Latest revision as of 13:57, 16 August 2023

Theological Proposition/Focus: God loves each and every one of us.

Homiletical Proposition/Application: Colossians 2:6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him,

Introduction:

Image: The Grand Unifying Principle: God loves you.

Image: The search for a Grand Unifying Theory, Lie groups and Physics.

Deeply embedded into physics there is one question that sort of rules them all. Is there a way to merge the electromagnetic, strong, and weak forces into a single force? Work in this area is part of something called Grand Unification Theory and is very mathematical drawing on a field of mathematics called Lie groups. The work is thought to be a stepping stone toward what is called the "Theory of Everything." Embedded in this work is the fact that we cannot explain how the electric charges of protons and electrons cancel each other out using the Standard Model of particle physics. In short, our basic model of how things work on a small scale does not explain how we know things work on a big scale. Many physicists and mathematicians are searching for a way to explain how things work in a way that handles both the small and large scale.

Need: We need to understand what it means to say that God loves us.

Preview: Today we are going to look at salvation again as a solution to our biggest conundrum, our Grant Unifying Theory.

Text: Read John 3:1-16 before setting the stage

Setting the Stage:

Image: Deep conversations with a true expert.

The Context of John 3 matters.

In John 2:13-25, Jesus cleared the Temple of money changers and challenged the Jewish religious system.

Now In John 3, a particular religious leader comes to Jesus to better understand.

The description of Nicodemus gives us three insights into who exactly this is.

Nicodemus's religion-political affiliation was as a Pharisee.

Pharisees were strict adherents to the law, loyal to the traditions of the elders, popular among the people.

In general being a Pharisee did not automatically make someone politically connected nor an aristocrat.

Nicodemus had the status a ruling official.

While, in general, being a Pharisee did not make one politically connected, Nicodemus was.

Josephus said that some Pharisees were distinguished me, Nicodemus was likely one of these.

Nicodemus had the name Nicodemus.

The name Nicodemus was a common Greek name, but not a common Jewish name.

In fact, between 330 BC and AD 200 (a 500 year span) only 4 Palestinian Jews are known to have had the name Nicodemus and they all seem to come from the same family.

Historically, the family that named their children Nicodemus was a very wealthy and powerful family.

Nicodemus was likely a wealthy, powerful, popular, conservative, a Jew Par Excellence

In John 3, verse 2 shows us that this ideal representative of humanity (rich, powerful, wise,...) has come to meet with the ideal representative of God (Jesus).

Nicodemus is careful to offer great respect to Jesus as he seeks to understand.

The title Rabbi recognizes Jesus as a professional teacher.

The perfect ἐλήλυθας (has come) recognizes that Jesus has the abiding presence of God

Yet, while granting respect, Nicodemus has serious questions about the legitimacy of the message Jesus is preaching.

The entire dialogue seems to have a tone of questioning and combatting.

The Jews have put one of their greatest up against God's greatest to test this idea.

Body

What we all need is a second chance (3-4).

Our fallenness is beyond repair and so we must be born again from above.

The greek word ἄνωθεν (again) also means from above.

It seems like John often writes about instances where Jesus used a double entandre and this seems to be no different. The greek word ἄνωθεν (again) also means from above. Contextually it is actually impossible to know which Jesus intended but based on what follows it seems that maybe he intended both. If this is the case then we have a beautiful picture of one of our most important needs, a second chance. Moreover, the picture is a reminder that the second chance is not a second chance to do everything exactly the same but rather a second chance that comes from above.

We need a second chance because we are each born as sinners.

Image: In an airplane remember, you can always go around, if you set-up wrong don't even try take a second chance.

About a year ago my brother and I had just bought a used airplane down in Texas and we were flying it back to Lincoln. I had flown the airplane for about 45 minutes prior and my brother had never flown the airplane. We were somewhere over the middle of Oklahoma at night and a storm set in. It was dark and snow started falling so we decided we better get the airplane landed. We found a small airport nearby and I turned for the airport while my brother contacted air traffic control and let them know our plan. By the time we got to the airport the wind was really pushing us and I completely misjudged my speed and altitude. As I fought to get the airplane down on the ground I finally told my brother "I'm going around and going to try this a second time." As I climbed back up to altitude my brother looked over at me and said "I'm sorry, I should have told you to go around earlier, your approach was all messed up and you were not stable." I started out all wrong and so it was impossible for me to get it right! Once I came back around and took a stable approach I was able to land the airplane. I needed a second chance!

In life, we start out with everything all wrong! We are born sinner!

Many of you have memorized Romans 3:23 "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,"

Some of you may have memorized Isaiah 53:6 "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all."

A little lesser known is Psalm 51:5 "Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me."

Image: How deep the Father's Love for us verse 1 concludes "That He should give His only Son To make a wretch His treasure."

The word wretch means "a base, despicable, or vile person" and that is what we are before Christ.

I told you earlier that everything about my approach to land in Oklahoma was wrong. Here is the thing, if you were in the back of the airplane, you wouldn't know!

My brother and I both knew that we were all wrong on this approach because my brother and I both had the right view of the airport and the instruments. We denied the problem for 800 feet of descent, but then finally we were forced to come to grips with the reality. We could not land this airplane safely because we had started out wrong. It was only once we admitted that we needed a second chance, a chance to set up correctly that we could proceed to have a successful landing.

The problem with being born again is that it makes no sense!

Image: Choosing to go around might be embarrassing but it is not an outrageous thing, being born again is.

There is actually a folk song whose lyrics feature the phrase "you can always go around." The problem we all face in life is that there does not seem to be any obvious way in which someone can be born again.

Nicodemus counters Jesus by pointing out that what Jesus has just said is crazy. In life there is no reset button!

Nicodemus is sure that Jesus does not mean something absurd like reincarnation so instead he asks the absurd question, can one literally enter the womb again?

If you are wondering how this whole thing called salvation can be true, you are not alone, the idea of getting a reset is genuinely hard. Nicodemus struggled with it.

MTR: Evaluate yourself. Have you chosen to go around and do this thing called life the right way, or are you still still trying to land the airplane from an unstable approach.

But in reality we need more than a second chance (5-8).

More than a second chance, we need the right start.

Remember that Nicodemus had just asked how someone can enter into the womb. Jesus responds by painting a picture to show that he was not talking about physical birth.

John the Baptist had stressed the need for people to repent and turn to God.

By discussing the idea of being born of the water and the Spirit Jesus paints a picture.

Water is the picture of turning to Jesus in repentance - the I am sorry for my sinfulness.

The Spirit is the one who regenerates and seals an individual.

The idea here is that an individual who wants to have a right start must both recognize their sin and have the Spirit work to bring them to saving faith in Jesus.

Jesus further defines "born again" by reminding Nicodemus that there is more to life than the physical and what is broken is also spiritual.

The need to be born again is absolute and universally binding.

When Jesus says "You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’" he is saying "look, this is a universal truth if you just look at it, a Holy God cannot allow a sinner into the Kingdom."

Word play in verse 8 serves to remind Nicodemus that man does not control the work of God but rather God is in complete control.

The word πνεῦμα means both wind and Spirit.

Simply recognizing that you are a sinner is not enough, you need the Spirit's work of regeneration.

You need to step out in faith following the Spirit's prompting.

Image: Verse 2 of How Deep the Father's love includes the phrase "As wounds which mar the Chosen One Bring many sons to glory."

The picture painted by these words is of more than just mere forgiveness of sins. In Christ we are given new life. We get far more than just a second chance in Christ. We get the right start in Christ and the promise of being Brough to glory as the sealing work of the Holy Spirit guarantees that we will be brought to glory. The promise of the Holy Spirit is a promise of both a second chance and a guarantee of success. Nothing else gets better than that.

MTR: Take a second and praise God for more than just a second chance.

What we really need is a divine solution to our problem (9-15).

Our need to be born again is something we cannot do for ourselves.

In verse 9 Nicodemus, the rich, wise and powerful, is forced to admit that this is beyond him.

No amount of money, power, influence, or religiosity could fix the problem that Jesus has shown.

In fact, Nicodemus as someone who knew the prophets should have known that humanity needed a divine Savior.

Jesus, as God, can solve our problem.

The use of "very truly" is an expression only spoken by Jesus which is equivalent to "thus says the Lord"

I have spoken of this in other sermons but the Greek here using the words ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω σοι is as if Jesus is saying that he is giving His own word because there is nothing greater upon which he could base his statement. As God Jesus is able to give assurance simply using himself as his assurance.

The use of the first person plural in verse 11 is an bold statement of Christ's deity.

The we here is the we of authoritative testimony, that is in Greek the use of we instead of I can be used to convey authority.

But here I think it is more than that. As a member of the Trinity, Jesus can speak with plurality of things that only God can know.

Just in case you missed the terence to Jesus as divine Jesus begins laying it out in verses 12 and 13. Jesus is God and is speaking with the authority of God.

The Old Testament previewed the divine solution.

The OT story

In Numbers 21:4-9 the Israelites spoke out against God because of impatience.

God responded by sending venomous snakes into the camp.

The people recognized their sin and God commanded Moses to construct a bronze serpent.

Any who looked upon the bronze serpent were saved.

The NT reality

Jesus would be crucified on a cross.

On the cross Jesus would take the sin of mankind upon himself.

While some may scoff at Jesus on the cross the reality is that those who believe in Jesus are granted eternal life.

Image: Listen to these words from How Deep the Father's Love

Behold the man upon a cross My sin upon His shoulders Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice Call out among the scoffers It was my sin that held Him there Until it was accomplished His dying breath has brought me life I know that it is finished

MTR: Take a minute, and reflect upon the cross.

God loves you so much that he gives something better than a second chance, a sure thing (16).

Image: What do you consider evidence of love?

What would you consider to be good evidence of love? Maybe getting flowers on Valentine's Day? How about a nice dinner? Those things are fun but are they really sufficient evidence of love? I want us to think about what love really is as we look at verse 16.

The Object of God's Love: The World

No where else in the New Testament is God explicitly said to love the world.

Think about that for a second. We talk about God being loving, and he is but God's love for the world is expressed in his offering of Christ. To say that God is love is accurate. To say that God is love so he should give me a new car is just plain silly. God's love for the world is expressed in one particular way.

The Extent of God's Love: To Give His One and Only Son

The Greek word μονογενῆ (one and only) does not carry the idea of birth (only begotten) but rather of uniqueness

The love of God led him to give that which was most special.

The Effectiveness of God's Love: Eternal Life

Ultimately, what we need to know, to remember, is that Christ paid our ransom that we might have eternal life.

MTR: Choose to boast in nothing but Jesus Christ.

I will not boast in anything No gifts, no power, no wisdom But I will boast in Jesus Christ His death and resurrection Why should I gain from His reward? I cannot give an answer But this I know with all my heart His wounds have paid my ransom