There are some decisions that are difficult in life.
Go to college or start working.
Buy a car or buy a truck.
Bacon or sausage. Grits or hash browns.
Take this job or take that job.
Go to the beach for vacation or go to the mountains for vacation.
Coke or Pepsi.
You see, we have to make decisions in our lives. Today, in John 3, we’re going to be faced with five competing ideas. Which way will we go?
Let’s pray together before we go any further, and then see what God has to say to us.
(prayer)
Ok, look with me at John 3:1-21:
1 There was a man from the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to him at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one could perform these signs you do unless God were with him.”
3 Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
4 “How can anyone be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked him. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born?”
5 Jesus answered, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not be amazed that I told you that you must be born again. 8 The wind blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
9 “How can these things be?” asked Nicodemus.
10 “Are you a teacher of Israel and don’t know these things?” Jesus replied. 11 “Truly I tell you, we speak what we know and we testify to what we have seen, but you do not accept our testimony. 12 If I have told you about earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven—the Son of Man.
14 “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. 16 For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Anyone who believes in him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God. 19 This is the judgment: The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone who does evil hates the light and avoids it, so that his deeds may not be exposed. 21 But anyone who lives by the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be shown to be accomplished by God.”
We have here the story of Jesus speaking to Nicodemus. One might call this “A Tale of Two Teachers,” though it certainly is a true story.
Nicodemus was an important figure in Israel, serving as a Pharisee and a ruler, meaning he was likely part of the Sanhedrin, which was basically the Jewish Supreme Court.
So, he was respected as wise and powerful.
Nicodemus came to Jesus at night, perhaps so that others wouldn’t know. Yet, he seemed genuinely interested in learning more.
Unlike many Pharisees, it does not seem that Nicodemus was trying to trap Jesus in any sort of argument.
As Jesus and Nicodemus speak, these major competing themes come to light.
Let’s look at these now.
First we see . . .
I. Earth or heaven.
Notice what Nicodemus said to Jesus in verse 2.
He said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one could perform these signs you do unless God were with him.”
This is a bold statement from Nicodemus. While other Pharisees were asking Jesus to prove Himself, Nicodemus admitted that Jesus must have come from God.
You see, friends: Jesus came to the earth; He did not originate from the earth.
Jesus came from heaven. In fact, John 1 says that Jesus created the earth.
Yet, Jesus humbled Himself in order to come to the earth. He came not so that we could remain focused on earthly things; He came so that we could learn of heavenly things.
Jesus brought heavenly truths to us, yet we’re so often stuck on earthly matters.
Jesus said as much to Nicodemus when he was confused as to what Jesus was teaching.
Jesus said in verse 12: “If I have told you about earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?”
Then, Jesus affirms what Nicodemus supposed to be true.
Nicodemus basically said, “You must be from heaven.”
Jesus said in verse 13, “No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven—the Son of Man.”
Jesus frequently referred to Himself as the Son of Man, and here he says that He, the Son of Man, descended from heaven to the earth.
Those of us on the earth needed Jesus to come from heaven.
We needed the love of a heavenly Father to be shown to us.
So now, we’re faced with how we will respond.
Will we choose the earthly way or will we choose the heavenly way?
Next, we consider . . .
II. Flesh or spirit.
Jesus had this conversation with Nicodemus about being born again.
Indeed, many Christians speak of being born again. That’s a more common phrase for us today.
However, Nicodemus had no idea what Jesus was speaking about.
When Nicodemus starting speaking about Jesus being from God, Jesus immediately shifted the conversation to being born again.
In fact, Jesus said that unless someone is born again they cannot see the kingdom of God.
Nicodemus and his fellow religious leaders wanted to see the kingdom of God, and furthermore, they wanted to help others see the kingdom of God.
Yet, Jesus said that in order to see the kingdom of God Nicodemus must do something that he couldn’t even understand: be born again.
Nicodemus even asked a likely sarcastic question about a man going back into his mother’s womb. (Happy Mothers Day moms, we’re talking about children going back in the womb).
Pay attention here to what Jesus says in verse 5.
He says that someone must be born of water and Spirit to enter into the kingdom of God.
There are several theories for what Jesus may have meant here when He spoke of being born of water. I think there are two that are pretty good theories.
The first theory is that Jesus is talking about natural birth, as the baby is surrounded in the womb by something like water. When that baby is born, they are in a sense born of water. In this theory, Jesus would mean, you can be born by natural birth, but unless you’re born of spiritual birth, you’re not entering the kingdom of God.
The second theory is that Jesus is talking about taking the step of baptism as a sign of repentance and commitment to God, similar to what John the Baptizer was practicing around the time Jesus began His ministry on the earth. In this theory, Jesus would mean that you can go through the earthly motion of baptism, but unless there’s a real change inside, you’re not entering the kingdom of God.
No matter which theory is true, this remains true: An earthly birth and even and earthly decision is not enough to make you right with God. You must also be changed by the Holy Spirit of God.
As Jesus says in verse 8, just like the wind, you can’t always see the Spirit of God working, but you can feel that He’s working.
The Spirit must change us if we’re going to be a part of the kingdom of God.
Our physical life in the flesh is not enough. We must also have a new spiritual birth.
Third, we should consider . . .
III. Death or life.
Look at verses 14 and 15 again. Jesus says: 14 “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
If you don’t know the story to which Jesus is referring, this probably sounds very strange.
Jesus is referring to a moment when the people of Israel were judged for their sin by God sending venomous snakes to bite them. The result of these snake bites was certain death. In that sense, the result of their sin was death.
However, God make a way for them to be saved from death. He said for Moses to hold up a bronze serpent that the people could look at to experience life.
Listen, friends, the Bible is very clear about what sin does. It says in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death . . . ”
However, in John 3, Jesus was referring to something that He would do later. As the bronze snake was lifted up, Jesus would be lifted up on the cross. Those who looked to Him would be spared from the death that comes from sin, and they would experience life.
“Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”
Then, we hear the famous words of John 3:16: “For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”
Brothers and sisters: Sin brings death, but Jesus brings life; eternal life.
God loves you so much that He made a provision for you to have life, and that provision is Jesus.
Let’s dig more into what Jesus really came to do.
Let’s determine if Jesus came to . . .
IV. Condemn or save.
Well, John 3:17 answers that. It says, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
Jesus did not come to condemn humanity.
Listen to this obvious truth: In our sin, we are already condemned.
If Jesus never came, we still would be condemned because of our sin.
Verse 18 says as much when it says, “ . . . anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.”
Jesus came so that we might be saved.
Our sins condemn us because God is holy and just. When we reject Him and His ways, we also reject a relationship with Him, which leads to condemnation.
Jesus came to give us a chance to be rescued from that condemnation. Jesus came to save us.
So, we can stay condemned in our sin, or we can be saved by Jesus.
Finally, we see a contrast with . . .
V. Darkness or light.
Look again at verses 19-21:
19 This is the judgment: The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone who does evil hates the light and avoids it, so that his deeds may not be exposed. 21 But anyone who lives by the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be shown to be accomplished by God.”
We see here these clear distinctions between darkness and light.
Jesus, the light, has come into the world.
The light exposes our sin.
Those who live by the truth of God come to the light.
The darkness, rather, is what people love when they reject the light.
When we are in darkness, we do evil.
It’s important to recognize that we’re talking in a spiritual sense here.
Physical darkness is not evil.
I teach my boys not to be afraid of physical darkness.
However, we should very much be afraid of spiritual darkness because it leads to our death and it separates us from God.
However, fear not, for the light has come into the world, and we can come to God through the light, Jesus Christ.
To that end, let this bottom line summarize what we’re learning today with this bottom line:
Bottom Line: Jesus taught us the true way to God.
He came to the earth so that we might go to heaven.
He became flesh so that we might be changed by the Spirit.
He suffered death so that we might experience true life.
He was condemned so that we might be saved.
He was struck by darkness so that we might come into the light.
Listen, friends: God loved you so much that He sent His only Son, Jesus, so that if you believe in Him, you will not die, but will have everlasting life.
Jesus is the true way to God.
Challenge yourself this week in this one way:
Weekly Challenge: Make your choice.
Will you live for earth or will you live for heaven?
Will you live according to the flesh or according to the Spirit?
Will you suffer eternal death or enjoy eternal life?
Will you stay condemned or be saved through Jesus?
Will you stay in darkness or step into the light?
Make your choice this week.
(Gospel presentation)
(closing prayer)
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