Misunderstood
Written by Ed Allen
Sunday, 12 April 2009 09:00
Sermon Notes
John 3:16-18
16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.
We misunderstand the necessity of Jesus' death.
- God "gave" His one and only Son – not haphazardly or accidentally.
- Isaiah 53:10
- “Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.
- “Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
- Colossians 1:19-20
- 19For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
- Paul's language: like there are physical laws, there is also a spiritual law: if you separate from God (eg if you sin), you die.
- The justice of God demands punishment of sin and that punishment is death – and Jesus paid it!
- Jesus died our death intentionally.
- He died to satisfy God's perfect justice.
We misunderstand the value of Jesus' death.
- God gave his one and only son that whoever believes has eternal life... but whoever does not believe already stands condemned.
- Jesus' death is the dividing line.
- John 14:5-6
- 5Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"
6Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
- 5Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"
- Jesus' death is not just a path for us, but it is also a fork in the road.
We misunderstand the motivation behind Jesus' death.
- The cross happened because of God's love for us.
We misunderstand the significance of Jesus' death and resurrection.
- If we embrace Jesus as he has embraced us, we get to experience eternal life.