John 3
Jesus conversation with Nicodemus verse 1- 21
There was a man of the Pharisees – named Nicodemus – a ruler of the Jews
the same came to Jesus by night and said to HIM
Rabbi – we know that YOU are a teacher come from God
for no man can do these miracles that YOU do
except God be with HIM
Jesus answered and said to him
Verily – verily – I say to you Except a man be born again
he cannot see the kingdom of God
Nicodemus said to HIM
How can a man be born when he is old?
can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb
and be born?
Jesus answered
Verily – verily – I say to you
Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit
he cannot enter into the kingdom of God
That which is born of the flesh is flesh
and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit
Marvel not that I said to you
You must be born again
The wind blows where it list – and you hear the sound thereof
BUT cannot tell whence it comes – and whither it goes
so is every one that is born of the Spirit
Nicodemus answered and said unto HIM
How can these things be?
Jesus answered and said unto him
Are you a master of Israel and know not these things?
Verily – verily I say to you
We speak that we do know
and testify that we have seen
and you receive not our witness
If I have told you earthly things – and you believe not
how shall you believe – if I tell you of heavenly things?
And no man has ascended up to heaven
BUT HE that came down from heaven
EVEN the Son of man which is in heaven
AND as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness
EVEN so must the Son of man be lifted up
that whosoever believes in HIM should not perish
BUT have eternal life
For God so loved the world that HE gave HIS only begotten Son
that whosoever believes in HIM should not perish
BUT have everlasting life
For God sent not HIS Son into the world to condemn the world
BUT that the world through HIM might be saved
He that believes on HIM is not condemned
BUT he that believes not is condemned already
BECAUSE he has not believed in the name of the
only begotten Son of God
AND this is the condemnation – that light is come into the world
and men loved darkness rather than light
BECAUSE their deeds were evil
FOR every one that does evil hates the light
NEITHER comes to the light
LEST his deeds should be reproved
BUT he that does truth comes to the light
that his deeds may be made manifest
that they are wrought in God
John the Baptist’s understanding of Messiah verse 22- 36
After these things came Jesus and HIS disciples into the land of Judea
and there HE tarried with them – and baptized
And John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim
BECAUSE there was much water there – and they came
and were baptized
For John was not yet cast into prison
then there arose a question between some of John’s disciples
and Jews about purifying
And they came to John – and said unto him – Rabbi
HE that was with you beyond Jordan
to WHOM you bare witness
BEHOLD – the same baptizes – and all men come to HIM
John answered and said
A man can receive nothing except it be given him from heaven
You yourselves bear me witness – that I said –
I am not the Christ
BUT that I am sent before HIM
HE that has the bride is the bridegroom
BUT the friend of the bridegroom
which stands and hears HIM rejoices greatly
because of the bridegroom’s voice
this my joy therefore is fulfilled
HE must increase – BUT I must decrease
HE that comes from above is above all
he that is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth
HE that comes from heaven is above all
And what HE has seen and heard – THAT HE testifies
and no man receives HIS testimony
He that has received HIS testimony has set to his seal that God is true
FOR HE whom God has sent speaks the words of God
FOR God gives not the Spirit by measure to HIM
The Father loves the Son – and has given all things into HIS hand
he that believes on the Son has everlasting life
AND he that believes not the Son shall not see life
BUT the wrath of God abides on him
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers: 5
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. ( 1080 “born” [gennao] means bring forth, bedelivered, give birth, procreate, conceived, or gracious act of God to produce spiritual children.)
DEVOTION: Jesus is stating something very significant when HE uses “verily” twice in this verse. HE wants Nicodemus to listen intently to what HE is about to say. Nicodemus was a religious leader who had questions regarding spiritual matters. He knew that Jesus was a teacher come from God and wanted to pick HIS brain regarding these spiritual matters.
Jesus starts right out informing HIM that he must be have a new birth. This new spiritual birth had to come from above. That is what born again means. It is a birth that can only come from heaven. It is not a natural birth.
Each person is conceived naturally in the womb of his/her mother.
This is a process that takes about nine months and then there is a physical birth that takes place. Jesus wants to instruct a teacher of the Jewish religion in the fact that there must be a spiritual birth that has two parts. One part is “born of water.” This is thought to be referring to the Word of God.
In Psalm 119: 9 we have a way for a young man to cleanse his ways. It is stated that it is through the giving heed to the Word of God. In Ephesians 5: 25, 26 we read that husbands are to love their wives just as Christ loved the church and cleansed it by the washing of water through the Word of God. Most of us understand what it means to be given birth in the Holy Spirit.
Once a commitment is made the Holy Spirit indwells an individual for the rest of their life. HE is given as an engagement ring to all who genuinely believe. HE not only indwells but HE also fills those who confess their sin yield to HIS direction in their life. We can quench the Holy Spirit and we can grieve the Holy Spirit by our actions.
There are sins of commission and sins of omission in our lives.
CHALLENGE: As we understand our status with the LORD we should act according to the leading of the Word of God and Holy Spirit. The LORD desires for us to be fruitful believers.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 16 For God so loved the world, that HE gave HIS only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in HIM should not perish, but have everlasting life. (25 “loved” [agapao] means beloved, to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to love dearly, to be well pleased, to be contented at or with a thing, to have a great affection or care for or loyalty towards.)
DEVOTION: This is one of the first verses that we should teach our children. We need to have this truth engrained in their life as soon as they can understand it explained simply.
God loves us as part of the world HE created. HE loved us so much that HE sent HIS one and only Son to die on the cross for our sins. Jesus came to this earth as a little baby and lived a perfect sinless life while here which no one can do but HIM. All of us are sinners. There is none that can live a completely righteous life while we are alive.
So we need to be forgiven for our sins. The only way for this to happen is through belief in Jesus Christ. Everyone who believes in HIM is promised that they will have eternal life in heaven for eternity.
Those who don’t believe will spend eternity in the lake of fire with the devil and his angels. That is what the word “perish” means. Those not in heaven will be judged for their rejection of Jesus Christ.
We all have to make a choice. There is no just waiting until after we die to make a decision. It is made here and now.
CHALLENGE: Our friends need to hear this message from us on a regular basis. God love them too enough to send HIS Son to die for them. We are HIS messengers to our friends and relatives.
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: 30 HE must increase, but I must decrease. (1642 “decrease” [elattoo] means to make less or inferior, to decrease in authority or popularity, make lower, to become less significant or important, or to diminish.)
DEVOTION: John the Baptist knew his assignment while he was on this earth. He had a gift given to him by the Holy Spirit. He was called to be a messenger before the LORD. He was to be the voice of one crying in the wilderness.
He dressed and ate as a prophet of old. He traveled throughout the country preaching repentance. He baptized those who repented of their sins. He was criticized by the Pharisees and other religious leaders.
His disciples wondered about Jesus when HE began ministering in the country. They were told that HE was the Lamb of God. John told his disciples to check out the ministry of Jesus.
The statement in this verse is given by John to his disciples who wanted to instruct his disciples in the importance of the ministry of Jesus. He told his disciples that no one can receive a ministry unless it is given from heaven.
Jesus was the Messiah who had come from heaven. Jesus was the bridegroom and John was the friend of the bride. The church is the bride of Christ. John knew he was only preparing the way for the bridegroom, Jesus Christ.
He knew that the LORD had to increase in ministry and he was going to decrease. Jesus was going to go to the cross to die for the sins of the world. John knew these things and wanted all his disciples to follow Jesus.
CHALLENGE: As disciples we need to be a follower of Jesus Christ with the realization that HE receives all the glory.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 36 He that believes on the Son has everlasting life: and he that believes not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abides on him. (3306 “abideth” [meno] means remain, (in reference to a place) – tarry, not to depart, to continue to be present, continues to exist, to be kept, continually or dwell.)
DEVOTION: There are only two eternal destinations for all human beings. The final place for the angels was determined before mankind was created. The good angels are in heaven. The evil angels are going to spend eternity in the lake of fire with the Devil or Satan. They are not in the lake of fire yet. Satan is not in control of the lake of fire. Satan doesn’t want to go to the lake of fire. He has no choice. We have a choice. Theologians think that the angels are presently in the second heaven. God the Father is in the third heaven and we are in the first heave.
If we chose to believe on the Son, we will have everlasting life in heaven with God. If we chose not to believe, will spend eternity in a place where the wrath of God dwells. That place is the lake of fire that burns for eternity. It is a place where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. It is a place of torment.
How can a loving God send human beings to a lake of fire forever? Our God is a loving Father but HE is also just. The message of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection is heard by all that live on the earth. The choice is giving to each individual. They made a choice on where to spend eternity.
There is no annihilationism (dead just go out of existence). There is no universalism (all people go to heaven). There is only choosing to follow Christ or not. Once the choice is made, there is appointed unto every man a time to die and then the judgment. The judgment is based on our relationship to the message of salvation through the substitutionary death of Christ on the cross, where HE shed HIS blood for the whole world.
Those who reject Christ have the verdict of continuing to exist in the state of blindness or dead in trespasses and sins. This verdict can only be lifted if the individual becomes a follower of Christ. Most do not become followers of Christ because they like their life the way it is now. They are not concerned about eternity.
Our responsibility is to spread the message, just as Christ did to Nicodemus. Everyone is born of water at physical birth. Only a few are born of the Spirit, which is, spiritual birth. We need to present the death, burial and resurrection of Christ to all those in our world. We have to do it in a loving manner.
CHALLENGE: Do you really believe those outside of Christ are going to spend eternity in HELL? What are we doing about it!!
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Moses verse 14
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
God loved the world verse 16
Gave only begotten Son verse 16
Sent the Son verse 17
Father loves Son verse 35
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
Conversion of Nicodemus verse 1- 21
Jesus verse 2, 3, 5, 10, 22
Rabbi verse 2
Teacher come from God verse 2
Miracles verse 2
Son verse 13, 14, 17, 18, 35, 36
Came down from heaven verse 13
Son of man verse 13, 14
Crucified verse 14
Only begotten Son verse 16
Only begotten Son of God verse 18
Son of God verse 18
Light verse 19
Baptizes verse 26
Christ verse 28
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Spirit verse 5, 6, 8, 34
Born of the Spirit verse 5, 6, 8
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
God verse 2 , 3, 5, 16, 17, 21, 33, 34, 36
Kingdom of God verse 3 , 5
God is true verse 3
Words of God verse 34
Wrath of God verse 36
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Earthly things verse 12
All men verse 26
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Condemn verse 17- 19
Believe not verse 18, 36
Loved darkness verse 19
Deeds are evil verse 19, 20
Hate verse 20
Not receive Jesus testimony verse 32
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Born again verse 3, 7
Born of the Spirit verse 8
Witness verse 11
Believe verse 12, 15, 16, 18, 36
Tell heavenly things verse 12
Eternal life verse 15
Saved verse 17
Believed in the name verse 18
Reprove sin verse 20
Truth verse 21
Come to the light verse 21
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Pharisees verse 1
Nicodemus (master of Israel) verse 1- 21
Jews verse 1, 25
Israel verse 10
Moses verse 14
Land of Judaea verse 22
Baptized verse 22, 23
John (Rabbi) verse 23, 26- 36
Aenon verse 23
Jordan verse 26
John bears witness of Jesus verse 26
Church (New Testament people of God)
Disciples verse 22
Last Things (Future Events)
Ascend up to heaven verse 13
Perish verse 15, 16
Everlasting life verse 15, 16, 36
Wrath of God verse 36
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QUOTES regarding passage
19–21 The difference between the believer and the unbeliever does not lie in the guilt or innocence of either, it lies in the different attitudes they take toward the “light.” The unbeliever shrinks from the light because it exposes his sin; the believer willingly comes to the light so that his real motives may be revealed. This verse is paralleled by 1 John 1:8–9: “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
In John 1:5 we’re told of the natural antipathy that exists between light and darkness. John 3:19–21 lift this battle from the realm of the abstract to the concrete by showing that it is the love of evil deeds that keep men from responding to the light. There’s no missing the fact that men are held accountable for their actions, and the choice is theirs: evil deeds or truth. (Tenney, M. C. (1981). John. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: John and Acts (Vol. 9, pp. 50–51). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
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3:21. Jesus is like a magnet. His people are drawn to Him and welcome His revelation. Though the light rebukes their sin, they respond in repentance and faith. They live by the truth (cf. 2 John 1–2, 4; 3 John 1, 4). By regeneration they live differently than their former lives of darkness. Their new lives are by faith in Jesus and His Word. And the Spirit, working in their lives, gives them new power, goals, and interests (2 Cor. 5:17; Eph. 2:10). (Blum, E. A. (1985). John. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 282). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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17–21 If the purpose of the mission of the Son is that people may live and not be lost, the possibility of both destinies is clearly implied, and God in his love stands behind both. This dual possibility is expounded in vv 17–21. The positive purpose of the mission is unambiguously stated in v 17: it is that the world be saved. The incarnation, death, and resurrection of the Son of God were directed to the salvation of all humanity, not to a segment of it. But since this salvation is found in the Son (v 15), and so through faith’s acknowledgment of the Revealer and his redemption (v 16), the coming of the Son for salvation can be turned into the occasion of judgment, and that possibility is present for all who hear the gospel (v 18). The process is described in vv 19–21. Here the key term is κρίσις, “judgment,” and it is used in its twofold sense of separation and condemnation. The Redeemer has come into the world as Light in a dark place, clearly to bring the “light” of salvation. But before that Light men separate themselves; they either approach it or move away from it. The former move into the light of salvation, the latter depart from it into deeper darkness. This is a different image from that of judgment as separation of sheep from goats (Matt 25:31–33), but it sets forth the same fundamental reality, humankind dividing before the representative of God. The striking difference in the Evangelist’s picture is its relation to the present situation of humankind: the separation is taking place now, and its results are felt in the present. But the tragedy of the separation is also underscored: God’s great saving act has become a means of judgment through the perverted reaction of people. What causes the wrong decisions? “Men loved the darkness more than the light because their deeds were evil.” They who love darkness hate the light. Their deeds express their perversity; hence, they keep far from the Light to avoid exposure. Conversely the believer, here defined as “he who does the truth,” i.e. acts in accordance with the truth, comes to the Light, for his acts have been achieved through the grace of God in Christ, and he would acknowledge it before God and the world. In short, “In the decision of faith or unbelief it becomes apparent what man really is and what he always was” (Bultmann, 159). Beasley-Murray, G. R. (1999). John (Vol. 36, pp. 51–52). Dallas: Word, Incorporated)
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Light and darkness (vv. 19–21). This is one of the major images used in this Gospel (John 1:4–13). Why will sinners not come into the “light of life”? Because they love the darkness! They want to persist in their evil deeds, and this keeps them from coming to the light; for the closer the sinner gets to the light, the more his sins are exposed. It is not “intellectual problems” that keep people from trusting Christ; it is the moral and spiritual blindness that keeps them loving the darkness and hating the light.
Please note that Nicodemus finally did “come to the light.” He was in the “midnight of confusion” (John 3:1–21), but eventually he came out into the “sunlight of confession” when he identified with Christ at Calvary (John 19:38–42). He realized that the uplifted Saviour was indeed the Son of God. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 297). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books)
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3:19 Condemnation refers to the reason for judgment. The light referred to here is Jesus, the light of the world (1:7–9; 8:12; 9:5).
3:20 People offer many excuses for not accepting Christ. Some cite the presence of hypocrites in the church. Others claim inability to believe some of the truths about Christ or the gospel. These are merely attempts to conceal a heart in rebellion against God. The ultimate reason people do not come to Christ is that they do not want to.
3:21 The one who does the truth (1 John 1:5) is obviously already a believer because his or her deeds are done in God. Therefore, “coming to the light” is more than exercising faith. A person who comes to the light not only believes, but also openly identifies with the light so that his or her works can be seen as things done in union with God. One who believes on the Son and practices the truth can be trusted by God to be given revelation and responsibilities for service. (Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1999). Nelson’s new illustrated Bible commentary (p. 1320). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers)
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Ver. 19. And this is the condemnation, &c.] Of him that believes not in Christ; that is, this is the matter and cause of his condemnation, and by which it is aggravated, and appears to be just: that light is come into the world: by which is meant, not natural, or corporeal light; though natural darkness is, by some, preferred to this, being more convenient for their evil works; as by thieves, murderers, and adulterers: nor is the light of nature designed, with which every man is enlightened that comes into the world; which, though but a dim light, might be of more use, and service, than it is; and is often rejected, and rebelled against, by wicked men, and which will be the condemnation of the Heathen world: but rather the light of divine revelation, both in the law of God, and Gospel of Christ; especially the latter is here intended; and which, though so great a favour to fallen men, is despised, and denied by the sons of darkness: though it may be best of all to understand it of Christ himself, the light of the world, and who is come a light into it; see John 8:12 and 12:46 who may be called light, because he has set revelation in its clearest and fullest light; he has declared the whole mind, and will of God concerning the affair of divine worship, and the business of salvation: grace, and truth, are come by him; the doctrines of grace, and the truths of the Gospel, are most clearly brought to light by him; the types, and shadows of the law are removed; and the promises, and the prophecies of the Old Testament, are most largely expounded by him, and most perfectly fulfilled in him: and besides, he is the author and giver of the light of grace, by which men see themselves to be what they are, lost and undone sinners; and see him to be the only able, willing, suitable, sufficient, and complete Saviour: and he it is that now gives the saints the glimpse of glory they have, and will be the light of the new Jerusalem, and the everlasting light of his people hereafter. He, by his incarnation, may be said to come into the world in general, which was made by him, as God; and as he was in it, as man; though he was not known by it as the God-man, Mediator, and Messiah: and particularly he came into the Jewish world, where he was born, brought up, conversed, lived, and died; and into the Gentile world, by the ministry of his apostles, whom he sent into all the world, to preach the Gospel to every creature, and spread the glorious light of it in every place: and men loved darkness rather than light: the Jews, the greater part of them, preferred the darkness of the ceremonial law, and the Mosaic dispensation, and even the traditions of their elders, before the clear Gospel revelation made by Christ Jesus; and the Gentiles also, for the most part, chose rather to continue in their Heathenish ignorance, and idolatry, and to walk in their own ways, and in the vanity of their minds, than to embrace Christ, and his Gospel, and submit to his ordinances, and appointments; and the generality of men, to this day, love their natural darkness, and choose to walk in it, and to have fellowship with the works of darkness, and delight in the company of the children of darkness, rather than follow Christ, the light of the world; receive his Gospel, and walk in his ways, in fellowship with his saints: the reason of all this is, because their deeds were evil; which they chose not to relinquish; and Christ, his Gospel and ordinances are contrary to them; for the doctrine of the grace of God, which has appeared, and shone out in great lustre, and splendour, in the world, teaches men to deny ungodliness, and worldly lusts; and therefore it is hated, and rejected, by men.
Ver. 20. For every one that doth evil, hateth the light, &c.] Every man, the series of whose life and conversation is evil, hates Christ and his Gospel, because they make manifest his evil deeds, convict him of them, and rebuke him for them: neither cometh to the light; to hear Christ preach, or preached; to attend on the Gospel ministration and means of grace: lest his deeds should be reproved; or discovered, and made manifest, and he be brought to shame, and laid under blame, and advised to part with them, which he cares not to do; see Eph. 5:11, 12, 13.
Ver. 21. But he that doth truth, &c.] That which is true, right and good: he whose work is just, as the Ethiopic version renders it; or, he that does that which is right, so the Persic; that which is according to the will of God, and from a principle of love to him, and with a view to his glory: cometh to the light; to Christ, and to his word, and ordinances: that his deeds may be made manifest; being brought to the light, to the test, and standard, whether they are right, or wrong; and that it may appear, that they are wrought in God; or by God; by his assistance, and gracious influence, without which men can do nothing; for ’tis God that works in them both to will and to do: or, according to God, as others render it; according to the will of God, both for matter and manner: or for God, as the Ethiopic version renders it; for the glory of God, which ought to be the aim, and end of every action. The Persic version reads the whole thus, that the work which is between God and him may be known; that such deeds may be discovered, which are only known to God and himself. (Gill, J. (1809). An Exposition of the New Testament (Vol. 1, p. 774). London: Mathews and Leigh)
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We think next whom Jesus condemns (3:18–19). Although it is true that Christ’s mission the first time was not one of condemnation, the manifestation of Christ was both a process of judgment and a sentence of judgment on those who rejected him. The purpose of his coming was to offer peace, love, joy, and the goodness and glory of God’s grace. But to those who spurned all that, the product of his coming was inevitably judgment.
“He that believeth on him is not condemned [judged]”; that is the one class of people. “He that believeth not is condemned already [hath been judged already]”; that is the other class of people. This is not the judgment of an arbitrary sentence but the inevitable working out, in the life of a Christ-rejecting individual, of an absolute law. A man who has a disease that a few injections can cure, but who refuses to take the injections and consequently dies of his disease, has no one but himself to blame. He spurned the remedy. What followed in his life was the inevitable outworking of law, of cause and effect. The same is true of sinners. The judgment they reap, by rejecting Christ, they bring on themselves. Christ came to offer eternal life. They chose death.
“And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil” (3:19). They still do, and they still are. Taken by itself, this is a very great text. Some people rarely have their greatness recognized because they are overshadowed by someone close to them. Thus the greatness of Isaac is overshadowed by the greatness of his father Abraham and by that of his son Jacob. The greatness of Barnabas is overshadowed by the stature of Paul. The same is true of texts. This verse in John’s gospel can afford to stand alone, straight and tall, on its own two feet. That it rarely does is because it is overshadowed by the giant three doors down on the same street—John 3:16. Everyone preaches on John 3:16, but who preaches on John 3:19?
This is a fine Christmas text. “Light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” At Bethlehem, light invaded this darkened world. A classic illustration of men loving darkness rather than light is seen in King Herod, whose deeds were evil indeed. Herod—who murdered his wife’s brother, his favorite wife, and both his sons. Herod—who murdered the rank and file of the Hasmoneans, whose favorite sport was to watch while several hundred of his subjects were crucified before him as he was getting drunk, who had every leading citizen in his realm arrested just days before his death and gave instructions that, immediately upon news of his own death, every one of them was to be murdered. If ever a man’s deeds were evil, it was Herod’s. If ever a man loved darkness rather than light, it was Herod. And when the light came into the world and he heard about it, he sent and murdered the babes of Bethlehem in an effort to overcome light with the “power of darkness.”
The reason why people hate the light is because of what it reveals. It shows us where we are and what we are. It shows us what a dark place the world is. It shows human beings how dark and evil they are. And so we note what Jesus contrasts (3:20–21): those who loathe the light (3:20—“For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved”) and those who love the light (3:21—“But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God”). (Phillips, J. (2009). Exploring the Gospel of John: An Expository Commentary (Jn 3:17–21). Kregel Publications; WORDsearch Corp.)
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FROM MY READING:
BBC TEACHING BRITISH SCHOOL CHILDREN THERE ARE “MORE THAN 100 GENDERS” (Friday Church News Notes, November 22, 2019, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) – The following is excerpted from “The BBC teaching British school children,” Creation.com, Nov. 14, 2019: “The BBC have released nine online videos titled ‘The Big Talk’ for use in British schools as part of the UK’s new Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) curriculum, which came into force in September 2019. In these films, typically running to four minutes, children are taught that sex is unrelated to gender, that people can go to prison for ‘being disrespectful or hateful’ (to others with different sexual orientations), and that there are ‘over 100 different gender identities.’ … To question this ideology is now considered rank heresy. However, the BBC’s teaching will only sow further confusion in our society. The unpalatable truth is that a radical, dangerous philosophy is now being forced upon the young and vulnerable as part of the advancement of an extreme political ideology. It is of grave concern that the BBC is preaching this new ‘all-inclusive doctrine’ to children as young as 9–12 years of age. … The material in the BBC videos should concern any parent or teacher who cares about the mental well-being of children, especially those seeking to raise children in accordance with biblical standards. Genesis 1:26-28 reveals that God created people as male and female in His image. Adam and Eve were the first married couple in Scripture, and Jesus Himself affirmed the Bible’s definition of marriage as one woman for one man for life (Matthew 19:4-6; Mark 10:6-8). … However, in the BBC videos, school children are encouraged to transgress the clear standards of God’s Word and to celebrate this behaviour. This is to light the fuse of a cultural and moral time-bomb. … Recently, Canadian academic Christopher Dummitt, a leader in the field of historical gender studies, bluntly admitted: ‘Everyone was (and is) making it up. That’s how the gender-studies field works.’ Dummit confesses that his field is driven by the underlying, unproven, ideological belief that gender is socially constructed, that it is non-binary (i.e. not restricted to male and female), and that traditional masculinity empowers men to oppress women. Such thinking has dominated the liberal arts in Western academic institutions since the 1990s. But such an ideology Dummit admits is ‘bankrupt’, not based on biological fact.”
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Hebrews 1
Because Christ is the Son of God, He is superior to angels in every way.
INSIGHT
Angels do not seem real to us. They are found in fairy tales, and we tell children about them; but we tend not to take them seriously. They are very real, however, and play an important role in ministering to us as believers. Throughout the Bible we only get glimpses of the work of angels in our lives, but one of those glimpses is found in today’s chapter. We read here that they are sent forth to minister to those who will inherit salvation. Perhaps this is the passage from which the idea of a guardian angel has come. Apparently, angels can appear in human form, for some have “entertained angels” without knowing it (Hebrews 13:2). They are also very active in world affairs. At present, they are much greater than men, but one day redeemed men will “judge angels” (1 Corinthians 6:3).(Quiet Walk)
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When the legendary composer Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901) was young, a hunger for approval drove him toward success. Warren Wiersbe wrote of him: “When Verdi produced his first opera in Florence, the composer stood by himself in the shadows and kept his eye on the face of one man in the audience—the great Rossini. It mattered not to Verdi whether the people in the hall were cheering him or jeering him; all he wanted was a smile of approval from the master musician.”
Whose approval do we seek? A parent’s? A boss’s? A love interest’s? For Paul, there was but one answer. He wrote, “We speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts” (1 Thessalonians 2:4).
What does it mean to seek God’s approval? At the very least, it involves two things: turning from the desire for the applause of others and allowing His Spirit to make us more like Christ—the One who loved us and gave Himself for us. As we yield to His perfect purposes in us and through us, we can anticipate a day when we will experience the smile of His approval—the approval of the One who matters most.
By Bill Crowder (Our Daily Bread)
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THE SAVIOR
And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.
1 John 4:14
“And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.” The whole gospel in a phrase! This is the only time in which John uses the expression “Savior” in the entire epistle. He gives the same teaching, of course, in other places. He says that our Lord is “the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2). There is a sense in which he repeats the thought here, but he does not use this precise phrase but describes Him as “the Savior of the world.”
The word “Savior” does not merely mean helper. We are not told that the Father sent the Son to help mankind; it does not mean that He is just someone who assists. Nor does it mean that He is just one who teaches or indicates to us what we ought to do; He is not merely an instructor. Indeed, I would go further and say that the term “Savior” and its connotation must not be thought of in terms of an example or pattern or encourager. I use these terms because so often people speak about our Lord as Savior, and yet if you ask them to define what they mean by that, they say that Christ as Savior is One who is marching ahead of us and is leading the way.
Now the element that is seen in such ideas is that ultimately you and I have to save ourselves, and what the Lord does is to aid and assist us—to give us encouragement and make it somewhat easier for us to do so. Now that, of course, is clearly a complete denial not only of the biblical teaching, but also of the historic faith and creeds of the Christian church.
A Thought to Ponder: The word “Savior” does not merely mean helper.
(From The Love of God, pp. 132-134, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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Teach and Preach Continually
“And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.” (Acts 5:42)
The Great Commission was given to every Christian and implied a daily ministry of witness by life and word. The early Christians took it seriously, as our text implies. Even when they began to be persecuted for it, this merely led to a wider proclamation of the gospel. “Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word” (Acts 8:4).
The command of Christ was to “preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15), and this required every Christian to be involved every day. The “gospel” includes the entire scope of the person and work and teachings of Jesus Christ, so both preaching and teaching are involved. Furthermore, Christ did not say “send” but “go!” Although it is vital that missionaries be sent and supported as they go to “the regions beyond,” each believer must go to those he can reach as ability and opportunity allow. “Jerusalem . . . Judaea . . . Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8) were all to be reached not consecutively but simultaneously, and this would require both personal and financial participation by every Christian.
The message was to “teach and preach Jesus Christ” in all His fullness. Their witnessing was to be “unto me” (Acts 1:8). It was to be both in public and in private—“in the temple, and in every house.” They were to pray to “the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest” (Luke 10:2) and also to train “faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2).
And the result of this intense first-century dedication to the Great Commission was that “the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly” (Acts 6:7). However, the work has never been completed and the command is still in effect. (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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Daily Hope
Today’s Scripture
Psalm 137
There is no place like home! Whether it is Dorothy and Togo in the Wizard of Oz or John Denver singing “Take Me Home, Country Roads”, people have a desire to be at a place they call home. While traveling it always seems that the trip home is shorter than the one going. Perhaps it is the anticipation of the familiar or the desire to be back to a normal routine, but it is always nice to be home!
This psalm is a psalm of lament and sadness as the writer seeks to remember the land he loves and prays for the Lord to judge and punish those who have torn him from the city of Jerusalem. Sitting by the rivers of Tigris and Euphrates in the land of Babylon, the psalmist is being asked to sing songs of the Temple and of Zion. The people in exile refused to sing as the pain and knowledge of their city being plundered was still fresh and agonizing to these refugees.
Instead, they hung their harps on the willows around them and prayed for the Lord to perform the same actions to Edom and Babylon as they had done to Jerusalem. This prayer of vengeance is answered but, in the meantime, the people of Israel had lost their song and their life was filled with drudgery, sadness and a desire to see retribution.
For many, life has taken unexpected turns and we find ourselves in places we do not desire to be or remain. The sudden shutdown due to the pandemic, the experience of isolation and churches being closed has caused many to long for normalcy. Others have experienced the trauma of break ups, moves or loss of loved ones that have left them on the banks of a strange, foreign river, crying for relief. Like the psalmist, we too can have an assurance that the Lord is with us and is in control of all situations despite the difficulties being presently experienced.
Psalm 46 can become the support needed as it reminds us that God is our refuge and the conqueror of the nations. “The Lord of hosts is with us: The God of Jacob is our refuge” (46:11). Let us be still before Him today (v.10) and rejoice that God is our refuge!
With an Expectant hope, by Pastor Brian Miller
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