The Old Standard

Good Morning!

Well, I said earlier this week that I hadn’t asked you to memorize John 3:16 yet. Well the “yet” is here.

Actually, the passage in John is really good. There’s a little background and then the pronouncement that we are somewhat familiar with.

Let’s look at the background first:

John 3:1-15 (English Standard Version)
You Must Be Born Again
1Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2This man came to Jesus[a] by night and said to him,

"Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him."

3Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again[b] he cannot see the kingdom of God."

4Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?"

5Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.[c] 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You[d] must be born again.' 8 The wind[e] blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."

9Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?"

10Jesus answered him, "Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? 11Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you[f] do not receive our testimony. 12If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.[g] 14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.[h]
Footnotes:
a. John 3:2 Greek him
b. John 3:3 Or from above; the Greek is purposely ambiguous and can mean both again and from above; also verse 7
c. John 3:6 The same Greek word means both wind and spirit
d. John 3:7 The Greek for you is plural here
e. John 3:8 The same Greek word means both wind and spirit
f. John 3:11 The Greek for you is plural here; also four times in verse 12
g. John 3:13 Some manuscripts add who is in heaven
h. John 3:15 Some interpreters hold that the quotation ends at verse 15

Nicodemus was a teacher – a Pharisee – who came to Jesus at night probably because he didn’t want his fellow religious leaders to know he was seeking Jesus out. I think the conversation is a civil one … with Nicodemus really seeking to know the truth. We have a tendency in the 21st century to paint all the Pharisees with the same brush – condemning them all when there were some seekers among them. I see Nicodemus as one who was a seeker.

I also see Nicodemus as being confused. Does that surprise you? It shouldn’t. While Nicodemus was a “ruler”, I am sure he was like many of us today … still learning what God has to say to us. You know, when I received Christ and the Holy Spirit came to indwell, I still had a lot to learn. And I still do!!! I find myself asking questions that some more wizened heads would think foolish. I don’t care … I need to know. The answers Jesus gave Nicodemus confused him … and rightly so … because Nicodemus was dwelling in the literal and not seeing the Spiritual application. Given time, Nicodemus would understand.

So here comes the memory passage”

John 3:16-20 (English Standard Version)
For God So Loved the World
16"For God so loved the world,[a] that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.
Footnotes:
a. John 3:16 Or For this is how God loved the world

Did you notice the footnote? Does that throw a different light on the subject? Paul writes in his letter to the church at Rome that God shows His love for us in this manner: while we were still in sin, Christ died for us. Christ’s coming was for the purpose of redeeming God’s most prized creation – mankind. That’s why it is important to not stop at the end of verse 16 but to continue through the rest of the passage:

- Jesus didn’t come to condemn us but to save us.
- People who believe are not condemned.
- People who refuse to believe condemn themselves – God doesn’t condemn them – they do it to themselves.
- The condemnation comes because Light (Jesus) was here and man preferred to live in the darkness of their sin because it was comfortable and did not require them to face who they were and what they were doing.

Every one of us has a choice. God allows us that choice. God’s desire is all would choose Jesus. But the reality is many will not … and will thus face judgment.

So where do we fit in this Good Morning message? Our task is not to “save” people but to inform people. Our task is not condemn but to care. And that is what we should focus upon each day. Today is a good day to do this…

Agape’


Mr. Jim