January 8, 2023
Loved | John 3:1-21
WHEN YOUR BEST ISN’T GOOD ENOUGH
The Gospel of John was written by an author who only ever self-identified as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” Such was John’s experience, he knew and felt what it is to be loved by Jesus. Many of the stories in his biography of Jesus are accounts of people who experienced the very same thing: what it means, even what it feels like, to be loved by Jesus.
We are going to enter their stories.
When we human beings are at our best, we’re curious, and asking questions. God made us this way. Nicodemus showed up on Jesus’ doorstep with lots of questions, and Jesus was able to bring out of him the best questions: ones whose answers challenged the reaches of Nicodemus’ mind and peered into the depths of his heart. What are you curious about these days?
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John 3:1-21
- If you (and your small group friends!) had a nighttime meeting with Jesus, what questions would you ask?
- What do you understand Jesus to mean when he says “you must be ‘born again”? (v. 3,5&7). What’s involved in that?
- Christians, unlike the God they worship, are prone to condemning others and themselves. Do you agree with that observation? If so, why would it be true?
- “People loved the darkness”. This statement seems obvious for rapists, thieves, and murderers. How could it be true for religious people like Nicodemus (or us!)?
- When do you get offended? Is there a chance you’re overly sensitive to the criticisms or disrespect of others?
- What might our Lord Jesus be speaking to you about this?
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Recent Sermons
John 12:9-19 -When Jesus rode into Jerusalem to the shouts and cheers of the crowd, there was no mistaking what was happening: the King was back in his rightful place. There were several responses to this long-awaited event: some celebrated, some grumbled, and then… everyone went home. It may have looked anticlimactic, but Jesus wasn’t going anywhere. He had come to do what only the true King of Israel could do.
John 14:1-14 -John’s biography of Jesus slows as he chronicles the week leading up to Jesus’ death. Jesus has a long, careful conversation with the disciples, and today, we listen to the beginning of that conversation. He begins with a strong command: “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” He then reinforces it with three unshakable assurances: He is going ahead of them, He has cleared the way to the Father, and He will send supernatural power so they can continue His work.
John 8:48-59 -Jesus’ friend John was very careful to record the things that Jesus said about Himself. As an observant Jew, John knew that there is only one God. From time to time, God sent prophets, ordained priests, and crowned kings so that the people of God had someone to lead them to Him. Everyone knew that these leaders only ever pointed to God; they never claimed any status beyond being messengers. But when Jesus came, He was different. He claimed to be “the Light of the World,” “the Truth that sets you free,” and “the Resurrection and the Life”—all of them ridiculous claims for anyone but God to make. That was exactly His point.
Luke 15:11-32 - Jesus tells a story about a father with two lost sons. The rule-breaking younger son was lost in self-indulgence, and the rule-keeping older son was lost in self-righteousness. The father loved both generously and even recklessly. Both needed to be found. Were they?
John 4:4-26 - Jesus announced that the Kingdom of God had arrived and everyone wondered what that would look like. Would it mean swords and fighting or a political takeover? John records a couple of one-on-one conversations that Jesus had. What an interesting Kingdom! It turns out that each person matters in the Kingdom of God, each woman and each man matter eternally.
John 1:1-14A - The story of the Bible is the Story of Jesus, God’s plan all along was to come as one of us to rescue us from sin and death and to reset us to live radically different lives. Today’s passage offers a different (still true!) beginning to the story of Jesus' life on earth.
