Introduction

Good morning, beloved family of God. How wonderful it is to gather together in this sacred space, united by our shared faith and love for our Lord Jesus Christ. As we open our hearts and minds to the Word of God today, let us remember that each time we come together in His name, we are fulfilling His command to "love one another as I have loved you" (John 15:12).

Today, we turn our attention to a well-known passage in the Gospel of John, Chapter 3, verses 14 through 21. This passage is a beacon of hope, a testament to God's unfathomable love for us, and a call to move towards the truth. It reads: "Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him. 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. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God."

As we ponder on these words, we are reminded of the profound truth that the great Christian author, J.I. Packer once said, "The life of true holiness is rooted in the soil of awed adoration". Our adoration for God, our awe at His love for us, is the foundation of our journey towards holiness.

In this passage, we see the manifestation of the Messiah, the love of mankind for darkness, and the call to move towards the truth. It is a passage filled with hope, challenge, and promise. It is a call to reflect on our own lives and ask ourselves: Are we living in the light of God's truth? Are we allowing His love to transform us?

Manifestation of the Messiah

In the heart of this passage, we find a profound truth. A truth that is the cornerstone of our faith. The truth of God sending His only Son into the world. This is a truth that has been prophesied, anticipated, and longed for by generations. It's the truth of God's love made flesh, the truth of God's promise fulfilled.

God's promise of a Savior, a Messiah, is a thread that runs through the entire tapestry of the Bible. From the first hint in Genesis, where God promises that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent's head, to the prophecies in Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Micah, the promise of a Messiah is a beacon of hope for God's people. And in this passage in John, we see that promise fulfilled.

The fulfillment of this promise is a world-changing, history-shaping, life-altering event. It's an event that demands a response. It's an event that calls us to believe, to trust, to surrender. This is the first truth we see in this passage. The truth of God's love made flesh.

Secondly, we see The truth of mankind's love for darkness. This is a hard truth to face. It's a truth that exposes our sin, our rebellion, our pride. It's a truth that reveals our need for a Savior.

John tells us that people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. This is a sobering indictment of the human condition. It's a stark reminder of our fallen nature. It's a clear call to repentance.

But it's also a call to hope. Because in the midst of this darkness, the light of the world has come. The light that shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. The light that exposes our sin, but also offers us forgiveness. The light that reveals our need, but also meets our need. The light that calls us out of the darkness and into the light.

Mankind's Love for Darkness

In the Gospel of John, Chapter 3, verses 14 through 21, we encounter a stark reality: the human inclination towards darkness ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO