The Gift of God (2)

John 3 16 is perhaps the most famous and quoted bible verse in history. It shows us God’s amazing love. A love that is sacrifiucial. It shows us that God, in his mercy wants us to have everlasting life, and that God has made the provision for us to have everlasting life.

But jn 3 16 is not a verse on its own. It is the 16th verse in a chapter which explains how everlating life it attained.

Its also not the last verse in the chpater, there are 20 verses which follow. So is the message behind one of the most beloved verses in scripture?

1: The Giving of the Gift

John 3:16–17 AV

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.

Lets play a game of imagination, a game of empathy.

killer, rapest - R5000 + pleading!

Killer, rapest - R5000 - pleading!

Killer, rapest - putting own child in place + pleading!

Killer, rapest - putting own child in place - pleading!

That is exacally what God’s love did for us.

Romans 5:7–10 AV

7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

A stranger would not rarley die in place even of a righteous person, but for a good person, like a friend of family one might give their life. But NO ONE would ever die for an unrighteous, evil person.

Yet that is exacally what Jesus did for us.

Unrepentant sinners - God exchanged our death sentence for life and out our sentance on Jesus.

What did Jesus accomplish on the cross?

1 John 2:2 AV

2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

Propituation - the satisfaction and appeasment of wrath.

God’s wrath was towards us as sinners.

Romans 1:18 AV

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

But God’s love towards us made a means of satisfying with justice, not by punishing us who desrrve it, but by pouring that wrath out of the sinless Jesus.

1 John 4:10 AV

10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

2: The Presentation of the Gift

If Jesus is the gift, how was this gift presented? This matters because its in the presentation that we eaither recieve or reject it.

What did Jesus himself say?

John 3:14 AV

14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

This gift would be presented in the same matter as the brazen serpent. What brazen serpent?

Well in xxxxxxx the bible tells us this very intresting story.

Numbers 21:5–9 AV

5 And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. 6 And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. 7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. 8 And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. 9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.

The brazen serpant was lifts up on a pole and when a snake bit you, you looked by faith at the pole and were healed.

(btw this is still the medic symbol for healp)

What does this tell us about Jesus? First, the people repented of their sin - Verse 7, upon thir repentance they look with faith upon God’s provision and are saved.

In the same way, to be saved from sins fatal bite, we must repent and look to Jesus, Hod’s provision, by faith to be saved.

Acts 20:21 AV

21 Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

3: The acceptence or Rejection of the Gift

This gift may be avalible to the “whosoever will”, but not everyone will accept Jesus.

Why not? is it a lack of evidence? Or maybe they have questions about the bible? Or maybe they dont like what a particular church did… NO!

There is only 1 reason why people do not recieve Jesus as their savuor and it has nothing to do with doubt or evidence.

John 3:18–21 AV

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. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

The reason people do not receive Jesus is because they love their sin.

Lets get this straight, if you repent and receiev Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you instantly pass from death to life.

and:

Romans 8:1 AV

1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

BUT if you do not: Then V18

Look at 19 - what is the condemnation? That men loved darkness. Why? Well just a reminder of last week, because our hearts are wicked.

At a road block there are 2 types of people. There is me, sober, with a license and a bible. Other than the slight inconvience of being a few minutes late, a road blcok hold no fear, in fcat i enjoy them because they make our roads a little bit safer.

Ot there is the other person, who is drunk, has no lisence or has drugs in the boot. To him that road block is fear and he activaly stops and turns away if he can.

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