Pastor Tom Johnson, March 14 2021
You can see “John 3:16” lifted high on poster boards by fans at sporting events on television. I remember seeing them in the 1970’s. It has become a shorthand for the Gospel for many Christians. “For God so loved the world—God loved the world in this manner—he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” This is how God loves the cosmos—he gives his all and everything in the person of the eternal Son of God who left his heavenly throne, took on our humanity, born into time, grows, teaches, heals, preaches, lives, dies, and rises again for the world. Whoever trusts in the person and work of Jesus has the assurance of God’s love, his grace, forgiveness, and eternal life. Jesus wants us to live and move with this confidence that we are deeply loved—with an eternal love. And if that is not clear enough, Jesus says, “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” This is John 3:17.
It is vitally important that we keep John 3:16 with John 3:17. Without holding them together, we risk making the Gospel into a wager or a command to believe—or else. John 3:17 makes sure we don’t put an “or else” into the good news. We should remember that Jesus is speaking these words to Nicodemus—a biblical scholar and teacher. He is perplexed by Jesus’ words. Jesus helps him better understand God’s heart—God’s motive—God’s purpose in sending Messiah Jesus It is not to condemn the world—not—not to condemn. This is the same word Jesus uses in the Sermon on the Mount when he says, “Do not judge—do not condemn” [Matt 7:1].
The New Testament word “condemn” [krinō] means to consider another person as less than—not worthy of God’s favor—but deserving of judgment and punishment. It means to criticize and find fault in another. It is also a legal term meaning to hand someone over to the judicial court for punishment. Sadly, many outside the Christian faith think of Christians as judgmental people. We have held up the poster board with John 3:16. Like Moses lifting up the bronze serpent that brought healing to God’s people, we may now need to hold up the proverbial poster board with John 3:17. We need to lift high the cross for the salvation, forgiveness, and eternal life that God gives through his Son. But we also must let the world know that what we fear most will never be realized through Jesus.
We fear rejection, invalidation, contempt, shame, and guilt. Jesus did not come to do that—he did not come to condemn. And we followers of Jesus should also make that clear. But it must be clear to us first. Our job is also not to judge or condemn. The culture wars going on today threaten to adulterate our message. In our zeal for truth and morality we can get lost in our own right-ness—our self-righteousness. We can be on the right side but 100% wrong—wrong in our tactics, wrong in our message, and give people a wrong view of God, Jesus, and the Christian faith.
Jesus is speaking these words to Nicodemus—a Pharisee. And you know the Pharisees in the New Testament were known to be right about many things. But their attitude toward others was all too often totally wrong. It is even in the English language when we say someone is Pharisaical—someone who has a superiority complex, someone who is self-righteous, and hypocritical. I’m confident that you would agree with me that we don’t want to be known as judgmental, condemnatory, pharisaical Christians. That is NOT who we are called to be. That is NOT Jesus’ mission. Jesus did not come as a moral crusader. There is enough condemning going on in our world. And not only that, one of the saddest realities is how hard we can be on ourselves. What is shame and guilt but self-condemning? And—if that is not enough—in addition that, we are in the middle of a spiritual war waged by Satan—whose name means “the Adversary.” He is like a legal prosecutor pressing charges against us, judging us, and advising God on what he should do to hold us in contempt and dispose of us.
But we have an Advocate with the Father—the Holy Spirit—and we have the Son who does NOT come to join forces with our evil foe. He comes to free us from shame, guilt, and hopelessness. That is Jesus’ mission. That is our mission as his Church. We are not here to point out the bad and ugliness in the world. There is enough of that. We are called to be positive, encouraging, hope-filled, with an unwavering emphasis on the good in the good news.
It alarms me when I hear people say that they will not come to church because it is filled with judgmental people. Or they feel like they need to reform themselves first, reform their lives, and then they can become part of a faith community. No, we should be a place were people come as they are. We should trust in the Holy Spirit to confront their sin just as we know the Holy Spirit confronts ours. We are all a work in progress together! And we should unite under that banner of hope. “For God so loved the world—that he sent his Son not to condemn but to save—to bring true love in the world—acceptance, forgiveness, hope, and joy. “
Amazing grace—how sweet the sound—
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind but now I see!”
(“Amazing Grace,” LSB 744 v. 1)
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