For God so Loved the World...

Title: For God So Loved the World…
Date: 31 July 2023
Preacher: Ps Wilson Tan

Introduction
Today is Gospel Sunday! If it is your first time here with us, welcome to Jubilee Church. When I was asked to preach on this special day, I asked Pastor Siow Hwee if anyone had preached from John 3:16 before. He told me no one had, at least not in the bilingual service. I was pleasantly surprised! Maybe it is such a common verse that everyone assumes someone else has preached it before.
This is good for me! I get a chance to preach a popular verse that we may have overlooked.
Maybe we can learn something new from this? Who was Jesus speaking to in this verse?
Let’s begin with John chapter 3 verse 1:
1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”

Who was this person Nicodemus?
He was an influential Jew, a Pharisee, a teacher of the Law, but more importantly, a seeker of truth. Only in the Gospel of John do we hear about this man, Nicodemus. There are three episodes of Nicodemus’ encounter with Jesus. First, is our passage this morning. Second, Nicodemus defended Jesus before the Pharisees at the Festival of Booths (John 7: 50-52). Third, Nicodemus brought about 75 pounds of myrrh and aloes to prepare Jesus’ body for burial (John 19:39-42). We see that Nicodemus is no ordinary man. He could have been a secret disciple of Jesus. Just from these three episodes alone, we see his faith grew, from a man with many questions to a man of action in faith when he prepared Jesus’ body for burial.
Nicodemus came to Jesus in the night. Perhaps to avoid the crowd in the day and to have a more private audience with Jesus. Unlike the other Pharisees, Nicodemus came in good faith. He acknowledged Jesus as “Rabbi” who came from God. He wants to know who Jesus is.
Born from above
Now, let us return to our passage and look at the conversations between Nicodemus and Jesus. Take note of the words in bold.
John 3:3-8
3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

How many times did Jesus use the word “born”? 5 times! Born again, born of water and the Spirit, born of the Spirit, born again, born of the Spirit. It is obvious that this verb is of a special significance! To be clear, in all five instances, they only mean one thing, that is: a rebirth. For anyone to enter the kingdom of God, a rebirth is needed. But Nicodemus was unclear on the concept of rebirth.

The confusion is over the Greek word for “again” as it can translated in two ways. In its original meaning as Jesus intended, anothen, is translated as “above.” But Nicodemus sees rebirth as “born again” in a physical and natural sense. This is why Nicodemus asked how it is possible for an old man to be born again through a woman’s womb. “From above” connotes a spiritual meaning. To be born again means to be born from above - from God.
Jesus clarifies that our first birth was of the flesh, but our rebirth is of the Spirit. For anyone to see the kingdom of God, one must be born of WATER and of the SPIRIT.
…of Water
Historically and even in modern times, water is a symbol of purification. In the Middle East, it is common to see a water jug at the entrance of the house or at restaurants. In the book of Numbers, water combined with ashes, can be used to ceremonially cleanse someone from sin (Numbers 19:17-20).
Water is also a symbol of God’s power. In the story of the Noah’s flood (Genesis 6:17), Jews are reminded of God’s power to purify the earth. Also during the Exodus event (Exodus 14:1-15:21), God destroyed Pharoah’s army in the Reed Sea and delivered the Israelites from their enemies.
Today, water is a symbol of initiation into the kingdom of God. It is a symbolic gesture of the beginning of our new life in the body of Christ, that is, the Church.
What about being born of the Spirit?
Jesus went on to give a beautiful analogy of the Spirit who moves freely like the wind. This is interesting because the root word for “spirit” in Greek, pneuma, also means “wind.” To be born of the Spirit is to be Spirit-filled. That means to be transformed by the Spirit each day.
When we wake up each morning, how many of us feel low on energy and in need of a booster. Like me, we need the morning elixir of coffee that can get our body engines cranking and brain finally functioning. Likewise, we cannot run on our own strength but on the power of the Holy Spirit, that is the elixir of our spiritual life. We may start the day with prayer and contemplation, or a morning devotion. Knowing that the Spirit is always with us every step of the way.
For a Jew like Nicodemus, this may not have been easy to understand. Since the time of Moses, the Jews have always been known as God’s chosen nation. They see this as a privilege by birth.
[Nicodemus, do not be surprised that I am telling you this!] “You must be born again.” (v. 7). Note the divine imperative “you must” that implies a divine necessity. This must be so, if you want to enter the kingdom of God, you must be born from above.
Jesus is telling Nicodemus that being a Jew by birth is not enough. One does not enter into the kingdom of God by way of birth. One needs to be born from above! Of water and of the Spirit. This is quite a new teaching for a Jew! No wonder Nicodemus was confused!

The Son of Man must be lifted up
John 3:9-15
9 Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

From speaking about earthly things (repentance), Jesus moved on to heavenly things (atonement). Jesus is prophesying about the Son of Man who must be lifted up, just like how Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness. And so, when readers read about the Son of Man being lifted up, they would immediately connect the Son of Man to the person Jesus. But when these words were first spoken by Jesus to Nicodemus, Nicodemus would not have made this immediate connection.
In vv. 13 and 14, we see the four theological significant events of Jesus’ mission on earth. His birth (descended from heaven), death (lifted up the serpent in the wilderness), resurrection (Son of Man be lifted up) and ascension (ascended into heaven). Whoever believes in him may have eternal life (v. 15).
With a better understanding of these earlier verses, let us turn our attention now to John 3: 16-18
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

I will use four key words to sum up my thoughts: Doubt, Salvation, Repentance and Forgiveness.. These four key theological concepts can be expanded into four statements of faith.
Let’s begin with the first.
1. Doubt… can mature our Faith.
On initial reflection, we may see Doubt as a bad thing. But Doubt can mature our Faith. Do not see doubt as purely unbelief but rather as a means to challenge our faith.
Even in the Bible, characters like King David, Job and Thomas dealt with doubts in their struggle with God. Yes, there will be times when our doubts could hinder our beliefs and may even turn us away from God. But even with this possibility, it is okay to doubt, for sometimes it is in this struggle that we find new strength in our faith.
A well-known pastor (Tim Keller) once wrote that “A person’s faith can collapse almost overnight if [he or] she has failed over the years to listen patiently to her own doubts…Believers should acknowledge and wrestle with doubts…only if you struggle long and hard with objections to your faith will you be able to provide the grounds for your beliefs to sceptics, including yourself.” 【1】
Many years ago, when I was a youth leader in youth ministry, I experienced my first major doubt about God and his providence. It was one of the saddest moments of my life. A boy in my group suffered a peculiar stomach condition which did not allow his body to digest any food. Slowly, his body wasted away and he passed away a few months after. He was only 15 years old.
It was difficult for me to understand why a good God would allow something like this to happen. Is God really good all the time? Or is his goodness measured differently from ours? This early confrontation with a young boy’s death changed my understanding about God. It changed my perspective on prayer and faith. I do not believe all prayers lead to healing. But we still pray. I do not believe that it is the lack of our faith when someone is not healed. It is God’s will.
My faith was deeply shaken when my son fell ill. I experienced the darkest night of my soul. But I believe that my faith was strengthen by this crisis. My doubt did not turn me away from God, but it drew me closely to Him more than ever before. Doubt can mature our faith.
So the next time doubt comes along, let us dare to ask God the tough questions. Let us seek him. We may not always get the answers we want but seeking things out and believing in the steadfastness of God, despite the darkest days, is part of exercising our faith.
2. Salvation… starts with God’s action in love.
In his book, The King Jesus Gospel, Scot McKnight, a NT scholar wrote about the difference between salvation culture vs gospel culture. He believes that the evangelical churches today have focused too much on personal salvation and individual decision to believe in Jesus over making disciples as the central gospel message of the Bible. He is right! 【2】
The salvation culture is concerned with who is saved and who is not saved. Have you said the sinner’s prayer? Have you decided to follow Jesus? The focus is very much self-centred and individualistic.
The salvation culture is very much intertwined with the “born again” culture among the evangelical churches. To be “born again” is problematic as it has become a cliché today. It’s just a label without discipleship. It creates a culture of salvation of the individuals. I am saved because I believe in Jesus. God’s salvation is diluted to personal salvation.
Contrary, in a gospel culture, as reflected in the Bible, it is about who God is? Who is Jesus? What God has done? What did Jesus accomplish on the cross? Even the Great Commission in Matt 28:19, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…” The emphasis is about making disciples rather than making a decision to follow Jesus. Discipleship over Decision.
Salvation starts with God’s action in love. “For God so loved the world…” John 3:16 begins with what God has done! It is an act of love that he sends his one and only begotten Son to redeem the world from sin and death. The Gospel is the Good News of Jesus Christ. The Good News is Jesus Christ himself! Jesus did not die only for people who believed in him. He died for all of humanity. But this doesn’t mean that all will be saved. There is still a human response. This is what we call Repentance.
3. Repentance… is our human response to God’s grace.
Only by recognising God who first loved us, are we able to respond in return. “[That] whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
Given that it is evangelism Sunday, allow me to share my own testimony.
As some of you may know, I came from a non-Christian family and I was brought to Jubilee Church when I was 12 years old by my mother’s friend. I happened to meet her again recently at our church’s 140th anniversary. Even though my family was Buddhist-Taoist 【3】, my mum allowed her friend to bring my brother and I to church. My mother told me then that she thought the church can help us be good and obedient children.
After attending my first youth camp, I started coming to youth fellowship regularly. I made many new friends in Jubilee Church over the years. Elder Jonathan Lee and brother Zhi Ping were my group leaders. And my Sunday School teachers were uncle Chor Long and Fan Shi Mu. As I grew up in Jubilee Church, Pastor Yee Leng, Pastor May Tan and Pastor Daniel 【4】 were influential in my Christian development. I began to serve actively in the youth ministry, serving in the worship team and going on mission trips.
I had a yearning to learn more about God and the Bible. So much so that I even took religious studies as one of my subjects in O Levels! Sorry to disappoint, I didn’t get an A1 for it! But I enjoyed this subject very much. I had a very good and caring teacher, Ms Chia Bee Teck, who was also influential in my spiritual journey too.
When I was a young Christian, I remember spending some time in our church library reading as much as I could. There was a series called, “The Last Great Planet Earth,” by Hal Lindsey, which scared me quite a bit about the last days on earth. Armageddon! But after going through a sound theological education at TTC, I come to understand that this book is pure nonsense! Please do not read it! It is fictional and theologically unsound! There are many better Christian authors I can recommend. C.S. Lewis, John Stott, Max Lucado, Philip Yancey, Timothy Keller, Dietrich Bonhoeffer were influential on my faith journey. Joni Eareckson Tada’s biography was deeply touching. She was paralysed from neck down in a diving accident and found faith in her pain and suffering.
My faith journey has been more than 30 over years and yet, I still feel I am discovering new things about God and re-shaping my beliefs. I do not have all the answers but that is okay, because I know one day I will, when I meet God face to face.
So, if you ask me when exactly did I decide to follow Jesus, I wouldn’t be able to tell you specifically the exact time and date of my conversion. I was baptised when I was about 16 years old but it doesn’t mean that was when I started believing. It was the little things along the way that I had experienced which compelled me to believe in the one true God. My spiritual journey begins as a process rather than a point in time. I believe many of us here can relate with this.
Believing in Jesus is a lifelong journey. I shared my spiritual journey with you not, because it is anything special, but it is personal. Everyone of us will have a different faith journey story. But it starts with recognising what Jesus has done on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins.
Repentance is our human response to God’s grace on the cross. Our response to believe may very well starts with a decision, but that is merely the beginning of our journey in faith. Decision may just be an instant moment. Discipleship is lifelong.
4. Forgiveness… is finished (completed) on the cross.
Who is Jesus? What is the Gospel?
Allow me to quote from Karl Barth who summarised it so well here in vol. 4 of his Church Dogmatics.
And first of all we have to say comprehensively that in this action Jesus Christ was amongst us and lived and acted for us as the just or righteous man: “the just for the unjust” (1 Pet. 3:18). The omnipotence of God in the world, without and against the world, and therefore creating order for the world, is concretely identical with this righteous man, this second Adam who took the place of the first and put right what he had perverted. As the Judge, as the judged, as the One who in His own person has accomplished the judgment, He is the end of the old æon and the beginning of the new. He is the righteousness which dwells in the new heaven and the new earth (2 Pet. 3:13). We wait for Him when, placed in Him and with Him at this turning-point of the times, we wait for this new heaven and new earth. He sits on the throne and says: “Behold, I make all things new,” and more than that: “It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end” (Rev. 21:5f.)—He, this righteous man. 【5】
Jesus is The Righteous Man. The Messiah. There is no forgiveness without the obedience of Jesus on the cross. Jesus Christ took on the sins of this world and paid the penalty of sin through his death. There is no greater man than this. This God-man who gave his life for us all in order that we may live righteously before God. This is the Good News! The Gospel is Jesus Christ!
Yet, there is no forgiveness without repentance. The gift of reconciliation is given to all humanity but it doesn’t mean that all of humanity is saved. This idea of universalism that when Christ died for all, all will necessarily be saved is incorrect. For if this is true, then there will be no need for repentance or for anyone to believe in Jesus. It doesn’t matter what you believe, you will be saved anyway.
Imagine we are all prisoners on the death row. The jailer came and opened all our doors and said that the penalty has been paid and we are now free to go. But if we do not accept this gift, and choose to stay in the prison cell, then the paid penalty is of no benefit to us. Yes, we have a choice. We can choose to stay, or choose to go out and experience a new life as a free man. The door stays open until the day we die! The earlier we leave, the earlier we experience the fullness of God’s grace.
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 (NKJV)
Let us pray.

[1] Timothy Keller, excepts from The Reason for God (Penguin Random House). https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/301318/the-reason-for-god-by-timothy-keller/9781594483493/excerpt#
[2] He is not alone in this assessment. Both NT Wright and John Piper share similar thoughts.
[3]It was not my first encounter with gospel message as my school was a Christian school. Every Monday morning is devotion time, and we would hear someone share some bible stories over the PA and often ask us to close our eyes during prayer. I never really understood why we must close our eyes. Sometimes, I would purposely keep my eyes open to see if Jesus would appear in our class. But he was never there. Sometimes, I would challenge my Christian friends to a hypothetical fight between all the Chinese gods and Jesus and see who is more powerful! Jesus never stood a chance! I have now come to realise that the strength of Jesus is not in his power but in his weakness. On the cross, and to die for all of humanity.
[4] During my days in the national service, a few of us guys, Pastor Siow Hwee and Pastor Amos (who preached last week) included, would spend significant amount of time together on Sat nights at Uncle Daniel’s house! It was during that period that we accepted the call to serve God full time. After my undergrad studies at NUS, majoring in philosophy and political science, I enrolled into Trinity Theological College to pursue my theological studies.
[5]Karl Barth, Geoffrey William Bromiley, and Thomas F. Torrance, Church Dogmatics: The Doctrine of God, Part 1, vol. 4 (London; New York: T&T Clark, 2004), 257.

Bilingual Service Video Link: https://youtu.be/GTmnt5WIX_w