Jesus needed no testimony about humans because he knew what was in their heart, but we need all the testimonies about Jesus because we often misunderstand what He came to do and is currently still doing. As we get a better understanding of the gospel, and why it is such good news, it can be seen as a compelling story that challenges us to turn to Jesus for healing and becomes a story, we want to go on telling.
John 2:23-3:21
Sidenote: If you want to hear more about the connection Jesus was making about being born of water and Spirit, please go to https://youtu.be/pcwxRDp68_o?si=cyYoG5QC0EWl190w to listen to the “Necessity of the New Birth” from August 4, 2024.
John 3:3
Nicodemus is struggling with the idea of being born again.
Nicodemus was trusting in his ethnicity as a Jew and his adherence to the law as a Pharisee.
John 3:5
3 views of what water and Spirit mean in this verse.
1. Naturalbirth(John3:6seemstosupportthis)
2. Water&SpiritarethesamethingaswaterisoftenusedtosymbolizetheSpirit 3. Baptism(John3:22seemstosupportthis,andtheChurchfathersinthefirst2
centuries believed this is what was meant in this verse)
Baptism as an ordinance- Purely symbolic. An outward expression of an inward reality. Done out of obedience. The person is doing the work.
Baptism as sacrament- Means of grace. More than a symbol, God is doing something in the ritual. God is doing the work.
“Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” See= to perceive or experience
Most people (non-Christians) and some Christians believe that when you die, your good deeds are weighed against your bad deeds and that determines if you go to heaven or hell.
Many Christians believe that the story of the Bible is that regardless of how much good or bad deeds you do, what determines you going to heaven or hell is if you said a prayer.
What is wrong with both is that the Bible is not a story about YOU, but it is a story about GOD and what he is doing in our world.
Mark 1:14-15
John 3:13-15
Jesus recounts a story from Numbers 21 in which the Israelites had to look upon the snake lifted on a pole to receive healing from the consequences of their sin. In the same way, He too will be lifted up and all people will need to look to Him to receive healing once and for all for their sin.
John’s Commentary on Jesus’s mission: John 3:16-21
The Kingdom of God is invading and advancing on this world. The kingdom of sin & death will be removed.
CS Lewis “Hell is a monument to human freedom” meaning that God honors a person’s choice not to turn to Him for healing, but what God will not do is allow Hell to continue to be unleashed and eternally ruin His good world.
The better we understand the gospel, the better we can share it with those who need rescue.
You will not feel compelled to share this story unless you have experienced the loving healing power of Jesus start to remove all that sin and darkness from you and give you new life.
Who are the people in your life that need to hear this Story? Pray a blessing over their lives right now and pray that God would open up an opportunity for you to simply ask them some questions about what they think and to prepare that ground so that when the moment is right and when they want to receive it, you can talk about how much Jesus loves them and what he did for them because that’s the kind of God revealed in this story.
Taking It Home
We encourage you to take a few minutes today and this week to process this morning’s message. These questions are designed for discussion with your family, a friend, mentor, spouse, and small group. They are also useful for self-reflection.
1. What stands out to you in these passages from the Bible? From the message?
2. What is dijicult for you to understand or accept in these passages from the Bible? From the message?
3. What is God saying in these passages and through what we heard in the message about Himself? About people? About you?
4. What examples are there to follow, commands to obey, or promises to stand on from these passages in the Bible, and from what we heard in the message?
