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Judgment, Grace, and John 3:16


John 3:14-21 in the Common English Bible (CEB) reads:

Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man* be lifted up so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life. God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him won't perish but will have eternal life. God didn't send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him isn't judged; whoever doesn't believe in him is already judged, because they don't believe in the name of God's only Son.

 This is the basis for judgment: The light came into the world, and people loved darkness more than the light, for their actions are evil. All who do wicked things hate the light and don't come to the light for fear that their actions will be exposed to the light. Whoever does the truth comes to the light so that it can be seen that their actions were done in God.

In these verses Jesus declares that God's objective is salvation, not judgment. Jesus is the light, and people cause their own judgment by remaining in the darkness of evil. Judgment comes from being far away from Jesus.

The two ideas that stand out from this text are judgment and grace. Both of these are seen in God's act of sending Jesus to this world.

But what about that "snake in the wilderness"? That is referring to Numbers 21:4-9. In the Numbers story, the Hebrews were suffering for their sins. But when Moses lifted up a cross-shaped pole with a snake on it, there was healing and renewed life for all who looked to it.

In John 12:31-33 (CEB), Jesus says, "Now is the time for judgment of this world. Now this world's ruler will be thrown out. When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to me." (He said this to show how he was going to die.)

Jesus presents his death as a judgment of all people, a defeat of the Devil, and a force that draws all people to him. So, like Moses lifted the snake, Jesus is lifted up on a cross to die for our sins. But he is also lifted up into glory when he ascends into heaven.

Jesus is also described as the light. Just like when you flip a light switch when you walk into a dark room, Jesus exposes the darkness in our lives. To know Jesus is to know eternal life.

William Barclay said that the phrase believing in Jesus means that we believe a couple of things:
  1. We believe that God loves us, and he cares for us, and he wants more than anything to forgive us.
  2. We believe Jesus is the Son of God, and that in Jesus, we see God.
  3. We believe that God is a good and loving Father because in Jesus, we hear God.
As we read the Old Testament covenants, we see that God always took the first step. In John 3:16, we again see that God takes the initiative in salvation. All of salvation begins with God. Salvation is possible because God loves us. God loves the world.

When John Wesley listed the four most important doctrines found in Scripture, these were the ones he listed:
  1. New birth
  2. Original sin
  3. Justification by faith
  4. Inward and outward holiness
Did you notice that new birth and justification are two separate items? That's because there is a key difference between justification and new birth. What this means is that Jesus doesn't just forgive us for past sins when we accept him as our savior, he also gives us a new life--a second chance, an opportunity to live differently. 

Let me say that this isn’t some surface level surgery. Jesus doesn't just deal with our guilt and shame, he also deals with the root problem that causes us to sin. So, for us Methodists, new birth is the beginning of the holy life, the beginning of sanctification.

What does this mean for us? It means that we are never beyond the reach of God. It means that Jesus is relentless in his pursuit of us. His grace goes before us. And even if we've been a prodigal, he's waiting expectantly for us to go home. He's waiting for us.

Again, what does all this really mean? As we go back to verses 19-21, we see that the judgment we face is not based on belief but on action. This means we have a choice to make. Are we going to stay in the darkness or are we going to live in the light? Are you ready to embrace the truth? Are you ready to live in the light? 

Jesus is ready. He's always been ready. He's waiting on you. Will you accept him? Will you live in his light? Will you live in his truth?

Blessings,
AK

If you need a crash course in religious terms like repentance, justification, and sanctification, click here to read our previous post.


*Note: The Common English Bible translates the phrase "Son of Man" as "the Human One" with a footnote that they mean the same thing. Even though I agree with the thought that Jesus came to create a new humanity, I think this phrase "the Human One" sounds awkward--funny even.

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