Theological Proposition/Focus: God loves each and every one of us.
Homiletical Proposition/Application:
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 familky.
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 problem with being born again is that it makes no sense!
But in reality we need more than a second chance (5-8).
What we really need is a divine solution to our problem (9-15).
God loves you so much that he gives something better than a second chance, a sure thing (16).
Conclusion:
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