John 3:16 -21 : The Sons mission
Introduction: This section ventures away from the discourse of Jesus & Nicodemus and the quest to be born again . With Jesus pointing Nicodemus to Him being lifted up and those who look to Him by faith will be the ones who enter into this blessed estate of new birth and eternal life (14,15) .
Now John enters into his personal devotions under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit he too, speaks of the lifting up of Jesus as a the climax of the Sons mission, whereby we receive eternal life, which is grounded in the love of God. (3:16). “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!”
It was the Beatles who wrote the song , “All we need is love” , I’m in full agreement with the sentiments of that song all we need is love, people are crying out to be loved, when we experience love it is then we find our true significance and worth as a child of God and are enabled to love God, love ourselves and others in the way God intended. The sad fact of the matter is that love today is so often distorted, diluted, defaced and damaged de it’s become self gratifying, shallow and fleeting, just mere words which trip of the tongue “Oh I love such and such ....” We can say, I really love this ice cream’ in the same manner as saying tour wives & husbands ‘I love You’ devoid of any depth; ,
There is a growing search for real Love! That why The black eyed peas who had a no1 hit in 2005 with the song, “ Where is the love?” It was in response to all the horror & suffering they saw in the world around them, and their sentiments are the cry of many still today , “ Where is the love?” Jhn3:16 The whole of the Bible in miniature.
1. The cause of the Sons mission: (3:16) For God so loved
The love of God is profound, & today if you’re a believer, I hope you will be uplifted to new sublime heights of Gods Divine Love for You (Eph 3:17-19.. And if as yet you have not encountered this love of God You too, can receive it, by grace through faith you can enter into the wonderful experience of knowing the Love of God.
The entire Gospel comes together in this verse, God so loved the world ( consider the state of this world - - bound in sin in rebellion against God) and yet God the Son Manifests the Love of God in the flesh to a world that is in rebellion towards God Himself. We see in the person and work of Jesus Christ that Gods love is not abstract and static or self centred it reaches out into a fallen world and draws others in. Here God sets the pattern of true love, the basis for all love relationships. When you love someone dearly you are willing to give freely to the point of self-sacrifice.
• I considered this thought, this week, how far would I go for my own children , would I be prepared to sacrifice myself for them, would I be willing to pay the highest price, in order that they may have life? What if these children had forsaken God, committed the most horrendous crimes against humanity, would we still be willing to accept them back. After all Hitler was someone’s son, Myra Hindley was someone’s daughter, would you be prepared to give your life in order to save a vile wretched sinner of a child? The answer from God is yes. Why?
It’s found in the heart of God who is Love (1Jhn 4:16) , this is the sublime truth of the Bible that God is Love , sadly our world has got it the wrong way round, ‘Love is God, if you love it then do it’ mindset. But here in this verse we see that the Love of God for this World is the cause of the Father sending the Son on a mission into this fallen world.
God’s love is a Divine Love: Agape love. expresses the deep and constant love and interest of a perfect being towards entirely unworthy objects The cause of the Sons mission is expressed in the fantastic hymn of Charles Wesley; Love Divine, all loves excelling, Joy of heaven to earth come down fix in us thy humble dwelling all thy faithful mercies crown Jesus thou art all compassion pure unbounded love Thou art; visit us with thy salvation , enter every trembling heart..
Fact: (1Jhn 4.8) .God is Love. It’s essential part of His character, Love is not just something He shows, it’s something He is LOVE it is very Character. As a result love is poured out from Him towards others through his covenantal promises (Deut 7; 7-8) as it was for Israel and through His Son for us today. But here we seen His love not just t o a special group but to the whole world who are in rebellion towards Him.
b. The intensity of it! God SO Loved the World
God didn’t just love the world he so loved the world, the intensity of it God wants us to grasp, He gives of Himself in order to demonstrate the depth of His total unconditional & unmerited love towards the world through His Son. ( Rom 5.8) This is the cause of the Sons Mission, the fact that God is Love. God in the flesh came into this world Himself. (How intense is that? ) He went to extreme measures ......
c) The World (creation & humanity) : Isn’t it also true that the Bible teaches us that it is God who created this world in the beginning (Genesis 1:1). God said it was good, anything you create and care for, you are going to be passionate about nurturing. Humanly speaking whether its raising children or tending your allotment patch, you care for it and when things go wrong you want to put children on the right footing or replant and rectify your garden. God still loves this world despite it’s fallen condition, God doesn’t just accept its condition he wants to rectify it!
Yes He so loved the world, that he sends His One & only Son into the world in order redeem this world back to himself , ultimately transforming this world into the new heavens & a new earth and redeeming a fallen people out of this world to dwell with Him in the New Creation.
d) So Loved: This love is shown towards us unconditionally, no strings attached, it’s not a love shown because in some measure we have reciprocated in meriting his love in some ritual or act of good behaviour. This love towards us is also completely unmerited, it is whilst we were yet sinners & enemies of God, He loved us and gave Himself for us, in order to redeem us to himself. God loves us despite our fallen human nature, we deserve condemnation & death he gives no condemnation & life!
God doesn’t love us either because Jesus died for us, God loves us full stop! God loved us in eternity passed before the foundation of the world, His love was set upon us. God planned to give Himself in the person of Jesus Christ before the foundation of the world. The intense Love of God, sends Jesus to die upon the Cross-for us.
• John Stott wrote in his book the cross of Christ, “that “only one act of pure love, unsullied by any taint of ulterior motive, has ever been performed in the history of the world, namely the self-giving of God in Christ on the cross for undeserving sinners. That is why, if we are looking for a definition of love, we should look not in a dictionary, but at Calvary.”
2. The cost of the Sons mission: (3:16) “That he gave His one and only Son.”
God makes the move: I find this mind blowing because most people think that they somehow after bring something, do something for God, to be at one with God, for they are the offenders ( sinners) & yet it’s the it’s God who gives His one and only Son, the offended party in all this that seeks reconciliation with his creation.
Throughout Biblical history we see the Israelites bringing sacrifices through a priest to God to atone for their sins, again and again, as directed through the law , but these sacrifices were shadows (Heb 10:1) of what was to come. At the beginning of Creation and at the death of Jesus on the Cross we see it is God who offers the sacrifice, its God who begins the pattern and ends this pattern of being made right with Him through Jesus Christ . (Gen:3: 21) God presented the first sacrifice (Heb 9: 28, John 3:16) He presents the last. He sets aside the first establishes the 2nd (Heb 10: 9 -10 Once and for all).
Notice; God Gave of Himself ( trinity) this was the cost of his mission in order to save guilty sinners, here we see a great mystery within the Godhead itself , that God should give of Himself , what a cost he gave Himself , this should not only awaken us to the great cost but also the serious nature of our fallen predicament (Sin is so serious- that only the sacrifice of God the Son could atone for it). God the Father was prepared to send God the Son to pay the price for our sins and apply his atoning sacrifice as the means whereby we are forgiven justified being sanctified and glorified . Rom.3.25 God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in His blood.
God presented His Son the final sacrifice.
His Only Son , notice also its One and Only Son also, there isn’t another way whereby people as made right with God. He is the only one who can save anybody, no religion, no human act, can save anybody salvation is found in no other name than Jesus Christ whereby we are saved.
3, The capability of the Sons mission: (3:16)“Whosoever believes in Him ”
Here we see something of the extent of God’s love and choice it’s for the entire world. God sent Jesus for the entire race of Adam and for everyone who believes in him will have eternal life. That is what this verse says whosoever.
Many people may think this way to salvation is very narrow and restrictive but in reality its very wide and all inclusive : ‘Whosoever believes in Him’ This would have blown Nicodemus mind away “ only Israel are Gods Chosen people!” He would have been familiar with God’s love for Israel, but the world?
God’s love for whosoever : Here we see the expansive love of God for whosoever, His love is by no means restricted by race or creed.
• Ezek 18. 32. God takes no pleasure in the death of anyone, he calls people to repent & live!
• Psalm.145. 8 The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. 9 The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made. 13 The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made
This World (cosmos) let’s remember is opposed to God, He actually loves, which includes the inhabitants with all its diversity and that includes you! It’s this love of God that actually is the backbone of God calling whosoever out of it! It’s His love for whosoever that brings whosoever out of the world and into faith, out of condemnation, into no condemnation, out of darkness and into His light, if God had not love for this world, where would we be as a fallen humanity? This world would be in a far worse predicament. The capability of the Sons mission is able to save to the uttermost, all that receive Him, all that believe in His name, whosoever!
• The church is full of whosoever’s 1Cor 6. 9- 11: No one is too bad ( Saul), No one is to good ( Nicodemus). Gal 3; 28. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there in neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. This is what we are in Christ.
4. The consequences of the Sons Mission (3:18 No condemnation or condemnation)
a) Negative consequence: People will perish (16)
(PP) There is a painting in a museum in Amsterdam called “The Meditation” and I want to show you it. It’s painted by the master Spes Nostra it depicts four people praying at the edge of an open grave. The decaying corpse is clearly visible. In the background, by contrast are scenes from everyday life, happy blissful snapshots such as children playing, minstrels singing and young women adorned in all their beauty. It is the contrast almost surreal in its effect, which shocks the viewer, that of a sharp clash between everyday joys and the gloom of a funeral scene.
The artist is urging us to reflect on the reality of our own mortality and not to be fooled by how good life may seem to be on the surface while we are still young.
Application: We are meant to Meditate on the transitory nature of life. But God wants us not only to reflect on the transitory nature of life and death but on the consequences of not receiving the Love of God & believing in Christ, is to perish, they will remain in condemnation (18) they will remain in utter darkness, because their deeds are evil (19-20) and one day will be exposed and after their death will face eternal condemnation.
b) Positive consequence People will believe in Him (16)
It was Neil Armstrong , as he was the first man to walk on the moon said, “this is one small step for man but one giant leap for mankind.” Friends there is a far greater step that we as individuals and humanity as a whole can take , the step of faith in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
What must you believe? Believe that Christ died for your sins, believe in him that He alone has the power to forgive you and give new life! To believe ( Grk Pisteuo) is to be persuaded of and hence to place confidence in, to trust oneself to Him. It signifies relevance upon, not mere credence to a doctrine. To rest your whole self into the person to taking care of you through his atoning death ( sit upon the chair in confidence).
As a result people receive eternal life (16) People are saved through him (17) People are no longer condemned (18) People come into the light (21) people begin to live by the truth (21). All because 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.
Final thought Jesus is a special delivery: A priority gift from Father God a parcel of love being delivered to the home of your heart, for next day delivery and your name is written upon it for salvation and nothing in the world can stop the arrival of his parcel of love - not the world - not Satan - not death - not hell because it was signed sealed and delivered in his blood at Calvary. but in order for you to receive it , you must accept it you must believe and trust in Jesus Christ. And once you do enjoy Him, experience His LOVE for You forever.
