* Nic came at night because he felt felt condemned/judged by his Pharisee buddies for being interested in Jesus.
* Jesus educates him on the spiritual nature of salvation, then rebukes him, then educates him on eternal life.
* vs 16 - Skip Moen- “believe” in the Greek means to “believe into” - to move from one place to another.
* It’s a verb that involves a constant state of action.
* It’s not a static collection of facts.
* To believe is to commit.
* Believing is an activity that moves us from one place to another.
* It is movement of my whole being out of myself and into God.
* If you are “believing INTO God” you will experience change in this new place.
* Get into it today!
* vs 17 - Jesus gives a qualifier after His famous words in John 3:16.
* Why would Jesus do this?
* Because His love first feels like condemnation.
* You have to know you’re condemned before you want to get saved.
* Romans 8:1 - the word “NOW” is key.
* vs 19 - people loved darkness more than the light - Nic came at night!
* He most likely felt condemned.
* But Jesus wanted Him to get saved!
John 3:16-19 (5/16/19)
The Qualifier
May 16, 2019 • Benham Brothers
John 1:14 (5/11/17)
May 11, 2017 • Benham Brothers
* “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. * Our words reveal who we are. * God’s Word is a picture of Himself. * God’s Word became flesh through Jesus. * Every truth of God’s Word was embodied in His Son, Jesus. * So when God’s Word speaks about living powerfully, the picture is Christ’s life. * How does God’s Word become flesh for us? * When we live it out! * Our theology must become biography so others can see God in us. * The devil’s word can become flesh if we choose to disobey God. * Here’s the key - God’s Word became flesh but we often want to turn it back into words again. * We do this when we think religiously and no longer relationally - when we refuse to live it out. * So how do we live it out? * The end of the verse - we abide by grace and truth. * Jesus was all love and all truth - He didn’t err to one side or the other. * If we try to separate God’s love (grace) from His truth then we cease to make His Word flesh in our lives.
John 1:35-37 (5/11/17)
May 11, 2017 • Benham Brothers
* John the Baptist is the best example of what a true leader should be. * John had his own ministry with his own followers, but when Jesus showed up he deferred his following to Him. * John pointed to Jesus and lost his disciples. * John was more concerned with God’s kingdom than his own. * When he announced Jesus as the “Lamb of God” everyone understood he was making reference to the Messiah (passover). * John’s whole goal was to get people to follow Jesus. * One interesting point - one of those two disciples was John, the writer of the book of John.
John 1:38 (5/16/19)
May 16, 2019 • Benham Brothers
* Jesus first asked John’s disciples what they were looking for before He allowed them to follow Him. * He was forcing them to define their purposes and goals. * This is a great way to approach people we see every day. * But it’s also good to ask ourselves. * It keeps us following Jesus for the right reasons.