court). It’s an honor to meet you” You know, the kind of things you say when you’re meeting a business contact or networking.

But Jesus cuts right to the chase. No time for chitchat.He responds in verse 3:

John 3:3 ESV

3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

It’s worth pointing out that the Greek word translated “again” here can also be translated “from above.” So Jesus was being intentionally ambiguous. He could just as easily been saying “you must be born from above” as “you must be born again.”

But Nicodemus is a logical, rational, literal kind of guy, and as far as he is concerned, there’s only one way to be born. Look at John 3:4

John 3:4 ESV

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?”

Nic is like, “You know, the last I checked the womb only has an off-ramp. You’re born once, you die once. You don’t get frequent flier points on the birth canal.”

Being born again sounds impossible, but it also sounds really tempting. Who wouldn’t love to have a fresh start or a second chance at life? You have to admit the idea of getting a do-over on life sounds really tempting. From golf to the ACT, even to marriage for some people to taking the ACT, we like the idea of mulligans. We like pencils with erasers. What if you could?

Look at verses 5-6. According to Jesus, not only can you be born again, you must be born again. He isn’t talking about a physical rebirth— being born of water. To enter the kingdom of God, you can’t just be born of the flesh. You have to be born of the Spirit.