John 3:14-21
A Declaration of Man
John’s gospel is a book of declarations. The verses is this section
make declarations about man, both his condition and his nature. I do
not think we could have gotten a clear picture of the human race even
if we had been asking questions as He wrote this chapter.
I mentioned at the beginning of our study in this book that it was
the last gospel written; however, let us look at this passage as
though it was our first word from God. That is, let us look at this
section as though we are just first finding out what our condition
and nature are and see how we might understand ourselves if we were
being introduced to ourselves for the first time.
I. Man’s condition is that of condemned ALREADY, with an emphasis
on ALREADY.
A. \\#17-18\\ The word used.
1. The first thing to consider is that the word
"condemned" is used three times.
a. The word means to avenge, damn, sentence, judge.
b. There is no way to use that word that is not going
to be bad for defendant.
c. It does not seem to mean to charge or to bring an
accusation.
d. Neither does it seem to mean to try or to
investigate to find out IF one is guilty.
e. The word seems to assume guilt and to deal only
with the sentencing phase of the judgment.
f. So if we are condemned, we are all ready in a heap
of trouble.
2. \\#14\\ The picture given.
John 3:14 …And as Moses lifted up the serpent
in the wilderness
a. When did Moses lift up the serpent?
b. Not until AFTER the people had murmured and
complained against and AFTER the judgment against
them had begun.
c. Moses lifted up the brazen serpent as the cure for
the judgment that was under way.
d. So also, Jesus’ coming was not the cause of the
problem but the proof of their condemnation!
3. \\#18\\ The statement made.
John 3:18 He that believeth on him is not
condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned
already….
B. These three paint a deem picture of man’s condition.
1. Every human being born is born in the hole.
a. They are born separated from God.
b. They are born owing a sin debt that they cannot
pay.
c. They are born sinners and condemned.
2. God does not argue with us about this truth.
a. He merely declares it.
b. However, I believe there is ample evidence.
(1) Consider that no child has ever had to be
taught how to do wrong.
(2) Consider that any child that is left to
himself always go toward the wrong and never
nearer to the right.
(3) And consider that once on that journey, it
becomes increasingly harder to pull that
child from the wrong to the right.
C. This is not just a doctrinal statement. It creates a
lifestyle practice.
1. If you are the individual who has been pulled to the
wrong, you need to recognize your sinful and turn to
Jesus Christ. (He is your only Hope.)
2. If you are the parent, grandparent, guardian, or
helper in any child’s life, you need to do all that
is within your power to keep that child’s near the
right and away from the wrong until the Holy Spirit
of God can convict and save them.
a. I am amazed at how many are willing to let the bad
behavior of a child in their care go
unchallenged.
b. Understand, it does not matter WHY a child behaves
badly.
c. It only matters that they ARE behaving badly.
(1) That wrong behavior means that they have
surrendered to the force of evil that is
inherent within them.
(2) If left to themselves, they will go further
and further down the evil road.
d. You must stand before them to block that path!
(1) Correct them.
(2) If you do not, you are condemning that child
to damnation and your home to misery.
Pro 29:15 The rod and reproof give wisdom: but
a child left to himself bringeth his mother to
shame.
II. Man’s Destiny: "perish" \\#John 3:16\\
A. At this point, our Lord does not elaborate on what that
means. He merely mentions it.
B. However, with no more information than what is given, we
can see that the consequences of our condemnation is
great.
1. Perish is no way denotes a tolerant or comfortable
experience.
2. The price that is paid to redeem should be
commensurate with that being purchased.
a. No man thinks a person wise who overpays.
b. Surely, God would be wise enough not to overpay
for our redemption.
c. Yet, look at the price He paid - "His only
begotten Son."
d. Such a payment tells us that the perishing that we
face must be extreme.
III. Man’s Redemption - There are several terms that relate to
that.
A. Man’s Benefactor:
John 3:16 For God…
1. Man is certainly in a bad situation. He is born in
the hole and going further into debt—sin debt—
every day.
2. Yet, there is someone who cares about us, God.
3. That is comforting for if God is our benefactor, there
is hope.
a. Our condition is grave and while every bit of pity
and concern might be appreciated, only the pity
and concern of someone with power can make a
difference.
b. God is a Person with power.
B. Man’s Hope:
…so loved the world…
1. The news goes from bad to good to better.
2. Here we learn why God would take an interest in us.
It is because He loves us.
3. Thank God for undeserved, unworthy love.
4. Love is one of the wildcards of life.
a. It brings people into our lives that have no
reason for being there.
b. A mother or father, employer or employee, neighbor
or co-worker—they may all be good to us but they
have a reason for being there.
c. (i.e. We were born to them, live beside them, work
with them.)
d. But a person who randomly loves us is not there
for any other reason than that their choice to
cast their lot with ours.
C. Man’s Payment:
…he (God) good his only begotten Son…
1. Here is where our wildcard pays off!
2. God paid the price for our redemption!
a. There is NO logical reason for God to do that.
b. It is nothing but love! Glorious, wonderful,
inexplicable love.
3. This verse does not go into the depth of what this
payment accomplished for us, but the remainder of the
Bible does—and it takes the whole Bible to make that
explanation.
IV. Man’s Natural Behavior
A. If every human being is born condemned, you would think
that he would appreciate and respond with eagerness to
any who sought to deliver him.
1. However, that is far from the case.
2. Man’s reaction toward anything that might be redeem
him is well documented in the Bible.
John 3:19 … that light is come into the world,
and men loved darkness rather than light, because
their deeds were evil.
20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the
light, neither cometh to the light, lest his
deeds should be reproved.
B. The short of it is that man rejects the attempt to redeem
him.
1. God’s effort to redeem mankind is "light" with a
little "l."
2. God’s redemption, light, is described in these verses.
a. Light came.
b. Light reproved.
c. Light was hated.
C. The turning point of this three phrase description is
that light reproved or corrected man.
1. No one seemed to mind the light coming. God was free
to bring redemption into the world. No one cared.
2. However, once light rebuked man for the things that
he did that was wrong, mankind reacted with hatred.
3. So it was the reproving that came with redemption that
caused man to reject it.
D. Let’s think this through.
1. Why does the light reprove?
a. The light (redemption) reproves because you don’t
need a redemption if you have done nothing wrong.
b. We have already seen that God will not argue with
you about your natural condition - sinful.
c. However, for a person to be redeemed, he has to
know what his wrongs are and so God turns on the
light.
d. What does that mean? It means that God shows us
what He intended us to be.
2. Why does man hate being shown his sins?
a. \\#19\\ Because he "loves darkness."
(1) Man likes to do wrong.
(2) It is his nature.
(3) He is born that way. Same thought keeps
rising to the surface.
b. There are only three reasons why man will reject
the light.
(1) Ignorance - That’s why we are here.
(2) Beguiled - He has been deceived about sin.
(3) Pleasure - He likes it.
c. Of the three, it would seem that one of the most
common reasons for rejecting the light is that
man takes pleasure in the darkness.
(1) Sin is fun. It does feel good.
(2) But only for a short time.
(3) Like the fuse on a stick of dynamite it burns
fast and there is a destructive explosion at
the end.
V. Man’s Alternative
John 3:18 He that believeth on him is not
condemned:
A. Believe on the Son!
1. It is interesting how Jesus, like John the Apostle,
does not refer to Himself by His given name.
2. Yet, we know that the Son Jesus was speaking of is
Jesus.
B. Believe on Jesus.
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