John 3:9-21: Whoever Believes

John 3:9-21: Whoever Believes

As many of you know, a number of the families in our church right now are going through a rather difficult time for various reasons. Of course, if you’ve been here the past several Sundays, you’ve heard me talk about Brian’s near fatal car accident and how scary those first few days were since we weren’t sure how things would turn out. And there are also several other situations that families in our church are going through right now. For whatever reason, it seems like these trying situations have all come upon us at the same time. That’s one reason I decided to start one of the Community Groups early—because I just felt like we needed it right now. And as you probably know from experience even if your life isn’t especially difficult at the moment, there are times in our lives when the trials we face can be so intense they force us to look beyond ourselves for the answer. They force us out of our default mode of self-reliance and bring us to the point where we have no choice but to look to God for everything and rely entirely on him. And I believe that act of looking beyond ourselves and looking to God is foundational to what it means to be a Christian. A Christian is someone who realizes they don’t have adequate resources within themselves to deal with their perilous predicament of being a sinner before God. And so, they look beyond themselves for the answer. 

And that’s what Jesus teaches us about in our main text of Scripture this morning. So please turn with me to John chapter 3. If you’re using the Story Bibles we provide, that’s on page 736. If you’re new here, we’ve been going through the Gospel of John passage by passage. So wherever the text goes, that’s where we go. And last week we looked at verses 1-8 of John 3 and talked about being born again. We saw how that phrase “born again” was used by Jesus in his conversation with Nicodemus and refers to experiencing a spiritual change within you that’s so radical, it’s as if you’ve been born a second time. You’re a completely new person. And as Jesus was explaining these things to Nicodemus, Nicodemus wasn’t quite sure what he was talking about. That’s where we pick up this morning. And as we’ll see, Jesus calls Nicodemus to do what we were talking about, to look beyond himself and—as Jesus will describe it—to “believe.”

John 3:9-21: “Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?" Jesus answered him, "Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

Now you may notice that one word in particular appears again and again in this text, and that word is “believe.” In just those thirteen verses we read, the word “believe” is used seven times. So I’m convinced the concept of believing is really the central idea of this text. The main thing we’re called to do in this text is to “believe” in Jesus. And there are two truths about believing in Jesus that we see: what it means to believe and why many people don’t believe. 

What It Means to Believe

So first, what it means to believe. If you look in verses 14-15, Jesus compares believing in him to an event that happened over a thousand years prior to that in Israel’s history. He says, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” Now, if you’re not as familiar with the Old Testament, you probably read that and wonder, “What in the world is Jesus talking about?” Here’s what happened. God rescued the Israelites from their slavery in Egypt, but because of their rebellion against God they had to wander around the desert for 40 years. And you better believe there was plenty of grumbling and complaining going on in the Israelite camp—kind of like some very unhappy children on a very long roadtrip. So listen to one incident that happens while they’re in the desert recorded in Numbers 21:5-9:  “And the people spoke against God and against Moses, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food." Then the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. And the people came to Moses and said, "We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you. Pray to the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us." So Moses prayed for the people. And the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live." So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.”

So the Israelites could be healed from their snakebites simply by looking at this bronze serpent Moses made. God would heal them through what I’ve heard one pastor call the “look of faith.” And going back to our main text in John 3, it works the same way with us. Again, verses 14-15: “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man [Jesus] be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” You see, like the Israelites, we have a deadly disease. The Bible says we’re sinful people and therefore stand guilty and condemned before God. But when we look to Jesus on the cross with that same “look of faith” the Israelites had, we too can be healed of our deadly disease and forgiven of our sins. But it requires that we give up all of our attempts to earn salvation by our own efforts and simply look to Jesus with that “look of faith.” That’s what it means to “believe” as this passage describes it. 

And keep in mind, it’s not as though believing is itself a way to earn salvation. It’s not like God rewards us for being trusting people. The whole point is that you can’t earn salvation. Believing is simply the means by which we receive salvation as a free gift from God. It’s kind of like when a homeless man reaches out his hand for money. He’s not earning that money by reaching out his hand. No, reaching out his hand is simply the way he receives the money. That’s what it’s like when we believe.

Then Jesus unpacks this idea of believing some more in what is probably the most famous verse in the entire Bible. Verse 16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” So God the Father loved this world so much that he sent his only Son Jesus to enter this world and die on the cross and thereby pay for our sins. That’s what he “gave his only Son” to do. And how do we benefit from that? Look at the requirement there. “Whoever believes.” And not just “whoever believes” in general, but “whoever believes in him”—that is, in Jesus. So believing involves embracing the person of Jesus as he’s revealed in the Bible. It involves embracing his identity as the “only Son” of God the Father, a Son who shares in his Father’s deity. It involves embracing what Jesus was sent into this world to do—to die on the cross to pay for our sins and rise from the dead to win total victory. And it involves embracing Jesus’ offer of salvation as a free gift. That’s what it means to believe. 

So, we’ve seen from this passage so far that believing involves the so-called “look of faith,” where we don’t try to do anything to earn salvation but simply look to Jesus with the outstretched hand of a beggar. We’ve also seen that believing involves embracing Jesus as he’s revealed in the Bible—who he is and what he’s done. But before we move on in the text, I really want to make sure you understand how total this belief is. It involves our total person. It’s not just intellectual belief where we intellectually assent to certain truths about Jesus. It’s a total belief. 

Number one, it’s a belief that entails total trust in Jesus where we’re actively leaning on him, depending in him, and relying on his merit rather than our own to earn us a place in heaven. Think about the way you’re believing in the pew your sitting in right now. You’re not just believing intellectually that the pew will hold your weight. No, you’re actively trusting the pew as evidenced by the fact that you’re sitting on it. Or think about any investments you might have. Perhaps you have your retirement savings invested in a mutual fund. You’re not just believing intellectually that investment company is competent and trustworthy. You’re actively trusting that company and letting them handle your money. Or one more example. Perhaps you’ve flown on an airplane before. I plan on taking two trips in the next two weeks that will require flying on a plane. And when I get on that airplane, I’m not just intellectually believing that plane will get me safely to my destination. I’m actively trusting that airplane and its pilots and its mechanics when I step on board. And in the same way, believing in Jesus doesn’t just mean that we accept certain things about Jesus as true. It means we actively trust him and put our total confidence in him for salvation. 

Also, number two, this belief is a total belief in that it entails not just total trust but also total commitment to Jesus. It entails dedicating ourselves to him and pledging our loyalty to him. The Bible’s very clear that believing in Jesus has an enormous impact on the way you live your life. For example, in John 5:44, Jesus asks the Jewish religious leaders, “How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?” In other words, how can you believe if you’re just trying to please people instead of pleasing God? How can you believe if it hasn’t affected the way you live and the goals you pursue? Also, in John 14:12, Jesus says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do.” So whoever believes in Jesus is going to be a different person. They’re going to do the same kinds of things that Jesus himself did. 

Take a moment and reflect on your own life. Is it the life of a true believer? To who or what are you ultimately loyal? To who or what are you most deeply devoted? To who or what are you truly committed? Those are the questions you have to ask. It’s not just about what you pay lip service to. It’s about where your deepest devotion lies.  And of course there are countless indicators of where your devotion lies—from the way you spend your money to the way you spend your time to the goals you pursue in relationships to the choices you make when no one’s watching. All of that points to what you’re really devoted to. So to what extent has your belief changed you? 

Why Many People Don’t Believe

So that’s what it means to believe. Moving forward in our text, not only do we see what it means to believe but we also see why many people don’t believe. Let’s pick up beginning with verse 17. “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” Let me just stop right there real quick. You would think that if the stakes are really this high, that if believing in Jesus really does make the difference between heaven or hell—or in the words of this passage, being saved or being condemned—that the vast majority of people would believe. In many ways it seems like a no-brainer. But as we look at our society, that’s obviously not the case. 

So, the question is: Why not? Why do so many people not believe in Jesus? Is it because of science perhaps? Let’s find out. Verses 19-21: “And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

So why do people love darkness rather than light?  Because, as it says in verse 19, “their works were evil.” To put it bluntly, they love their sin, and they know that believing in Jesus will require that they give up that sin. That’s why they don’t want to believe in him. That’s why they come up with a thousand and one objections to the Christian faith. They love their sin too much to give it up. Of course, that’s not to say they don’t sincerely struggle on some level with some of the objections to Christianity they put forward. That’s why it’s important at times for Christians to engage them in intelligent dialogue and address their objections directly. But our text makes it clear that beneath their objections lies a heart that loves sin. And even if they don’t consciously realize it, that’s what’s ultimately driving them. 

Think about a heroin addict. Why do they continue using heroin? Surely they know what it does to them. Surely they’ve heard how harmful it is to their health and how downright deadly it is. Surely they’re aware of the misery it’s brought to their lives. Surely they can see the effects it’s having on the people they care most about. So why do they keep on doing it? The answer, of course, lies in the nature of an addiction. An addiction is not a rational thing. It’s not something you reason your way through and determine the best course of action based on pros and cons. No, an addiction is something that grabs ahold of you and makes you in some sense insane and causes you do whatever you have to do to satisfy the addiction. It’s really a form of slavery. That sounds to me a lot like the way the Bible describes sin. Titus 3:3 says that those who haven’t yet been saved are “slaves to various passions and pleasures.” That’s why they don’t want to give up their sin. They’re enslaved. They’re just as controlled by their sin as a slave is by his master. Or, going back to the heroin, they’re just as addicted to their sin as a heroin addict is addicted to their heroin. They simply can’t bring themselves to give it up. 

Conclusion

Maybe that’s you this morning, even if you’ve never thought about yourself that way. Maybe your heart is being controlled by a love for sin. You know that the Bible teaches against some of the things you’re doing, but you just really like doing those things. They seem so fun and enjoyable and even liberating. Giving them up is one of the last things you want to do. Let me encourage you—and even beg you—not to be fooled. You know, it’s said that antifreeze has a very sweet taste. That’s why it’s such a big safety hazard to dogs and even children. If they find it, they’ll often drink it because it tastes so good. But even though it tastes good, it’s obviously quite deadly. And that’s how it is with sin. It tastes so sweet in the moment, perhaps even for a season, perhaps even for an extended season. But in the end, it’s gonna kill you. It’s gonna lead to your destruction.

One of the more obvious ways it leads to your destruction is by bringing about God’s condemnation. Look back at verse 18: “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already.” You may wonder, why is the person condemned already? Why doesn’t it say that they will be condemned in the future? It’s because a lifestyle of sin is so sure to bring God’s condemnation in the future, it’s as if the condemnation has already happened. Kind of like if you testify in court against a mob boss and he says to you as he’s leaving the court in handcuffs, “You’re a dead man.” What does he mean? Of course, you’re not literally dead at that moment, but he’s saying that your death is so certain, you may as well be dead already. That’s the sense in which someone who’s living in sin is “condemned already.” And that’s one way sin leads to our destruction. 

But even beyond that, think about all the ways sin brings such misery to people’s lives. Think about the deep emotional wounds people often incur by engaging in romantic relationships in a way that displeases God—namely by forming intimate bonds with someone without the safety net of marital commitment only to have those bonds ripped apart when the relationship ends. Or think about the emptiness people often experience when they spend their entire lives idolizing their careers and clawing their way to the top only to discover when they get there that they feel just as empty and unsatisfied as they did back when they were at the bottom. And on and on we could go. Sin can be a lot like heroin. Not only will it kill you in the end, but it can make your life unbearably miserable along the way. 

But perhaps the most tragic aspect of being addicted to sin is that it robs you of the joy that’s so freely available in Jesus. In Psalm 16:11, the psalmist says to God, “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forever more.” Also, later in the Gospel of John—in John 10:10—Jesus states that reason he’s come is so people can “have life and have it abundantly.”  So God doesn’t want to rain on your parade. Stop believing that lie. No, God’s reaching out to you because he wants to show you a joy that nothing else in this world can even come close to matching. And that joy comes as you do what you were created to do and live in a close relationship with God and become a worshipper of God. That’s the purpose for which you were created, and so it makes sense that that’s the only thing that’ll bring you real satisfaction. And if you haven’t yet experienced that, how I pray God would open your eyes so you can see how true that is. 

Allow me to let you in on a little secret. The Christian life isn’t about abstaining from what you really want to do. It’s about God opening your eyes to see that there’s greater joy to be found in Jesus than anywhere else in this world. It’s about exchanging the so-called pleasures of sin for the infinitely greater pleasures of Jesus. I’m reminded of God’s invitation in Isaiah 55:1-2: “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money [that is, who can’t earn it], come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.”

What a pity that so many people do exactly what verse 2 begs us not to do, spending their money for that which is not bread and their labor for that which does not satisfy. They chase after sin thinking it will bring them happiness and joy and satisfaction only to discover that it leaves them just as empty as they’ve ever been and ultimately even leads to their destruction. But it doesn’t have to be that way because Jesus is available for you even today. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”