The Sermon Notes of Harold Buls On the Gospel Lessons of the Ingrian Lutheran Church of Russia Text from John 3:14-21 Pentecost 1. Jn. 3:1-21 gives us the account of the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus, a teacher of Israel. In vss. 1-10 we have the dialogue. Vss. 11-21 give us the discourse by Jesus: Vss. 11-13 tell us who Jesus is; vss. 14-17 tell us what He came to accomplish; and, vss. 18-21 show us the result of Jesus' coming. 2. Nicodemus was not a Christian when he came to Jesus. But evidently he was converted while he was with Jesus. He is mentioned again at Jn. 7:50-52 and 19:39-42. He became bold and unafraid. As Jesus says in 3:21: "The one who does the truth comes to the light so that his deeds become evident because they have been worked by God." 3. Jesus says in vs. 3: "Unless a person is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." In vs. 5 He says: "Unless a person is born of water and Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." Jesus explains in vs. 8 that this rebirth is a great mystery. Human beings cannot convert themselves. People are born but they do not cause birth. People become Christians but they do not cause this conversion. Water and Spirit, the baptism with the Word, causes conversion. In the baptism the Holy Spirit gives faith. Faith is not a work of man but a gift of God. Rom. 10:17 says: "Faith comes by hearing and hearing comes by the Word of God." It comes "by the washing of the water in the Word." Eph. 5:26. In vss. 14-17 Jesus explains it in another way. It is not the works of man that save him but the look of faith in Jesus. Man is not saved _because_ he believes but he is saved _by_ believing. Faith is not the cause of salvation but the way in which man is saved. Christ died for the sins of all people, even Judas and Saul. Salvation is complete and total. The means of grace, the Word and the Sacraments, offer what is already accomplished. 4. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. All will be sinners until they die. But Christ atoned for all sin. He invites all to become Christians. A person will be lost only if he rejects what Christ has done for him. It is not sin that damns but unbelief damns. 5. Vs. 17 reads: "For God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world but in order to save the world." He says at Jn. 12:47 and 48: "The one who rejects Me and does not receive My Words has the one who judges him; the Word which I have spoken, that will judge him on the last day." Jesus is the Savior, not the Judge. But, if people reject His Word that Word will condemn them. In vs. 18 of our text Jesus says: "The one who believes in Him is not condemned, but the one who does not believe is already condemned." Vs. 19 tells us that the cause of judgment is the love of the world for the darkness of sin rather than for the Light of Jesus and the Gospel. 6. The serpent in the wilderness (Num. 21:8ff) was a type in the OT foreshadowing Jesus. Those who looked at the serpent lived. Those who look up at Jesus crucified, will live forever. Other types in the OT are the Sabbath Day, the sacrifices, the priesthood of Aaron, the promised land. They foreshadowed Jesus and eternal life. See Col. 2:16.17. When Jesus came, the shadows passed away. 7. Natural man prefers the darkness of sin because he and his deeds are evil. Vs. 19. He produces inferior deeds and is afraid to approach Jesus, the Light, because then his deeds would become known. But the believer, the one who does genuine deeds, does not fear the Light. The Light shows his deeds, deeds that God Himself has produced. Redemption, faith, the new life and good works, all of them are gifts of God in Jesus Christ. 8. The judgment of God on people takes place already in this life. If they believe in Jesus, they are not condemned. But if they do not believe they are condemned. The judgment on Judgement Day will not be a trial. It will reveal what was true already in this life. "He will come again to judge the living and the dead." Jesus' children believe in him and produce work that are genuine. The unbelievers reject Him and produce inferior deeds. Christians are still sinners and their deeds are imperfect but the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses us from all sin. I Jn. 1:7. The Sermon Outline of Harold Buls On the Gospel Lessons of the Ingrian Lutheran Church of Russia Text from John 3:14-21 Pentecost THEME: The Plan and Purpose Of God's Gift INTRODUCTION Rom. 6:23 says: "The wages of sin is death." The justice of God demanded that sin be punished. Rom. 6:23 also says: "But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord". "God is love" says I Jn. 4:8. His love devised a plan to satisfy His justice. He punished His Son for the sins of the world. That was the plan which He carried out. I. THE NEED FOR GOD'S PLAN The world's greatest need is its restoration to the correct relationship to God as it was in the garden of Eden, before man fell into sin. A. The world sits in darkness and evil. Vs. 19 1. Natural man is spiritually blind. Nicodemus was a teacher of Israel but Jesus had to reprimand him. Vs. 10. He did not know that he needed to be restored to the image of God. vss. 3 and 5. The worst part of man's spiritual blindness is his ignorance. St. Paul tried to kill Christians because of his spiritual blindness. I Tim. 1:13; Acts 8:3. He tried to get people to blaspheme God. He had no righteousness of his own. Php. 3:7-8. 2. Natural man's deeds are evil. Vss. 19 and 20. Read Rom. 3:10-18. Not one of them is just. Not one of them understands. Not one seeks God. Their throats and tongues are poisoned with evil. Their mouths are full of cursing. Their is no fear of God in their eyes. Our text says that they do inferior deeds, love the darkness, do not want their sins revealed and love darkness more than light. B. The world is condemned and headed for death. 1. The world is condemned. Vs. 18. Read Numbers 21:4-9. The children of Israel rebelled against Moses. They were dissatisfied with their food and drink. They began to complain. They were finding fault with God. This brought on God's condemnation. They did not believe God. Jesus says: "He who does not believe is condemned already." 2. The world is headed for death. And so the Lord sent fiery snakes among the people. They bit; the people died. "The wages of sin is death." Before sin came into the world there was no death. Sin brings death. II. GOD'S PLAN AND PURPOSE AND ITS RESULT A. It is the plan of the ages. Immediately after Adam's fall, God promised the Savior. Gen. 3:15. Moses spoke of Him. Deut. 18:15. His crucifixion was hinted in Deut. 27:26 (see Gal. 3:10). David spoke of Him in Pss. 22 and 69. Isaiah 53 speaks of Him. Our text, Jn. 3:14 sees a picture of the crucified Christ in the snake on the pole in Num. 21:8. When people looked at the bronze snake they lived. B. God's plan was a demonstration of His love. The people who walked in the darkness have seen a great light. Mt. 4:16; Is. 9:2. Jesus is the Light of the world. Jn. 8:12. God freely gave light to the world by sending His Son, a gift to the world. This gift saves the whole world. C. The purpose of this plan. Its purpose was not to condemn the world but to save the world. Christ did not come as a judge merely to find fault with us. The law of Moses does that and it is necessary so that we might confess our sins as did the children of Israel. Num. 21:7. Christ took the sins of the world on Himself. Jn. 1:29; Is. 53:8.11.12; II Cor. 5:21. D. The result of this plan. Jesus says: "He who believes in Him is not judged. He who does not believe in Him is already condemned." There is no third possibility. One either believes in Jesus or does not believe in Him. Furthermore, Jesus says: "This is the judgment that the Light has come into the world but people loved the darkness more than the light because their works were evil." Some people prefer their lost condition to salvation and light. Then read vss. 20-21. Unbelief produces inferior deeds and fear of being exposed. Faith produces true deeds and acknowledges that these deeds are gifts of God. ______________________________________________________________ This text was converted to ascii format for Project Wittenberg by Cindy Beesley and is in the public domain by permission of Dr. Buls. You may freely distribute, copy or print this text. Please direct any comments or suggestions to: Rev. Robert E. Smith Walther Library Concordia Theological Seminary E-mail: smithre@mail.ctsfw.edu Surface Mail: 6600 N. Clinton St., Ft. Wayne, IN 46825 USA Phone: (219) 452-2123 Fax: (219) 452-2126 ______________________________________________________________