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Trinity 2024
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
May 26, 2024
Isaiah 6:1-8, Acts 2:14a, 22-35, John 3:1-17
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In our Gospel reading today we get that all so familiar passage of John 3:16 (ESV) 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.”
This is likely the most familiar verse in the whole Bible and the one that more people have memorized than any other. It is called the Gospel in a nutshell. You all know it quite well, but it can be familiarity that can at times empty something of its meaning as you think, “I already know this. I am not going to gain anything more from this verse.”
So, let’s take a little time this morning and slow down and dig into this verse. I got my undergraduate degree in print journalism and we were trained to ask the familiar questions, Who, what, where, when, why and how?
Who? Who is this verse talking about? John 3:16 (ESV) 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.” God the Father gave God the Son on behalf of the world that whoever -- meaning anyone in the world -- believes in him will have eternal life. In just this one verse you learn that God is complex beyond your comprehension. How does God the Father have a Son? God the Father does not have a body yet begets, generates, God the Son -- from eternity. Jesus has always been. We learn this in John 1:1 (ESV) 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:14 (ESV) 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
And not only is there God the Father and God the Son, but Jesus teaches about the Holy Spirit just before this, John 3:5 (ESV) 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”
We have God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. One of the proofs that Christianity is true is that the Trinity does not make sense. How can God be three persons and one God? When people make up a religion they mostly make up gods that make sense. Gods that are a lot like us. Gods that act like we do. Gods that make demands and give you a list of things you must do to appease them. The true God is different. He is incomprehensible. Three persons, one God -- who freely gives you grace and mercy.
Who is involved here? God -- Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and the world -- all people, everywhere. That is a big who.
What? What is happening? A Pharisee, Nicodemus, comes to Jesus secretly at night. Nicodemus knows some things about Jesus, but has come to learn more. Jesus tells him that he needs to be born again of water and the Spirit. Then Jesus tells Nicodemus how people will have eternal life. John 3:14–15 (ESV) 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.”
What? What is happening is that God the Father gives His only Son to be lifted up.
Where? Where will this happen? We are not told that here with Nicodemus. When? When will it happen? We are not given specifics as to when.
Why? Why does God send His Son to be lifted up? It is a one word answer. Love. God loves the world. God loves with a selfless love. He loves with a love that does not count the cost. God’s love for you is beyond comprehension. In baptism you are born again by water and the Spirit into this love of God as we got to see once again this morning with the baptism of little David. God’s love envelopes little David. God’s love envelopes you; covers you. You live surrounded by the love of God. Paul describes this love in Ephesians 3:17–19 (ESV) 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” You are rooted and grounded in the incomprehensible love of God. You are filled with the fullness of God.
Why? Because God loves you.
Who, what, where, when, why and how? How? This is an interesting question. We hear, “For God so loved the world” and it can sound like, because God loved the world soooo much. Indeed it is true that God loves sooo much. God’s love is beyond understanding. But, “For God so loved the world,” means God loves the world in this way…God so loves…God loves in this manner. How does God love the world? He gives His only son to be lifted up.
God wants all people to be saved. God knows the problem of sin and God gives the solution. How does God love? In this manner -- He sends Jesus to be the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
John 3:14–15 (ESV) 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
In the book of Numbers, after God sends fiery serpents among the complaining Israelites in the wilderness God instructs Moses to put a bronze serpent on a pole that whoever looks upon it will be healed from snakebite. How does looking a snake statue cure snakebite? It does not make any medical sense, but that is what God said to do, and it worked.
Jesus, the Son of Man, given by God the Father, will be lifted up. In our reading today Nicodemus does not yet know what this means -- to be lifted up -- but we know what this means Jesus will die on the cross at Golgotha to save sinners. How does Jesus’ death on a cross save sinners? This does not make sense. How can Jesus’ brutal death grant us eternal life? It is not the way I would do it. But you know it is true because God said it is true. John 3:16 (ESV) 16 “…whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
God wants all people to be saved. God knows the problem of sin and God gives the solution. How does God love? In this manner -- He sends Jesus to be the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
God wants all people to be saved because He loves all people. God the Father gives Jesus to be the sacrificial Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world. The gift of eternal life is for all people. How utterly heartbreaking it is when one of God’s beloved children who is loved with God’s incomprehensible love, rejects that love. How tragic when someone rejects God’s gift of eternal life in order follow a made up god with a checklist of demands. How awful when someone follows their own do-it-yourself spirituality that adapts to their every whim and desire. How senseless that someone lets the cares of this world and the busyness of life choke out God’s love for them. How evil when someone chooses darkness over the light. John 3:19–20 (ESV) 19 …the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.”
The eternal fire is prepared for the devil and his angels and yet so many love the darkness rather than the love of God and choose to go to the eternal fire with the Devil.
God does not send people to hell. They choose hell. God wants everyone to be saved and offers the gift to all. 1 Timothy 2:4 (ESV) 4 [God] desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
God knows the world needs to be saved from the darkness and He saves it, out of love, despite the cost.
God loves the world with incomprehensible, selfless love. He loves the world -- in this way -- by giving His Son to be lifted up on the cross, and lifted up from the grave, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. God loves you with incomprehensible, selfless love so that you have eternal life in Him. Amen.