This morning we're going to step away from Luke for a couple of weeks and we're going to look today at probably the most recognized verse in scripture John 3 16. I'd like to read it to you from the authorized King James Version. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. So to begin here, I want to point out to you that the word for that begins this verse, according to the Lo-nida Greek lexicon, is a marker of cause or reason between events. In other words, translated here for or because and this means that this verse explains the previous statement a previous statement so in context here Jesus was responding to the teacher in Israel verse 10 he said are you the teacher in Israel and do not know these things he's a rabbi And in fact, he is accounted to be the chief rabbi in Israel at that time. And he said, and you don't know these things? Nicodemus came to Jesus by night, as we see in the opening there of the third chapter. And I think that's probably the best time for him to see Jesus due to the Lord's busy daytime schedule. But Nicodemus clearly did not understand the function of the Holy Spirit in regenerating sinners to new spiritual life, which Jesus refers to here as being born again, or better, born from above. There, according to verses 3 to 8, Nicodemus illustrated the truth that although there were many who were impressed with his miracles, Nicodemus here illustrates what Jesus stated there, or what is stated there concerning him. It says, Jesus did not entrust himself, or that's the idea there, and it talks about relational. You know, when we meet somebody and we want to bring up a conversation, we want to relate to them. We want to have a conversation, maybe. Maybe develop a friendship. That kind of an idea. Jesus did not want to do this with them. He did not want to relate to them on that personal level. Become a friend to them in that way. Knowing there's, and he explains there why. John explains why. Because of their heart condition. The true heart condition. He knew everyone. He knew their hearts. So he did not entrust himself relationally to them, knowing their true spiritual condition. He knew their religious enthusiasm. Great crowds followed him. Very enthusiastic because they saw the miracles that he did. but their religious enthusiasm was not from God, nor from God's word. So at this point, John then introduced the interaction between Jesus and an important political and religious leader in Israel. He was a chief rabbi. He was also part of the ruling body, the Sanhedrin. And when it says that Jesus did not entrust himself, it means relationally. When Nicodemus approached him, he expected Jesus to interact with him on that level. So he complimented 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. Note and note back there in those closing verses it says they followed him because of the of the miracles that he was performing But Jesus didn't react to Nicodemus as Nicodemus expected But rather he pressed the need for regeneration to restore relationship if you want to be the friend of God you have to be reborn and Nicodemus, in fact, Jesus said, 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 that you must be born again. So Nicodemus' being born of the flesh prevented this relationship with Jesus. And I really think Nicodemus thought he had the superior position in that relationship. I think we need to understand here flesh is a term that is used in scripture to define the natural fallen state of humans, alienating them from God. Thus, to restore this relationship to God, humans need to be born of the Spirit. 6. Nicodemus' dullness and ignorance surfaced in his response. How can these things be? to which Jesus replied, Are you the teacher in Israel, and you do not understand these things? And it's at this point, then, that Jesus commenced the address here that goes further into the chapter, and it includes our verse for the morning, John 3, 16. He introduced it by saying, Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak what we know and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. Nicodemus, you're not born again. You're dull. You can't receive the things that we're telling you. He lacked that one thing needed to be really a true teacher in Israel, the spiritual rebirth. So then Jesus continued, if I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? You're not equipped. With that introduction in mind, we are going to approach John 3.16 by first examining the context, both the immediate and the broader context, of the verse in the message today. This is a task, I think, that is ignored and avoided by many who desire to make this verse a stand-alone meme for personal application, which is the way it is mostly used. It's taken out of context, and it's made to stand alone, and few people really understand what it means. So this is what the task is before us now. What does it mean? And second here, which we're going to save until next week, we want to examine the language of the verse itself. God says he loved the world. What does that mean? Most people reading it take it to mean that he had such a love for humanity that he gave his only begotten son. Well, that's true to an extent, but what does the word world really mean? We'll look at that. And the word love itself, but we'll save that for next week. We get that out of the way and it will enable us to understand how this verse applies to God's gracious plan to restore His kingdom temple in a new Eden and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. So we'll get into it here. First of all, the immediate context of John 3.16. Jesus dropped two Old Testament illustrations on this teacher of Israel, both of which pointed to the mission he came to fulfill. So we'll look at the first one, which is found here in verse number 13. In that verse, he says, no one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And then some of the older manuscripts have witches in heaven, which I think is also to be there. I think it belongs there. In other words, no one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man which is in heaven. Jesus descended from heaven. We read that in the first chapter there in verse number nine. And then he calls himself here, and often throughout the Gospels, the Son of Man. So He descended from heaven, this Son of Man, and I believe this is a reference to Daniel chapter 7. In Daniel, the everlasting dominion was given to this Son of Man. Daniel chapter 7 verse 13 and 14. So when He was presented to the Ancient of Days, the Son of Man was presented to the Ancient of Days, This was done as part of the original mandate of the first man, Adam, his image bearer. According to Genesis chapter 1 verses 27 and 28. He's the son of man. Adam's the first man. Jesus is the son of man. In other words, he became incarnate to be a son of Adam. But Adam failed, which necessitated a second Adam, which is now Jesus Christ, the Son of Man, who would not fail. So, I'm going to read here Daniel 7.14. He was presented before Him, He, the Son of Man, was presented before Him, the Ancient of Days, and to Him, the Son of Man, was given dominion and glory and a kingdom. Listen to that, that's what Adam was supposed to do, extend his dominion into all the world and make it the kingdom of God. So that all peoples, nations and languages should serve him. That's what God wants. It's not what's happening today. But that's what will happen. Notice, this isn't a probability if it is a certainty. He was given dominion and glory and a kingdom that all peoples and nations and languages should serve Him. And His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away and His kingdom one that shall not be destroyed. Nations rise and fall. In fact, our own nation is on the verge of falling. There's a very real possibility that this nation will no longer be the nation we thought it to be. But here's one that will not be destroyed. Jesus coming into the world is going to make that happen. His first coming established it. His second coming will realize it. His ascending into heaven says no man has descended from, ascended to heaven, but he that descended from heaven, so this ascending to heaven here would take place after his death and resurrection. He came to accomplish redemption for all peoples, nations, languages, to enable them to serve Him as they experience this spiritual rebirth from above. Now I'm talking to folks in this room that have been born from above. Therefore your responsibility and obligation before God is to serve Him. Now John touched upon this in the first chapter when he introduced, and I really think it's interesting how John opens his book. He introduced the Word, which is God, that became flesh, Jesus Christ. John tells it that this one was the true light who was coming into the world. Notice the word, world, cosmos. Verse 9, that's the same word, world, found in John 3, 16. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and yet the world did not know him. And I think the last reference is to the people in that world. It says, and because in the 11th verse it says, he came to his own created order, the cosmos. He came to his own. That's the cosmos, the world. But his own people, Israel, one of whom then was Nicodemus, did not receive him. He came, when he was incarnate, he came into the world that he had created, but the people in that world, particularly the Jews, because he came to the Jews, did not receive him. But, and I love that because there is a group that did. I believe this is the righteous remnant that's spoken of there in Malachi, who are here represented by the 12 disciples. These people did receive Him. And it says, and to those He gave the right to become children of God, who were born, again, see, not of the flesh, of blood, that is, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. That is the new birth. That's verse number 12. So coming back then to John 3, 13, it says, No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man, which is in heaven. And if you'll note John 1.18, it says, No man has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, which is in, which is at the Father's side, He has declared Him. Here's an amazing truth. Jesus Christ can be on the earth in the person of Jesus and yet be at the Father's side in heaven at the same time because He is God and God is not limited to any one, any space. So that brings us to the second thing here, the reference to the second incident, that's the first thing that he references, is Daniel chapter 7. Now the second reference is to an incident in the wilderness recorded in Numbers chapter 21, which denotes the nation's failure to promote God's agenda. You know, what was the wilderness wandering all about? They were leaving. I mean, this is the pattern of salvation. They were leaving Egypt, which is a type of the lost condition of mankind, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, delivered out of Egypt into the wilderness to go to the promised land. In other words, God wanted them to establish a new Eden, where he would dwell with them. And the evidence of that is the fact that he had them construct a tabernacle promising that he would be with them. But what did they do? When they left Mount Hor, the people again became impatient and complained against Moses and God. And the Lord punished them by sending fiery serpents among them. Isn't that interesting? It was a serpent that tempted Eve in the garden. And now we have fiery serpents who are biting the people and causing many to die for complaining against God. The serpent here was the most appropriate figure to represent the deadly and destructive consequences of sin. So they asked Many of them died as a consequence, too. And so those of those who were bitten that survived, or had not been bitten and survived, recognized their sin and asked Moses to intercede for them. They wanted God to take away these serpents from among them. I wonder if that's why lots of ladies are afraid of snakes. So Moses then was instructed, God said he wasn't going to remove the serpents, but rather he would make a, he was, Moses was to make a bronze image of that serpent and put it on a pole and here I think is an appropriate symbol of the destroyer destroyed. If anyone were bitten, all they had to do was look to the bronze serpent and receive healing. This reference points to the sun's earthly mission. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up. This One who was presented to the Ancient of Days and given An everlasting dominion is now to be lifted up in the wilderness like that bronze serpent on the pole, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. Jesus would become that bronze serpent to bring spiritual healing to all who merely look to Him. So he said to, now to this chief leader in Israel, Would he understand that the nation of Israel, like Adam, had failed Yahweh in His commission to them to trust Him in all things, to take His tabernacle, to cross the Jordan, to possess the promised land, and constitute it as a new Eden? No. Would he realize that he was part of that failed nation? and would be like the Israelites in the wilderness? Look to God only for their salvation and restoration? Well, no. See, in Israel's failure, Jesus was God's provision. He came to replace the second Adam. He also came to replace the failed Israel. And they were told here not to make ointment when they got bit. He didn't tell them here, go stir up some medicine to put on it. They were not told to fight off the serpents. Get yourself some sticks and poles and go beat them, get them out. They were not told to make an offering, to take one of those serpents and put him on the altar and burn him up. No. They were not told to look to Moses. You guys get things right and start obeying your leader here. No. What were they told? They were told merely to look to the bronze serpent on the pole and God would heal them. Just like we look to Jesus Christ on the cross to receive spiritual healing and the new birth. That takes us to the second point here, the broader context. Here's a broader context. As noted earlier, the introduction of Nicodemus illustrated the closing verses of chapter 2. And now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover, notice it's at the Passover, which I think is interesting, in the feast day. The Passover was held in the preceding evening and then all that day was called the feast day. Many believed in His name. Did they really believe in Him or were they just excited about Him? And when they saw the miracles which he did. In other words, they were just excited about, I mean, who could perform miracles like Jesus? And Nicodemus here referred to these same miracles in verse 2 when he said, We know you're a teacher come from God, for no man can do these miracles, these signs that you are doing except God be with him. But Jesus did not entrust himself relationally unto them, because he knew all men, and needed not that any should testify of man, for he knew what was in man. Nicodemus was a ruler of the Jews, a member of the Sanhedrin, the ruling council of the Jews, and, according to Jesus' own words, the chief rabbi in Israel. But here was a man who clearly did not understand what God was doing. So what was God doing? That's the question. What was his original plan for the creation? The world. Cosmos. God loved the cosmos, his created order. The scriptures declare that God created that material universe, this cosmos or world, and Genesis 1 documents this objective by which God spoke the cosmos into existence. So a careful study of the scriptures reveals that God created humans in His own image and placed them in the material world for the purpose of His dwelling among them, the Garden Temple. with the commission that they should multiply and build the earth, Genesis 1.28. In other words, they were to expand that garden temple into all the world and make it the kingdom of God. And we know this because God walked in the garden there according to Genesis 3.8. And I believe he walked there for fellowship with Adam, because we read there that after they sinned, God sought him out. Verse 9, Adam and Eve were hiding them, I think from each other and from God, because of their disobedience. The penalty for their sin was spiritual death, broken fellowship with God, expulsion from the garden, and their eventual physical death. Their sin, however, did not alter God's original plan. As God promised in Genesis 3.15 that He was going to fix it, Jesus was the seed of the woman who would crush the serpent's head. Lift up that bronze serpent on the pole. See, here we see these connections. Correlation here with the bronze serpent. And this plan then would provide restoration of spiritual life and fellowship with God. As Nicodemus was told, Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. And I want to emphasize here, to see the kingdom of God is not merely to look at it, but it means to have a part in it. And I know this because of verse 36, which states, whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. Whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life. That is, have any part in that eternal life. But the wrath of God remains on him. You see that? So when Jesus said he cannot see the kingdom of God, he said, Nicodemus, you think you're in the kingdom? You will not have any part of it, nothing to do with it, unless you're born from above. Which then prompts me to ask this, why did Jesus interrupt Nicodemus' introduction with this statement? Nicodemus and all his nation were expecting Messiah to come and to restore Israel and the kingdom for Israel and Israel alone. Imagine the shock Nicodemus must have experienced in hearing that he would have no part in it. And I think the implication was not only he, but all he was leading and teaching. So we notice several illustrations in the development of this purpose of God to restore the garden temple with the spiritual people who would worship and obey Him in glorious fellowship. Genesis was the story of God's original creation. John's gospel is a kind of genesis of restoration. Notice how John opens. with the declaration that Jesus was the agent of the original creation. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. John 1 and verse 2. Genesis tells us that God spoke all these things into existence. John declares that Jesus was that Word that spoke it. He was the Word of God. Verse 1. The Creator then became incarnate into this fallen world. This is an amazing truth. The One who created it came in to fix it. He's not going to just let it go. So the Word came in the likeness of sinful flesh according to Romans chapter 8 verse 3. to condemn sin in human flesh. So we read, the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, the glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. That's verse 14. Now here is a great truth that's lost on many readers. And here's why, because his dwelling among them is specifically as a tabernacle, as that tabernacle in the wilderness dwelt among the people of Israel. Do you see that? That verse literally reads, the word became flesh and tabernacled among us. And we have seen his glory. Glory? The glory of the Shekinah that settled on the tabernacle. That's Jesus. As God said to Adam in the original garden temple, so Jesus, as God, excuse me, as God came to Adam in the original garden temple, so Jesus came to his own as the true temple. And here was a prophetic promise that God was working to restore his intention to dwell among his people. So we read there in Exodus chapter 25 verse 8, let them make me a sanctuary that I may dwell in their midst. This truly This truth will be fully realized in the new earth as announced in Revelation. Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man, and he will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. John 2 informs us that Jesus intended to replace the temple in Jerusalem. You read through the gospel there. This is the next thing comes along. Jesus cleansed the temple in Jerusalem. There were two cleansings of the temple. These were necessary judgments on the nation of Israel due to their failure to thwart God's, excuse me, due to their effort to thwart God's intention to fulfill covenant with Abraham that through him all the families the nations of the earth would be blessed. Genesis 12 3. The high priest acting in the name of the God of Israel established a marketplace in the temple for temple sacrifices and that Marketplace was located where? In the court of the Gentiles. Now on the surface, this purpose was a convenience for travelers. They didn't have to bring their offerings with them. They could just purchase them at the temple. However, I believe the apparent ulterior motive was to prevent Gentiles from any access to the temple. This understanding is implied here in what Jesus said after he cleansed it. In the first cleansing, there in John, we have Jesus saying, Do not make my Father's house a house of trade. John 2.16. In the second cleansing, Jesus added, Is it not written, My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations? But you have made it a den of robbers. Mark 11 verse 17. Jesus was referring here to Isaiah who prophesied and the foreigners, Gentiles, who joined themselves to the Lord. These will I bring to my holy mountain, the temple, and make them joyful in my house of prayer. Jesus called the temple a house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar, for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples, not just Jews. So what is the church? The church is that place where the middle wall of partition has been torn down so there is neither Jew nor Gentile bond or free male or free male There is one people in Christ. The Jews wanted the temple to be a house of prayer for the Jews alone. Jesus said, it's not your house, it's my Father's house. It's my Father's house, and it shall be a house of prayer for all nations, not just Jews. Since the Jews were not interested in obeying the Son, according to John 3, 36, and serving Him, His task, Jesus' tasks, was to bring in God's kingdom composed of people from every kindred, tribe, and nation, according to Daniel 7. Jesus answered them, destroyed them. So then, when these rulers confronted Jesus, For cleansing the temple, Jesus said to them, destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up. And John explains he was speaking about the temple of his body. In other words, Jesus was telling them, I'm taking this, the temple is no longer going to be in that building right there, it's going to be me. I'm going to be the new temple. And we who are in Jesus Christ, we are the temple of God, according to the Apostle Paul. So, and here's another interesting sidelight there. When Jesus hung on the cross, the crowd watching him mocked him. and one of the things they said according to Matthew chapter 27 verse 40 you who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days save yourself and if you are the son of God come down from the cross little did they know that he was doing exactly that he was going to be coming down from the cross and he was going to Rebuild the temple in three days in his resurrection He was indeed the son of God so in his obedience then to God Jesus Fulfilled what was recorded in psalm 8 in light of the glories of creation the psalmist asked What is man that you are mindful of him? He starts out by talking about the glory of creation then he comes in but what is man that you're mindful of him and the son of man that you care for him yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned but crowned him I think but crowned him with honor and glory and glory and honor you have given him dominion over the works of your hands you have put all things under his feet that was what God originally intended for Adam but Adam failed And then he gave that task to Israel, and Israel failed. So then, citing this text, Jesus was given the task, and citing this text, the author of Hebrews applied it to Jesus, for there in chapter 2 and verse 10 it says, after he quoted it, he said, for it is fitting for him for whom and for whom and by whom all things exist, he created them all, in bringing many sons to glory, he should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. So that's Hebrews 2.10. So let's conclude here. First of all, to summarize here, God gave Adam the commission to serve him as his image-bearer and expand his temple, garden, Eden, into all the world his dominion or kingdom, where Adam's descendants, governed by God's Word and Spirit, would live in perfect fellowship with God in righteousness forever. That was God's original plan. When Adam failed, God, through Noah, saving Noah through the flood, then recommissioned him to fill the earth. So Noah's descendant, Abraham, was then called to fulfill that task. His descendants, the nation of Israel, then were to complete it. They also failed. However, Abraham's greater son, the Lord Jesus Christ, came down from glory to succeed where both Adam and Israel failed. So to do so, Jesus became the true temple and the true Israel. And in his suffering, Jesus redeemed a host of followers from every nation and every generation to extend Eden to the ends of the earth. How do I know this? because Matthew closes with Jesus giving this commission to his followers. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. What's the church doing? We're doing what Adam failed to do. We're doing what Israel failed to do. We're extending the Eden to the ends of the earth. So, read again John 3.16 with this background in mind. And again, here's my translation. For God loved the world, the created order He designed to be His kingdom temple. His extended Eden where He would dwell with His people as their God in this way. He loved the world in this way, giving His only begotten Son as the soul means to restore that design. That the ones believing on Him might not perish due to Adam and Israel's failure, but have eternal life, everlasting life, in a new earth where righteousness dwells. Now if he saved you, he saved you to serve him in this task, in humble obedience. Are you advancing his kingdom? Father, thank you for the Word. I pray, Lord, You'd bless it to us in our understanding. Use this teaching, Lord, to encourage the hearts of Your people, those who have been truly born from above, to understand what their task and responsibility is. Lord, we will wait upon You. We will expect Your Spirit. to move upon us. We will anticipate, Lord, the power of God in this venture. And we praise you and thank you for what you will do that we may glorify our Savior, the Lord Jesus. We ask it in His name. Amen.