John 3:16 is more well known than Psalm 23. Even religions in the Far East are familiar with it. Mohammad knew it. Hitler knew it. Before the 27 books of the New Testament were put together, John along with Matthew, Mark and Luke were widely circulated.
The core problem that exists in the nations today is here. Without Jesus it is the core problem of everyone. Nicodemus came to Jesus under the cover of darkness to get to the truth. We’re all blind to our own selves. Jesus gave the solution and then told him why. He used Nicodemus’ own action and said that man loves darkness rather than light.
John 3:12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? 13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
How so loved are we? It’s more than we deserve. Jesus was teaching an intelligent man who wanted to know the truth. The first step is the desire to know the truth about ourselves, heaven and hell. It’s about love. God loved the whole world. When we see an ant hill we don’t see individual ants. We see them as a whole and want to stomp all of them. God could do that to us. He has the power to stomp out this big ant hill known as earth, yet he chooses to love instead and he loves each of us “ants” individually.
There is 1 God. There is 1 love. There is 1 person as an individual. There is 1 only begotten Son. That 1 God loves me, this 1, and was willing to give his 1 son. If I was the only 1, Jesus would have died for my sins. The rulers, Caesars, judges, and things down through history could not stop John 3:16. It has come to this congregation speaking to us like it did Nicodemus.
The first thing we have to do is understand why. We have to face the truth about ourselves before we can know and appreciate love. We must acknowledge ourselves. Verses 19-20 tell us the reason. We are under condemnation. Everything mankind does is wrong. We are lost. We want to justify and excuse it. We don’t like to think we are sinners. In spite of our efforts, the fact is that without Jesus we do wrong. The same God that could strike us down loves us. The unsaved continue in their darkness. Man loves sin and his old life. God sees our rathers and loves us anyway. When we don’t choose him he could say “fine, I don’t have to put up with you.” Instead He looks down into our cesspool, our snake den, our spider web, our septic tank and offers to come clean it up.
Light has come and stirred our darkness. Verse 18 says we are condemned already. Our sins did it, not God. Jesus said we are guilty and stand accountable for them. When light comes in we find conviction. He comes into our darkness and disturbs it. Sins are revealed. It disturbed Nicodemus. He asked how this could be. He was becoming less of a Pharisee and more of a sinner. The closer we get to Jesus the more we see about ourselves. We realize we need a fixing up. We realize his because he so loved.
Verses 15-16 show extremes. God still sent. He didn’t come to condemn more. We were already condemned as much as we could be. He sent as the means for us to be saved. We’re saved not because of anything we do or have done. Jesus is the Savior. His light came into our darkness. We never get too low down that he can’t reach down and get us. We are extremely sinful. Jesus is extremely precious. There is 1 Jesus and a pot full of sinners. We ought to get what we deserve, but God gave his best to the rotten sinner. There was an extreme price that took extreme measures. Jesus was given by holy hands to filthy hands. Before we condemn Pilate or Judas, we need to look at our own hands. The more we know the more we should love. The extent of love is shown by the extent of giving. He gave all we’ll ever need. God gave. He gave all so that we know we are loved.
He gave for us so we can have everlasting life. Verse 15 says “should not perish, but have everlasting life.” There is no reason not to believe. There is no reason not to be saved. It’s “through him that we might be saved.” I can be so loved. I can serve God and not sin.
How about you? Are you in darkness as was Nicodemus? Jesus can step in and disturb whatever darkness we are in-because he so loved…You.
Adwolfe Freewill Baptist Church 