For God So Loved the World (John 3:1-21)
14th February, 2022
By way of introduction: Where do people find their “fresh starts” that they would consider “life changing”?
Read John 3:1-21
Nicodemus comes to Jesus talking about “these signs” Jesus does. Yet look at the context of this conversation, what does Jesus want to talk about and why?
We hear in on this conversation between Nicodemus and Jesus, and it helps us grapple with the same things Nicodemus asks about.
a. Why does Nicodemus find it hard to grasp the reality of "“being born again”?
b. Why does Jesus tell Nicodemus to “not marvel at these things”? (verses 7-8)
Find in your Bible where Nicodemus asks Jesus, “how can these things be?” Now look at Jesus’ response, how does Jesus explain this is God’s way of working in the world?
As Israel looked to a serpent being lifted up in the wilderness, what do we look to and how does that work?
What are the key phrases of verses 13-17, and in connection to John 3:16 what is Jesus particularly teaching us?
From verses 19-21 Jesus speaks in contrasting terms of light and darkness. This sort of language John notes of Jesus’ words a lot, and it becomes a feature in John’s writings (such as 1st John).
a. What “is the judgement?”
b. Why don’t some people come to God, even as he so loved the world?
c. How can anyone at all then enter “see the kingdom of God” if people love the darkness rather than the light”?
All of us struggle as Christians, and we may well be reflecting like Nicodemus on “how can these things be… for me?” If you’re struggling with assurance of salvation, how does this passage help our hearts?
We may be tempted to take pride in ourselves, that “we came to God, we found Christ” - how does this passage guard us against an “our-own-work”-based-salvation?
If people “must be born again” to have their life (eternal life) changed, how does this shape the way we pray?
Pray in the way that is shaped by God’s word here.