Jhn 3:16 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.
Specifically, we need to see and accept the gift of God that Jesus’ died in our place.
In the first few verses of chapter 3 Jesus tells Nicodemus that a person must be “born of the Spirit”, born again to receive eternal life (enter the kingdom of God).
John 3:3 “must be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
John 3:5 ” must be born of water and of “the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”
John 3:7 “Ye must be born again.”
Not only do we see that John 3:16 in context of John chapter three about “being born again” that belief in Christ is necessary for “being born again” of the “Spirit of God”, but also in the immediate context of John 3:14-18.
John 3:14-18 tells us what is required to be born again “of the Spirit of God”
Jhn 3:14-18 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.
Jesus teaches that “being born again of the Spirit” is required to enter the kingdom, to receive eternal life.
John 3:14 refers to the Old Testament story/typology in book of Numbers where the people of Israel were choosing to sin by rebelling against God. God’s punishment was allowing serpents to bite those who rebelled and those bitten would die unless they looked at the “bronze serpent”.
Num 21:7-8 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
Once bitten an Israelite would die unless they make a choice to look at the bronze serpent with faith that they would be healed. The “bronze serpent” was a type/foreshadowing of Jesus on the cross for our rebellion, sin!
Jesus teaches that a person (we) has been bitten by the Serpent Satan and must choose to look at Jesus on the cross to be healed, born again of the Spirit of God.
Same requirement of a choice (action) of an individual is required in a number of examples below where mankind has sinned by choice.
1) Jesus our Passover is pictured by the Passover story of “the blood of a sacrifice” had to be placed by the haed of the household on the door post of the home for the home to be spared by the death angel.
1Co 5:7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
2) Genesis chapter 22, God gives us a picture/typology of His grace (gift) of life.
Abraham is commanded by God to offer his son Isaac as an offering to God. Abraham obeys but believed (had faith) that God would provide the sacrifice instead of taking Isaac.
Gen 22:7-8 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?[8] And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.
God and at the point Abraham was going to kill (offer) Isaac, God provides a substitute!
Gen 22:12-13 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.[13] And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son
Time and time agin God shows us through His Word that Jesus was the substitute for all mankind, but to recieve this gift, act of grace, from God requies a “act of faith” on the person’s part.
Rom 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
1Jo 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
1Jo 4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Our act of faith is believing that Jesus died in our place and when we believe we receive (born again) the “Holt Spirit” who leads us to our acts of faith, “good works” God has “ordained that we should walk in them.”
Conclusion – (1) Who needs this gift/grace from God?
All have sinned!
Isa 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Rom 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
(1) How do we respond to the Serpent’s bite? Look to Jesus!
Rom 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:[9] Not of works, lest any man should boast.[10] For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
We cannot save ourselves once we have been bitten by Satan, sinned! We must believe as Abraham when he told Isaac, “God will provide “the Lamb” my son. In our case God has provided the Lamb!
Let us walk in newness of life!
Rom 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Do you believe in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ?
Views: 5
Leave a Reply