Saving the World

In John 3:17 we read, God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. We are extremists, either condemning or condoning sins. Jesus did neither. He did not condemn a woman caught in a sexual sin, but neither did he condone her sin. He did not come at that time to condemn the world. At the judgment that is a different story. While we recognize that sin exists in the world, we are not qualified to judge and condemn others. Let’s not be self-righteous haters but allow the Holy Spirit to transform us into lovers who are born from above.

How God Loved the World

In John 3:16 we read, “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. This familiar verse has its true meaning clouded by a change in English from the old King James use of language. The English words “so loved the world” actually mean in modern English in this way or in this manner God loved the world. We could also say that God loved the world in this manner. How did God love the world? By lifting up his son on the cross as Moses lifted up a serpent.

Lifted Up on a Pole

In John 3:14-15 we read, And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life. God had punished Israel by sending poisonous snakes into their midst (Numbers 21:4-9). He instructed them to look at a bronze snake on a pole and they would live. And so, God provoked them to repentance and faith. Humanity is still in trouble and the solution comes through the man Jesus, who was lifted up on a pole. If we will keep our eyes on Him we will also live.

Who is in Heaven

In John 3:13 we read, No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man has come down from heaven. This literally says Jesus “is in heaven.” He was someone on earth and at the same time “in heaven,” in constant communion with the Father. Jesus is the bridge between heaven and earth. In a similar sense, all believers are “seated in heavenly places” (Ephesians 2:6). Jesus is able to reveal heavenly secrets to Nicodemus because he “has come down from heaven” and “is in heaven.” In Jesus, there is a bridge from heaven to earth which no other brings because he came from heaven.

Heavenly Things

In John 3:9-12 we read, “How are these things possible?” Nicodemus asked. Jesus replied, “You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things? I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you won’t believe our testimony. But if you don’t believe me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things? The discussion changed to, “we tell you.” Who is the we? Does this include the prophets, heaven or the disciples? All Christians can only testify to what they have known and seen, and no surprise, some will not believe.

Born of the Spirit

John 3:7-8 says, So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.” The means of entering the kingdom of heaven is being born from above. The new Spirit-born life is as mysterious as the wind. In specific terms, we cannot tell where the wind came from or where it is going. Christianity is not about physical rituals alone, but a life of faith trusting God where His Spirit is blowing us.

Spiritual Life

John 3:6 says, “Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.” Humanity seems to seek a form of immortality by giving birth to children. Yet, each of us who is born flesh will die. So will each of us who is born of water and the Spirit live forever. The Christian life is different than a physical life based upon material hopes and dreams. It is a spiritual life, based on spiritual hopes and dreams. The physical is temporary and passes away. The spiritual is permanent and cannot pass away. Only by being born from above can we enter the hope of eternity.

Born of Water and the Spirit

In John 3:5, Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Born from above is also born of water and the Spirit. We don’t enter our mother’s womb again, but the kingdom of heaven. Baptism in water is only complete with the transforming power of the Spirit. Christian baptism is water and the Spirit. Is Jesus referring metaphorically to the waters of birth as well as the waters of baptism? It seems Jesus primarily means the waters of baptism which can picture our physical birth and also our birth from above with the baptism of the Spirit.

Literal or Spiritual

In John 3:4 we read, “What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?” Nicodemus seemed to hear Jesus words only as “born again” instead of “born from above” as Jesus intended. Immature believers often promote a literal understanding of things when heaven intends a spiritual meaning. Early Christians focused on literal circumcision instead of circumcision of the heart (Romans 2:29). Being born again physically is not being born from above. Being reborn physically is impossible. Yet, even in old age like Nicodemus, life in Christ is new. We have every reason to live with youthful joy.

Born from Above

In John 3:3 we read, Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” Born “again” also means “born from above,” from heaven, regeneration. According to the Opportunity Index, those born poor are less likely to have earthly opportunities. Everyone has a better opportunity in God than anything on earth. To be born from heaven above is to belong to heaven. Our allegiance is to a kingdom not of this world. We are each a child of God. Every status in this world is inferior to what we have from heaven. In God we have the highest status of all.

Knowing, Yet in Darkness

In John 3:2 we read, After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.” Nicodemus came to Jesus by night representing others. He said, “we know.” In verses 19-21 Jesus spoke symbolically of darkness until light came into the world and we came into that light. In the Old Testament, the law was a light. Now it is Christ. Even the most devout and moral person who may obey all the commandments can still be in relative darkness, because the great light is Jesus.

Nicodemus

John 3:1 says, “There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee.” Nicodemus was a senator in the Jewish ruling council, the Sanhedrin. He appears three times in the Gospel of John (John 3:1–2; John 7:50-51; John 19:38-39). Jesus explained to this wealthy and popular Jewish leader the mystery of regeneration as was taught in the prophets. Nicodemus was not offended at Jesus’ teaching but received it in humility. He later defended Jesus against the Pharisees, assisted at his burial and was eventually kicked out of the synagogue for believing in Christ. He later retired to a country home where he died.

Agapé is not Divine Love

The Greek word agapé does not mean divine love. This is an urban legend perpetuated by poorly educated preachers and televangelists with bad research. Ask any Greek scholar and you will find out that agapé just means love or affection. In the Bible it sometimes even refers to a negative love. Men "loved" darkness (John 3:19), some "loved" the praise of men more than God (John 12:43), and one "loved" this world more than Paul (2 Timothy 4:10). The context clearly shows in three cases that word agapé was not a divine love. And that is the clue. Just like the words love or affection in English, the meaning depends on the context. A preacher's volume and enthusiasm are not always a sign of divine inspiration and quiet preaching may not indicate that truth is absent. Separating truth from hogwash sometimes involves digging a little deeper like the Bereans.

The Exalted Cross

Our natural inclination is to think of suffering as one of life’s low moments. John 3:14 seems to suggest just the opposite. Just as Moses lifted up a snake on a pole, so was Jesus to be lifted up on a cross. The words “lifted up” are elsewhere translated as exalted. We think of the cross as ignominy not exaltation. We think of money, power and fame as exaltation. Jesus views his suffering with his creation as an exalted privilege. We don’t want to suffer. That’s why preachers who emphasize material prosperity are popular. It’s not fashionable to teach that to be truly exalted, we must follow Christ, and if so, are we also willing to be truly exalted by suffering? Do we come to the light of the cross, or the dark and deceptive world of materialism?

How God Loved the World

“God so loved the world” means what? It means he loved the world "in this way," or "like this." So our famous saying from John 3:14-21 could be translated “God loved the world in this way.” What way? He lifted up Jesus in the same manner that Moses lifted up the snake for the healing of Israel. The snake on the pole was meant to remind Israel to trust God for healing but it later became an idol and had to be destroyed. Church traditions can be like that. Invented to point us to God, traditions degenerate into idols which need to go. We too need to constantly lift up Jesus, ahead of our traditions and denominational pride. Does Jesus take second place to our cheap human politics? Do we show love to the world by lifting up Jesus?

Running away from God

Humanity runs away from God. Do we hate him? Are we ashamed and think that he will want to condemn us for all of the bad things we have done to each other? Is John 3:14-21 saying just the opposite of that? Rather than wanting to condemn the world, God sent Jesus into the world to save it. An example is Jesus’ encounter with a woman caught in the act of adultery (John 8). Those caught up in Pharisaic religion condemned her. Jesus told them that if any of them was without sin, they ought to cast the first stone. None dared and Jesus said he did not condemn her. Instead of running from God, it is condemning religion which we should run from. God and the true religion of Jesus do not exist to condemn but to save.

Ri Hyon-Ok

Ri Hyon-Ok (ree hyon-ow, Ri is the family name Lee in South Korea) was a 33 year old mother of three in North Korea, probably the worst place in the world for a Christian. In 2009 she was executed for a crime against the state. What made her a criminal? She was caught giving away a Bible. She died for her love of God in a place where loving God is a crime. Her husband and three children were sent to a slave labor camp after her execution. Why do 30,000 North Koreans love God so much that they are willing to risk the death penalty? Why does God love you and me so much that he allowed his one and only son to die (John 3:16) so that you and I who believe in him may live?

Jim Elliot

Jim Elliot graduated from Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois. He developed an interest in translating the Bible into native languages and later joined a group of missionaries to reach the Woadani Indians in Ecuador with the gospel. Discovering a sandbar on the Curarai River barely long enough for their plane to land, they gave the natives gifts. On their return, they were attacked and killed. Jim’s famous quote tells his story best, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." Why do missionaries all over the world love God so much that they are willing to risk death? Why does God love you and me so much that he allowed his one and only son to die John 3:14-21 so that you and I who believe in him may live?

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German pastor who opposed the Nazis. His was one of few voices with the courage to speak out against them. After a time in Britain and the USA, he decided to return to Germany before all civilian transport was closed, to be with his German people during this difficult time in their history. At home he worked tirelessly in the underground resistance movements. He was imprisoned and discovered to have connections with the plot to kill Hitler. He was hanged just two weeks before Americans liberated the area. Why do people like this love God so much that they are willing to die? Why does God love you and me so much that he allowed his one and only son to die John 3:14-21 so that you and I who believe in him may live?

Ignatius of Antioch

Highly honored in the Eastern Orthodox Church, Ignatius may have been one of the children that Jesus took in his arms and blessed. A disciple of John he later became pastor of the church in Antioch. During a period of persecution under Roman emperor Trajan, he was arrested and condemned to death because he professed Jesus. He was thrown to the lions. Ignatius replied to his condemners, “I am the wheat of Christ: I am going to be ground with the teeth of wild beasts, that I may be found pure bread.” Why do people like this love God so much that they are willing to die? Why does God love you and me so much that he allowed his one and only son to die John 3:14-21 so that you and I who believe in him may live?