Have you ever received a gift, but didn’t know what to make of it? Sometimes, a friend sees a need in our lives, gets us just the right accessory or tool for a problem that has been bugging us (or that we didn’t even know we had), but we don’t realize the connection at first.
For instance, when our oldest son was born, one of the ladies from the church stopped by the house and brought us some cloth diapers. My wife and I started to explain – a little awkwardly – that we hadn’t decided what kind of diapers to use, but our dear friend explained that these were not for use as diapers, but rather for protecting against other kinds of messes.
OK, I think that many people know this next verse. However, let’s not just read it out of context. Jesus has just described how He (i.e., the “Son of Man”) will be lifted up, so that those who believe will have eternal life (see John 3:14-15). John 3:16 is a great message on its own, but it wasn’t written out of context.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16 NIV
Jesus is speaking of heavenly things (because He’s been there, and knows the reality of what He is talking about), and has spoken of being born again. He has pointed out how He must be lifted up for others to have eternal life. Later, He was lifted up physically on a cross, but when God raised Him from the dead, Jesus was also exalted (an alternate translation of “lifted up” in verse 14, per NIV footnote), lifted up to honor.
By itself, that would be some impressive history, but out of context, it can be difficult for some people to understand why Jesus died. This verse tells us why: God sent Jesus – His Son – to make a way so that human beings no longer have to perish (because of the consequences of our sins), but to have eternal life. And, He did this because He loves us.
Continuing in verses 17-18, Jesus describes how He was not sent to condemn, but to save. However, those who do not believe in Him are condemned, because they haven’t accepted the only means of salvation that is both available to us and achievable by us. The condemnation is the result of our bad decisions, but Jesus didn’t come to exact judgment; rather, He came to provide a solution, if we will only take it.
Do you know people who are “sure” that God is looking for a way to catch people in their sins, condemning and punishing them because they messed up? I’m afraid that this incorrect philosophy causes a lot of people to miss out on a more complete understanding of God. Yes, God is holy and sin must be punished, but this passage shows how God loves people immensely – perhaps even beyond our comprehension.
(I also wonder if some of the teachers of Israel in those days were looking for the “unrighteous” nations around them to be punished. If so, Jesus’ words here further confirm that He did not come to condemn, but to save.)
Now, while this salvation became available through Jesus, receiving it does require belief in Him. Like unwrapping a gift and then giving it back to the person who gave it to you, those who don’t want this gift aren’t forced to take it. However, for their own sake, I really hope that they will accept it.
Think of the Israelites who could look at a bronze snake in Moses’ day and not die from their snakebites. What if someone got bit, but said, “I don’t need any stinkin’ statue to get better”, and refused to lift their eyes to what could save them, eventually succumbing to the poison? That would seem kind of dumb, but we can certainly imagine someone (maybe even ourselves?) being stubborn enough to do so. Going back to Numbers 21, it doesn’t seem to say that everyone who was bitten lived after the bronze snake was stood up, only those who looked at it.
The Bible points people back to both the love and justice of God, and we would do well to follow its approach:
- Preaching God’s love without His justice doesn’t explain why people need salvation.
- Preaching justice without love doesn’t give people hope.
We were condemned to perish, but God provided a way for justice to be served for our sins, while also expressing His great love for us. The result was Jesus taking the penalty and us receiving eternal life with Him (if we will accept it). Let’s not let that great love go to waste in our own lives.
From Sunday School lesson prepared for December 10, 2023
References:
- The Lookout, December 10, 2023, © 2023 Christian Standard Media.
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – John, by Beauford H. Bryant and Mark S. Krause. © 1998 College Press Publishing Co.
Those Who Sin Differently 