THE BIBLE’S GOLDEN TEXT
Text: John 3:16
Scripture Reading: Romans 5:6-11
INTRODUCTION
1. John 3:16 is the world’s most popular verse for a reason, let’s not shy away from it
2. Many lessons on John 3:16 focus on what is not in the passage, in this lesson we want to focus on what this beautiful passage does tell us
3. It sets out the most excellent example of love that could ever be shown
a. John 11:35 displays the love of Jesus, 1 Corinthians 13 defines love for us
b. John 15:13 delineates the depth of love
c. John 3:16 discusses the culmination of all of these concepts in the person of one man, Jesus Christ
4. Let’s look into John 3:16 and explore the inner workings of the love of God and the depravity of man without Him
TRANSITION: First of all we see in John 3:16:
I. A sinning world
A. The world was in need of saving
1. Without the actions of Jesus on that day we would all be lost
2. The best system we had at that time was the offering of bulls and goats
a. Hebrews 10:4 says that it was not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away the sin of the world
b. So something else had to occur
B. Why did it have to occur?
1. Because we each stood condemned
2. Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God"
3. 1 John 1:8, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us"
4. Revelation 21:27, "But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life"
5. Unless the sin that defiles is forgiven us we cannot enter the kingdom of heaven
6. With the blood of bulls and goats that was never going to happen
7. God decided to do something about that
TRANSITION: In addition to a sinning world, we also see:
II. A loving father
A. "For God so loved the world…"
1. The greatest thing that could be done for anyone is to die for them according to John 15:13
2. God was willing to send His son to die for everyone
B. Even though we are sinners, He died for us (Romans 5:8)
1. Story about railroad worker’s son on track
2. Difference is that we deserved to die and He died for us anyway
3. Jesus died for His friends
4. But imagine this, He also died for those who cried, "Crucify Him" and for those who were nailing His hands to the cross
C. Verse 17 says that His sacrifice was to bring us to salvation, the heaven that He left to die for us
TRANSITION: We further see in John 3:16 that Jesus is:
III. A willing savior
A. John 10:17-18, "Therefore My Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father."
B. How could He have stopped it?
1. Consider Matthew 26:53-54, "Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide me with more than twelve legions of angels? 54 How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?"
2. Let’s do some math
a. 1 legion = 6,000 soldiers
b. 12 X 6,000 = 72,000 angels
c. Judas came with a temple guard troop which would have been about 620 men
d. Both in might and numbers, Jesus had the superior power
e. Jesus could have stopped this from happening folks
f. But He did not because He loved us and was willing to die for us
TRANSITION: In John 3:16 we see that we needed rescue, God loves us enough to send Jesus who was willing to die for us and develop a:
IV. Workable plan
A. This all happened so that we might not perish
1. Verse 17 goes one step further and says that it is so that we might be saved
2. If we can all be saved from perishing then the plan must be workable
B. ""Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say?’Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour."
1. Jesus came to earth and died for a specific reason
2. That was to establish the plan by which we might come to Him for salvation
C. We can outline this plan with relative ease as the Bible teaches it:
1. Hear- Romans 10:17, "…Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God"
2. Believe- John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him might not perish but have eternal life."
3. Repent- Acts 2:38, "…Repent and let everyone of you be baptized…"
4. Confess- 1 John 1:9, "Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God."
5. Baptized- 1 Peter 3:21, "We now have an antitype that saves us, namely baptism…"
D. Acts 2:41, 3,000 souls were added that day to the Lord’s church, the Lamb’s Book of Life, the plan works folks
1. We must work the plan
2. Obey it
3. And teach it
TRANSITION: Finally we see in John 3:16:
V. Certain salvation
A. Vs. 15-17 all mention salvation, not perishing but having eternal life
B. Romans 6:7-10, we die to sin
1. Both its practice and guilt
2. Consider Paul’s dilemma
a. Philippians 1:21, "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain"
b. He is saying that he is glad for the sakes of those learning from him that he can continue on and that as he lives it will mean work for Christ
c. But he longs for the time when he can lay aside the burdens of this life and take hold of the eternity Jesus has prepared for him in heaven
d. God rewards those who obey Him
e. And His reward is heaven
C. John 14:1-6
1. There is plenty of room for everyone who will obey
2. God planned the work
3. If we work the plan we too can repeat Paul’s words from 2 Timothy 4:7-8
a. "I have finished the course, I have kept the faith, now there is a crown laid up for me which the Lord, the Righteous Judge, will appoint for me on that day and not only me but for all those who love His appearing"
b. He speaks of the stephanos crown given to the victors of a race
c. The same crown worn by the elders by the throne in Revelation
d. The symbol of victory for those who overcome, Revelation 2:10, "…be faithful unto death and I will give you a crown of life"
4. The same confidence that Paul had can be in us, we can know that we have salvation
5. Jesus says in John 14:1-6, "I am the way of certain salvation"
6. He proved it in John 3:16
CONCLUSION
1. God’s love is shown in that while we were sinners Christ died for us (Rom. 5:6-11)
2. By His love He gave His one of a kind son so that we might have eternal life
3. By His stripes we are healed, if we surrender to the plan He fulfilled
4. By surrendering to God, we will see glory one day
5. John 3:16 tells us that God’s love is wonderful and complete and that we can take advantage of it
