John 3:16-21 The Greatest Love

04.01.09 John 3:16-21 (NASB)

Audio Sermon: John 3:16-21

Going Deeper: Study Guide

The Greatest Love

Today we are going to look at a passage which includes a Bible verse that is perhaps the best known verse in the world. The verse I am referring to is JOHN 3:16. We see placards with ‘JOHN 3:16’ in bold on TV on ‘Hockey Night In Canada’ and other sports events throughout the world, the verse appears on t- shirts, Bible tracts, and even graffiti. All kinds of people know this verse, and the reach of this verse is great - just to illustrate this point is this experience.

One time I went to visit a Christian that I know and he had - I think was a step brother named Jack. I was introduced to Jack and I found him to be a very hardened and profane man. He knew I was a pastor - but that made no difference in his manner or speech. Jack passed away not too long ago - but while he was alive he clearly lived a life apart from Christ. Through his lifestyle and words he demonstrated his rebellion against God. He showed no respect to Christ, and his people - but in the midst of my attempts to point him to Christ - he was able to quote John 3:16 word for word. But to this man JOHN 3:16 meant nothing to him - and as far as I know that to his dying moment, he chose to reject THE GREATEST LOVE.

The last time that we were in the Gospel of John we examined the preceding verses, verses 11-15. Those verses are directly linked to this passage, because they are part of the conversation that Jesus had with Nicodemus. We discovered that Jesus authoritatively claimed to be a faithful witness to the spiritual realities that He spoke about. The reason that Jesus could speak so boldly and plainly about heaven and God was due to the fact that He is God the Son. As the pre-existent and eternal Word of God, Jesus is the only one who can reveal heavenly realities to us. No one else has and can do this, except for Christ.

Having established His authority, Jesus continues and foreshadows His own death upon a cross. Jesus was to be lifted up on a cross so we may have eternal life. Those who God saves are able to believe in the saving work of Christ. As a result these believers will not face the judgement of God’s wrath - they will not perish, but have eternal life. If you remember we focused our lesson on one key question. That question was - Why Did Jesus Come To Earth? The answer is sin. People do not have eternal life because of sin.

We spent a large portion of our time - the last Lord’s day, looking at what sin is. In summary sin could be defined and pictured in this way - sin is missing the mark. Because of sin we miss God’s standard of holiness for our life. The picture is of an archer trying to hit the bull’s eye of a target, but always misses. Without belief in Christ to take away our sin we will perish…and this leads us to the continuation of this subject, as Jesus continues His dialogue with Nicodemus. Jesus says beginning at John 3:16:

16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 "He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 "This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 20 "For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 "But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God."

In today’s passage we are going to examine THE GREATEST LOVE. We will look at the full meaning of God’s love in context to six verses. We will be able to see God’s love through these three aspects:

God’s Mercy v16
God’s Mission v17-18
God’s Mandate v19-21

These three aspects clearly mark out God’s message of salvation from our sins. The good news of Jesus Christ is unveiled by Christ Himself as He offers to us THE GREATEST LOVE.

1. GOD’S MERCY v.16

The Apostle John records for us the words of Christ in no shallow way. Jesus reveals to us that God’s love is not superficial. In fact God’s love is deep and real - and is emphasized by the word - so. Jesus expresses that God so loved the world, and because of this God…according to His self-giving nature - gave. The words loved and gave really underscore God’s Mercy. The love of God is the highest form of love that we able to comprehend - this word love in the Greek is agape - a love which is not self seeking. It is a love that God demonstrates to the pinnacle of His creation - man. A love which is offered despite our sinfulness. A love that reveals the depths of God’s mercy.

God’s love for us is realized in this way - God did not give something of little worth or value, but He gave His only begotten Son. There was nothing more important that God could give, but Jesus Christ His only Son.

Jesus’ death on a cross for our sin is never to be repeated again. There is only one way to be reconciled back to God, and not what the world around us proclaims - that all paths lead to God. No...the only way back to God is through His only begotten Son. If we think about this - it means that God salvation reveals to us that this is a one time act, because He only has one Son to die for our sins (therefore it is equally true that if one is to be saved from their sins, then it is only through God's only begotten Son - Jesus Christ).

Our salvation from our sins has been purchased at a great cost, because it cost God the sacrifice of His only Son. As we learned last time in verse 14 - Jesus Christ was ‘lifted up’ upon a cross to die for our sins. But salvation through Christ offered by God is not without condition, it is not something that every person receives. Not every single person is saved from their sins - His love is manifested to the world - all mankind - you and me. Yet there is a condition to receiving God’s love. There is a condition associated with God’s Mercy.

What is this condition? God reveals to us that this condition is that we must believe in Jesus Christ - whoever believes in Him, will be saved. We are to receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour by placing our complete faith in Jesus Christ alone. Christ calls us to give our full allegiance to Him, and to acknowledge all His claims - What are some of the truth claims that Jesus Christ makes? - He claims to be God in human flesh - and He is; He claims to be our Creator, Sovereign King and Lord over us - and He is; He claims to come and take away our sins through the sacrifice of His sinless life, upon a cross - and He did; He claims that you must trust in the historic reality of His life, death, and resurrection on the third day as foreshadowed in the OT - and these events have taken place and are verifiable; He claimed to ascend to heaven to reign over everything - and He does.

Christ also calls us to abandon sin and be obedient to His righteous ways. We are to believe in Him. Believing on Jesus’ name is the key element in receiving the revelation of our Saviour, who has come into this world. To believe in Jesus Christ’s name is more than just a ‘name’ which a person is given. Whoever believes in the name of Jesus Christ will embrace as true, the very character and person that the name is associated with. It accepts the deeds that He has done for us as I mentioned - came, died to pay for our sins, rose again for us. The person that God moves to believe, is marked by a life long belief in Christ and God - that grows. This person has a change in their mind, heart, and will towards God and His Son. This is reflected in your attitudes, character, habits, thoughts, patterns of life - which are shaped according to God’s Word. The results of true belief are abiding - it is not just a decision that was made at a certain point of time and place in your life.

Very frequently I meet a person who claims to have a relationship with God. One of those times, I met a man who said that he has a relationship with God. He believes that everything in his life God understands and will accept. He believes that he will be accepted by God into heaven (thinking he has eternal life with God) when he dies. I asked him what his basis of belief is based upon. He said, that in his heart he knows that there is a God. And the foundation of his belief was his own thoughts. And his heart impulses shaped his emotions and understandings about God. All of this together dictated his relationship with God. In other words whatever he made out God to be, was true and that became his assurance.

Did this man truly seek out God and have a saving relationship with his Creator? No. The Bible is clear on this point - Romans 3:10-12: As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." This man has no relationship with God.

This is NOT the kind of believing that Jesus is talking about in this passage. The sole means of entrance in to heaven is belief in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is God’s only ordained way of salvation from our sins, for us today. The man I spoke with believed that he has a relationship with God - when I asked him about his belief in Jesus Christ, he outright rejected any necessity for any belief in Him. He felt that he did not have to have a relationship with Christ in order to have a relationship with God. This kind of believing has a deadly serious eternal consequence (it was a heretical cocktail of false doctrine).

This man and others like him, do not realize that because they have no relationship with Christ - it means that they also do not have a relationship with God. They are self deceived - because the God they envision is not the One true God - as revealed in the Bible. If this man truly accepted the one true God, then he would also accept and believe in Jesus Christ, who is God Himself - look back to John 1:1. When one rejects Jesus Christ he is in fact also rejecting God - and the implication is that he also rejects, the necessity for repentance, God’s forgiveness of sins, salvation in Christ, and eternal life.

True belief founded upon knowing Christ, is demonstrated by a continuous pattern of true life changing results. Those who truly believe in Christ and repent of sin, instantaneously enter into a relationship with the Word, Jesus Christ, who is the sole granter of the right to enter into the family of God as one of its members. It is not what you think and feel that you know - and what you feel and think that you like to believe in - this is subjective and false faith - BUT it is whom you know and in whom you believe in - and this is in Jesus Christ of the Bible - this is objective and true faith - the only kind of faith that can save. True belief in Christ comes at a personal cost - the love of sin must be forsaken, and Christ’s forgiveness must be sought out - and true spiritual change must be demonstrated in one’s life - no spiritual change = no eternal life.

For the man that I had a conversation with - he did not have a true belief which is marked by true life changing faith in Christ, brought about by the Holy Spirit. In fact if he continues in his errant subjective thinking he will have a big surprise…that he will be judged by Christ for his sins and shall perish. But we do not have to fall into the same category as that man. You can receive eternal life through God’s mercy. If He is drawing you into a relationship with Christ, then believe in Christ as your Lord and Saviour by responding to Him. We all need salvation from the power of sin and our sinful nature. We need a new nature and a conscience which is purified from guilt by Christ. As we learned last week you must be reconciled to God and as a result receive from God a new nature. A mind, heart, and will which is regenerated by the Holy Spirit to be righteous - alive to God...For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. In these 25 words we find God’s Mercy from the penalty of our sins.

Not only do we see GOD’S MERCY, but Jesus tells us of:

2. GOD’S MISSION v.17-18

In order to be faithful to the Word of God, we need to keep it in context of the following verses.
God’s Mission or purpose is laid out in verse 17. God’s character is often misunderstood. It is often distorted by unbelievers. Either they paint God as a God of love and that He overlooks all sin - that He accepts everyone without any reservations OR people paint a picture of God being a strong handed judge, who crushes and hates people. The reality is that God’s true character has both these attributes which are held in perfect balance. Yet from our passage today we see God’s Mission was not one that is to destroy the world or to crush and hate people - but - God’s Mission reveals His character. God is a loving and caring God. God loves the vilest of sinners. He loves you if you are Buddhist, Hindu, or any other cultist - holding to false systems of belief. He loves you if you are NDP, Liberal, Green party. He loves you if you are an ‘A’ student or a ‘F’ student. God loves you - not because you are lovable the way that you are which is a sinner - and certainly not for the things that you beleive (which if they are not from God's Word are offensive to Him). But He loves you because each one of you are made in His image. Man was created to worship God and to fellowship with Him and others. Yes God loves us, BUT He also is a Holy God. Therefore GOD HATES SIN. Sin so totally affects our worship of God and fellowship with Him, that it rips apart our relationship with God - that we have no relationship with God. We are hopeless and have no hope in ourselves. This is where God’s Mission is so revealing of His love for us.

What does God do then as a result of your sin? Does He say forget it, too bad, you are a sinner and you are going to pay for your sins? No. God sends His Son, Jesus Christ into the world NOT to condemn the world - but that the world might be saved through Him. Jesus comes into our world and builds a bridge leading repentant man back to God. Jesus comes and offers reconciliation through His own sacrifice - God initiates every step to bring us back into a right relationship with Him….if we submit to His loving command to come to His only begotten Son. Yes… if we respond to God’s saving grace in Jesus Christ. If we respond to God’s loving command which needs to be obeyed now. God has authority over us as His creation - so we need to submit to God’s authority and will. We can only submit to God by allowing Him to change our sinful will, so that we can turn toward Him.

We cannot blame God for who we are in light of our sin. Because God has done everything and offered up His Son to pay for all our sins. God’s Mission is to offer His love to everyone to remove the chief human problem - sin, but not everyone will accept His loving command to be saved. We all have the responsibility to respond, but not all do. The result is if we reject God’s love we are inviting His condemnation and wrath. This is the dark side of this passage, yet it is a real consequence of the decision you make in this life - for Him or against Him. Jesus says that - He who believes in Him is not judged - that is he will not be condemned. The root meaning of the word - judged, in the Greek comes from the word ‘separation’ - and in context of this verse it is of eternal separation . If we reflect back on verses 11-15 - Jesus makes this statement with authority - because He is God the Son, who has come from heaven and reveals these unalterable realities.

The reality of being condemned or being released from condemnation of our sin, lies in our belief in Christ. Those who humbly submit, obey, and follow Christ as their Lord and Saviour will be saved from their sins and from eternal separation from God. Those who choose to reject Christ as their Lord and Saviour are judged already. In this person is an ongoing attitude of permanent refusal to believe. Within this person there exists an unbelief due to a love of self and sin - more than a love for God and His holiness.

This kind of attitude is self condemning and leads to a verdict realized in the imminent future. The only way to overcome this condemnation, due to sin, is to believe in the name of the only begotten Son of God. God only has one Son - and as such He only has one way to heaven. Christianity is an exclusive reality - it is an exclusive faith. No other faiths or religious systems can save you. By believing upon God’s Son you will reap the blessings of eternal life now and in the life to come.

God offers us His loving MERCY through the sacrificial giving of His Son. God’s MISSION has been executed and we all need to respond rightly to Him. God clearly makes known to us His sole means of being saved from our sins as He now outlines:

3. GOD’S MANDATE v.19-21

God’s Mandate is clear. The verdict is decisive. Everything that has preceded this verse today is summed up in this judgment or verdict. Jesus Christ the Light has come into the world which we live in. But because people are sinners they love their sin….they love the darkness of a life of sin….they are enslaved to sin….held captive to the dominion of darkness…. ruled by the prince of darkness - Satan…and because of this bondage - Jesus states this truth - for their deeds were evil. Everyone who falls into this category hates the light…they hate Jesus Christ….they hate God…they have no true life in Him…they have no relationship with Him. Instead the love of sin drives them away from Christ to self …and to sins domination and temporal pleasures. The fact is, when a sinner comes before Christ all their evil deeds will be exposed. The book of Romans states this - chapter 1:17-25: "For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith." 18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. 24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator--who is forever praised. Amen."

The contrasting verdict is this - those who are saved by Christ - practices the truth - Christians live in the truth. A well known Bible teacher wrote this: "Trust in Christ prevents condemnation, for he takes our place and pays the penalty for sin for all who put their case in his hands. The believer in Christ as Saviour, does not come into judgment." - AT Robertson

This is true because the Christian has no fear of being in the Light - being in the all knowing and searching presence of Christ. Why? The answer is very simple - it is because they belong to Christ. Christ does not condemn those who belong to Him. Everything which is submitted to Christ in their life will be evident that it was not a mere intellectual belief, but a life changing belief in Christ. Perhaps we can distill this passage into this phrase - IT IS NOT WHAT YOU KNOW BUT WHO YOU ARE.

You can know everything about God, Christ, the Bible, but if your life has no change generated by the Holy Spirit - you are void of Christ’s salvation….you are not a believer….you cannot call yourself a Christian.

Jack Gulledge wrote this illustration in Proclaim - "There was a guy who tried to rid his house of mice. He bought a mouse trap but had no cheese. To remedy the problem, he cut out a picture of cheese from a magazine. He loaded the trap with the artificial cheese and went to bed. When he checked the mousetrap that following morning he was quite surprised to find a picture of a mouse in the trap. A counterfeit lifestyle produces artificial results!"

True saving faith is marked out by a transformed life which can only be wrought in God - only God can produce such a radical change in a person bent upon his sin nature. True saving faith is marked out repentance from sin, by true trust and commitment to Christ. It is realized by receiving a new nature controlled by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. These realized blessings of eternal life produce a heart which is alive to Christ which obeys Him as Lord and Saviour. SIN CONDEMNS JESUS SAVES.

John 3:16 is perhaps the world’s best known verse. It’s impact is far reaching if we sincerely reflect and apply it to our life. Martin Luther called John 3:16 the miniature gospel. Others have called it a love letter from God written in blood and addressed to all. The impact of our passage is clear - we are called to belief in Christ. Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures (1 Cor. 15:3-4).

This is the greatest message given to all of us…look down at John 3:16 once again…and follow along…as I close off with this phrase by phrase /word by word summary…

The Greatest Love - John 3:16:
(I didn't write the following, and i can't remember where it is from)

For God = The Greatest One
so loved = The Greatest measure of Love ever demonstrated
the world = The greatest sum of all people who are without hope
that He gave = The greatest act of generosity and sacrifice
His only begotten Son = The greatest unique gift, the sole object of saving faith
that whoever = The greatest invitation to you
believes = The greatest simplicity and act of humble faith
in Him = The greatest assurance
shall not = The greatest certainty
perish = The greatest eternal loss
but = The greatest life changing difference
have = The greatest possession
eternal = The greatest quality and length of time
life = The greatest gift offered to you

(For a full explanation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ - click here - http://www.doihaveeternallife.blogspot.com/)
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