Intro: Everyone has a list for Christmas. Here in John 3.16 we see Jesus tell Nicodemus that he must be born again in order to see the Kingdom of God. In this wonderful verse called the Little Gospel we see God’s shopping list for all those who would receive the gift of His Son Jesus.
Why did Jesus have to become flesh and blood? Why did he come so humbly, live so lovingly and die so gruesomely? He did that all to purchase this Christmas list for you and me!
For God – The greatest decision
So Loved -- The greatest compassion
The World -- The greatest inclusion
That He gave -- The greatest provision
His only Son -- The greatest sacrifice
That whoever believes -- The greatest invitation
Shall not perish -- The greatest intention
Eternal life -- The greatest gift
In second Corinthians 9.15 Paul gives thanks to God for his unspeakable or indescribable gift. That gift is salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. So what is God’s Christmas list?
I. Unlimited kindness (Mercy)
“For God so loved the World”
Mercy is defined by Webster’s dictionary as “The act of sparing, or the forbearing of a violent action.”
Titus 3.5 “He (God) saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit.”
It was the loving kindness or the mercy of God that spared lot from the fiery judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Genesis19.16 “But he (Lot) hesitated, So the men seized his hand and the hand of his wife and the hands of his two daughters, for the compassion of the Lord was upon him; and they brought him out, and put him outside the city.”
The mercy of God spared lot from judgment. You could say Lot did not get what he deserved because God had mercy on Lot and his family.
Why is mercy on God’s shopping list, because all of us are sinners. Romans 3.23 clearly says all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Here we find that the mercy of God did not begin in the manger. For God so loved. Remember Genesis 1.1 In the beginning God. God was before the beginning so was God’s mercy. It did not come first in the manger it came first when he made all things.
This should be a place where you underline the world and replace it with your name. For God so loved ____________. His mercy meets you and says I love you.
II. Unmerited favor (Grace)
For God so loved. His mercy keeps from us what we deserve, judgment. His grace gives to us what we don’t deserve forgiveness. In the Bible it is almost overwhelming how many times love and giving are intertwined. For God so loved the world that he gave.
Ephesians 5.25 “Husbands love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her.”
Galatians 2.20 “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God ,who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
It seems that God’s grace is always connected with Giving. The sad part about the Christmas season is that many people never get past the manger. If you don’t make you way from Bethlehem the house of bread to Golgotha the place of the skull you miss the clear meaning of God’s grace. He not only gave his son to the world, he gave his son for the world. For all the people that have ever lived and will ever live God gave His only Son.
The long and lonely walk from the humble beginning to the horrid death was because of God’s grace. The favor of God comes to men who trust in not just the birth, but the death and resurrection of Jesus.
God so loved you and me that he gave what cost the most His son. What should we do based on His mercy and grace?
Find the person lying no their death bead about to breathe their last and give them the gospel, find that young business man that is doing well in the world but doomed in the next. Find a single mom without hope give her Jesus and give her help. Find the child that is mistreated and give them love. God’s grace is not given to keep. God’s grace is given to us so that we can share it with others. God so loved the world that he gave. We are called as disciples to give our lives to God. We are also called by God as his disciples to give our lives so that others will see God’s grace.
III. Unending life (Eternal Life in Christ)
Why is this gift so unspeakable as 2 Corinthians 9.15 puts it?
In a northern city a number of years ago there was a young orphaned boy selling papers on a cold, freezing Christmas Eve afternoon. Toward the close of the afternoon the little boy went up to a policeman and said, "Sir, I’m real cold. I nearly froze to death last night. Do you know someone who could take me in tonight?" The policeman said, "Son, go right down that street to that big white two-story house. It’s a mission. When you get there you will need the password. When the man comes to the door just say, ’John 3, verse 16,’ and he’ll take you in." The little boy said, "What’s a mission?" The policemen said, "Just go down there and say, ’John 3 verse 16.’"
The little boy went down and he knocked on the big door. In a moment a kind faced man came to the door and the little boy said, "John 3, verse 16." The man said, "Come on in, son." The little boy said, "I don’t know what John 3, verse 16, means, but it sure will get you in a big house."
He said, "Son, are you cold?" He said, "I’m so cold that I’m shaking all over." The man said, "Son, come right over here." There was a big roaring fireplace. The man said, "Just get as close as you want to this fireplace and just sit there until it just warms you all the way through." The little boy just got right up close to that fireplace and he just got warmer and warmer and warmer and he said, "I don’t know what John 3, verse 16, means, but it sure will get a cold boy warm."
In a moment the man said, "Son, are you hungry?" The boy said, "Mister, I’m so hungry that I don’t know what to do. I haven’t had a good meal in days and days and days." He said, "Come in here, son." He took him into a room and there was a big table and the table was loaded with a Christmas Eve meal. There was turkey and dressing and cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes and pies and cakes. He said, "Son, you just pull up a chair to this table and just eat until you are full and can’t eat anymore." The little boy grabbed a chair and pulled himself up to the table and said, "I don’t know what John 3, verse 16, means, but it sure will make a hungry boy satisfied." He ate until he could eat no more.
Then the man came and said, "Son, are you dirty? You’ve been out on the street a lot. Do you need a bath?" The boy said, "Mister, I haven’t had a bath in I couldn’t tell you when. Yes, I’m dirty." The man said, "Come with me." He took him up to the second floor to a room. There was one of those old porcelain tubs. The man began to draw warm water. He said, "Son, here’s a bar of perfumed soap. Take that soap and get in that warm water and just wash and scrub and wash and scrub until you get yourself real clean." The little boy got in there, and he just washed himself good. He scrubbed himself good and he felt good all over, and he got out dripping and said, "I don’t know what John 3, verse 16, means, but it sure will get a dirty boy clean."
There were some warm, clean pajamas laid out. He put them on. The man said, "Son, are you tired?" He said, "Yes, sir. I’m tired. I’ve been walking on the streets. I haven’t had a good night’s sleep. I’m so tired." He said, "Come with me." He took him into another room and there was a big bed with clean sheets on it and a big heavy quilt on it. He said, "Son, get in that warm bed and sleep just as long as you want to sleep." And he did. He slept late the next morning and when he woke up he said, "I don’t know what John 3, verse 16, means, but it sure can get a tired boy rested."
The man came in and the little boy said, "Sir, I don’t know what John 3, verse 16, means. Could you tell me?" The man told the little boy about the birth of Jesus and how that we are all sinners, but how that God loved us so much that He sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross for us. If we would repent of our sins and invite Jesus into our heart, He would forgive our sins. A little boy that morning invited Jesus into his heart and received the greatest gift of all.
A) The condition of the gift
“Whoever believes” Faith in Jesus and His atoning work is the first and last requirement of salvation. The condition of receiving God’s gift of mercy and grace is to believe. Take God at his word about your sinful condition. Trust that through Jesus Christ you are justified made acceptable to God by the blood of Jesus. In the Bible belief is revealed by obedience.
B) The confidence of the gift
“shall not perish” John 3.18 tells us that those that do not believe are already judged. We are confident because of God’s word that we will not be judged. Nothing can separate us from the Love of God.
C) The continuation of the gift
“but have eternal life.” John 17.3 tells us that eternal life is knowing God the father through the mediator Jesus Christ. It is a past, present and future. We were saved by grace. We are saved by grace, we will be saved by grace. We have it now and will have it for all eternity.
Conclusion: The gifts from God’s shopping list do not come emotionally, intellectually, culturally, physically, or politically.
They came by way of a baby boy named Jesus. He sacrificed His life on a cross and with His blood purchased God’s Christmas list for you and me. Here is the kicker today. Those gifts lay purchased at the foot of the cross with His dear blood. Have you ever opened his gifts of mercy, and grace that give unending life? Jesus paid for them. However it is up to you to receive them.
After you have received His gift of grace, mercy and eternal life, take up the Christmas spirit and give to others.
