Why God sent his Son and what you must do therefore

Text John 3:17, 18 Time 04/11/12 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church
We have been looking at John the first part of John 3 and we have almost covered the verses I want to focus on at this time. I want to end our present studies at the end of verse 21 where there is a clear change of subject. This morning I want us to focus on verses 17 and 18 of Chapter 3. Like verse 16 which we looked at the week before last, these verses are probably John's additions rather than words that Jesus spoke to Nicodemus on the night of his visit. We do not know, however, and they may have been spoken by Jesus then. Certainly they inspired words whoever spoke them first. We must receive them as God's own Word. God is speaking to us here and these are important things for us to understand. Verses 17 and 18 are not as famous as verse 16 for some reason but these verses like that one are full of meat and well worth learning off by heart. Here are vital truths that we all ought to be familiar with.

The verses contain four main thoughts. They sort of criss-cross with each other. The first thought concerns the fact that God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world. That thought is returned to at the end of verse 18 when it concludes that Christ did not need to do that for whoever does not believe stands condemned already the reason being his failure to believe in the name of God’s one and only Son. At the centre of these verses is the idea that God sent his Son rather to save the world through him. Therefore it is clear that Whoever believes in Jesus Christ is not condemned.

Let's look at the four parts in the order in which they appear and say these four vital things.

1. Realise that God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it

Verse 17 begins For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world. Now what we later learn is that one of the reasons why Jesus did not come to condemn or more literally to judge the world is because it was condemned already.

It is a little like a situation where a company has been put into liquidation and the receivers turn up to see what assets remain. Someone may say to them “Have you come to close down the company”. The answer is “No, the company has already been closed down. I have come rather to salvage what can be salvaged from it”. Jesus didn't come into this world to condemn it, it was condemned already.

However, John has deliberately used this form of what is called litotes, a statement strengthened by being in the negative, to stress the need never to be afraid of Jesus or discouraged because of him. Yes, he will judge us all one day. God has appointed him for that task. However, when he came into this world that first time he did not come to judge or condemn it. No, not at all. In fact, on one occasion when a man came to him asking him to sort out a dispute he ha with his brother over their father's will Jesus specifically said (Luke 12:14) Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you? That is not why he came.

Remember that incident with the woman taken into adultery? There is some argument about whether it should be in the Bible at all but I think there is good reason to accept it as genuine. You remember what happens. … The Pharisees bring to Jesus a woman caught in the act of adultery. It takes two to commit an act of adultery and the very fact that they bring only the woman and not the man proves they are not interested in justice or upholding the law but making a point. Now you remember how Jesus said that the first person to pick up a stone should be a person not guilty of this sin and, strikingly that caused them all to slink away one by one. When they had all gone he asked the woman if there was no-one left to condemn her, which was the case. He then said that he didn't condemn her either and she should go and sin no more.

It is a very striking story and I guess it fell out of use because it could be misread as condoning adultery, which it does not. Rather it is a powerful illustration of what is said here that God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world. That is not why God sent Jesus.

In the medieval period the image of Christ as judge was a very popular and many people were terrified of Jesus. I think that is one reason why the idea of Mary as someone who would intercede with her son for people became popular. This verse, however, should have been preached to the people God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world. That is not why he came. That is not how to think of Jesus first and foremost.

Today we have gone in the other direction and Jesus as stern judge is almost forgotten. However, it is very important that we think of Jesus as one who did not come to condemn this fallen world. He does not condemn you. The Devil condemns you, others may condemn you too. Your own conscience condemns you – you know you are a sinner. However, Jesus will not condemn you now – that is not the reason that he came.

2. See that God sent his Son into the world to save it

The positive side of this is that God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world but to save the world through him. Far from condemning it, Jesus came into this lost and wicked world to save it. That is why in the next chapter of this Gospel Jesus is spoken of as the Saviour of the world. Jesus has come to save us from sin and from ourselves and from Satan and death and hell. His purposes are good and praiseworthy and he has the power to rescue us from all that stands against how ever far we may have fallen.

From time to time you hear of people getting lost in the mountains or in other remote places and so a team has to be sent to rescue them. Often the people have not prepared properly for being on the mountains or wherever they are. Do you sometimes imagine ow embarrassing it is for such people when they realise they need to be rescued at such expense and at such inconvenience for so many. But think about it, how is it in such circumstances? Here is a man in the mountains. He has stumbled and fallen and cannot walk. A rescue helicopter arrives overhead and a winchman is lowered. Now what is the conversation? Does the man from the helicopter begin “Whose been a silly billy then? What were you thinking coming out on the mountain so ill-prepared? Do you realise how much it is costing to carry out this rescue?” No, no, it is nothing like that at all. Yes, there may come a time when all that is gone into but at that moment all that matters is that the person should be rescued. The sooner he is winched up into the safety of that helicopter the better.

Now there is a message about sin and how foolish and evil it is and that note has to be sounded from time to time but it is not the dominant note today, in this day of God's grace. Yes, a day is coming when that note will be sounded long and loud for many, many people but today is a day of good news for all who will hear it. The emphasis today is always on Christ and his coming to save sinners.

Do you realise that? You can't save yourself and I can't save you. But there is Saviour. He is the Lord Jesus Christ, the one who died on the cross so that sinners like us might be saved from sin and death. All you have to do is trust in him and you will be saved.

We have heard the joyful sound: Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Spread the tidings all around: Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Bear the news to every land, climb the mountains, cross the waves;
Onward! ’tis our Lord’s command; Jesus saves! Jesus saves!

Waft it on the rolling tide: Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Tell to sinners far and wide: Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Sing, you islands of the sea; echo back, you ocean caves;
Earth shall keep her jubilee: Jesus saves! Jesus saves!

Sing above the battle strife: Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
By His death and endless life Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Shout it brightly through the gloom, when the heart for mercy craves;
Sing in triumph o’er the tomb: Jesus saves! Jesus saves!

Give the winds a mighty voice: Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Let the nations now rejoice: Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Shout salvation full and free; highest hills and deepest caves;
This our song of victory: Jesus saves! Jesus saves!

3. Understand the one way you can escape the condemnation that this world is under

So there we see it. Jesus did not come into this world to condemn it but to save it. It is very important that we know an understand verse 17. Verse 18 is also very important too. You really do need both verses. So what does verse 18 says. Well, it begins Whoever believes in him is not condemned. So yes Jesus came to save the world, he is the Saviour of the world but that does not mean that every single person who has ever lived will be in heaven one day. No, it is those who believe who are not condemned. Whoever believes in him is not condemned. That is why faith in Christ is so important. Remember Paul's words at the beginning of Romans 8 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.

What does it mean to trust in Christ, to have faith in him, to believe in him? This is absolutely central in what the Bible teaches. This is because every treasure, every good thing there is is all in Christ and so the only way to receive those treasures, those good things is by being joined to Christ. But how can we be joined to him? He is now in heaven and we are on earth. It can't be a physical thing. Some say that when he said of the bread at the Last Supper this is my body he somehow meant that whenever you eat certain bread (bread blessed by a priest) then you eat him. But that is obviously patent nonsense. The way to be joined to Christ is not by eating his flesh in some literalistic way. No the only way to be joined to Christ is to be joined to him by faith, to identify with him and put all your trust in him and what he has done. That is why I urge you this morning, where you are, to trust in Jesus Christ.

Sometimes illustrations help. About this one? Have you heard of Charles Blondin (1824-1897). Back in June 1859, Blondin (real name Jean Francois Gravelet) accomplished an amazing feat. He crossed Niagara Falls on a tightrope. A 3 inch manila rope was stretched 1,100 feet across the falls at a height of 160 feet and he not only walked across but did all sorts of other amazing feats – a backwards somersault, a blindfolded crossing, pushing a wheelbarrow, on stilts, in the dark with Roman candles flaring from both ends of his balancing pole. On one occasion he even stopped half way across and cooked an omelette on a portable stove and lowered it to a boat below.

But in September, 1860, he accomplished the amazing feat I want to focus on to help us in this matter of faith. Before crossing the rope on that particular day the Great Blondin turned to the crowd and said, "Do you believe I can carry someone across the rope on my back?" The crowd roared its approval, "Yes, we believe you can!" He asked for a volunteer, "Who will volunteer?" The crowd was silent. He then pointed out one man standing nearby, "How about you?" The man said, "Hardly, you don't think I am going to risk my life like that, do you?" and he turned away. Next he pointed to another man, "And what about you?" The man replied, "I believe. In fact, I have no doubt at all." Charles said, "Will you trust me?" The man replied, "I will!"

The man then proceeded to climb on Blondin's back and they headed across the falls. The crowd waited breathlessly while they crossed and roared their approval once they completed the crossing. What they didn't know was that the man who crossed on Blondin's back was Harry Colcord, his manager. Colcord knew how good Blondin was and fully trusted him. His faith was secure, as the object of his faith, Charles Blondin, was trustworthy and had proven himself so over the years.

You see the point? Who can cross the tightrope that leads to heaven? None of us certainly. If we try we will easily fall off and tumble on to the rocks below. But Jesus can get across and not only that but he can take you across too, if you will only trust him. There is every reason to trust him. There is no reason not to trust him. If you have never trusted him before, trust him today. If you have trusted him before, keep on trusting him, he can take you across safely with out a doubt.

4. Consider your danger if you fail to believe in the name of God's One and Only Son

But what about the rest of verse 18? Well, that is very sobering indeed. It says but but is often quite an important word in the Bible. Whole sermons can be preached on the word but. But it says whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. You see the force of this. It is not that we are born somehow neutral – neither saved nor condemned, neither set to go to heaven or hell. No our default position is already set to condemnation and to hell. By nature we are all on the broad road that leads to destruction. We already stand under sentence of death.

Do you get those letters from businesses sometimes? Car insurance or the gas or electric company, for example. They explain things in the letter and then at the end they say that if you do nothing then they will automatically assume you want to insure with them or have their gas or electricity or what ever. Now when it comes to Jesus Christ, if you do nothing, what will happen? You are condemned. That is our state by nature.

One writer (Barnes) paraphrases the verses well

“All people are by nature condemned. There is but one way of being delivered from this state - by believing on the Son of God. They who do not believe or remain in that state are still condemned, for they have not embraced the only way in which they can be freed from it.”

We are all aware of this deadly disease that is attacking the country's ash trees. Apparently once a tree is infected then nothing can be done to save it. There are diseases like that, where there is no known cure. In many cases, however, there are things that can be done. Indeed, the sooner something is done the better. We are condemned. We are born condemned. Anyone who has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son is condemned. However, if we hear of Christ and trust in him then there is hope. I know this raises the question of those who have never heard. Why are they condemned. They are condemned because of their sin, of course, but it isn't something we can go into here. It is rather academic for us anyway because we can hear. We know or we ought to know that God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world but to save the world through him. Whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. We have no choice then but to trust in him and know the salvation that he alone can give. I urge you to it today. Trust in Jesus Christ. Whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.