Great Love

John 3:1-17

Today we encounter Nicodemus. And in order to get to the most popular verse in the whole Bible we have to understand this story of Nicodemus just a little bit. Nicodemus was a Pharisee, a leader of the Jews. And on one particular night, in order that his colleagues might not see him, he came to Jesus with a few questions. He was curious about being reborn. He thought he would literally need to be born again. He thought he needed to put his finger on the exact time, date, and place when he was born again. This is where Nicodemus made the wrong turn. He misunderstood Jesus. Jesus was not talking about a literal rebirth. He was not talking about a physical rebirth. Jesus was talking about being born from above. He was talking about a spiritual rebirth. Being born from above is not about what individuals do. Nicodemus could not give birth to himself. Being born from above is about what God does. God breathes life into us and gives birth to us from above. Through God’s action we are born into eternal life. God’s action is an action of love. It is an action of “great” love. God’s love is so great that God sent Jesus, God’s only son to show us “great” love.

I would like to share with you a story about “great” love. There was a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare & serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. He hesitated for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, "Yes I'll do it if it will save her." As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as everyone else did, seeing the color returning to her cheeks. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away?” Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her.

This is “great” love. This little boy loved his sister in such a way that he wanted to save her, regardless of what might happen to him. He was willing to die so that she might live. This little boy is an example of how we can strive to love in a way similar to how God loves us. God loves in a way that God sent God’s ONLY Son into the world to live the life of a human and to die on a cross for OUR salvation. “God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” Jesus died for YOUR salvation. Jesus died for MY salvation. Jesus died for the salvation of the whole WORLD.

Jesus gave his life in place of ours. He took on the death that we deserve. In order for the world to be saved Jesus NEEDED to be “lifted up” on the cross, “lifted up” to resurrected life from the tomb, and “lifted up” at the ascension when Jesus returns to God. This was done out of God’s love for the world. This was done out of “great” love.

If you are an avid reader of the New York Times or a watcher of CNN you may have heard some news about Rob Bell over the past week. According to the New York Times, Bell is one “of the country’s most influential evangelical pastors.” Rob Bell is the pastor of 10,000 members at Mars Hill Bible Church in Grand Rapids, MI. He is also a writer and has a video series that our High School Sunday School class uses. His appearance in the news is over his newly released book “Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived.” If you haven’t heard all the hype about this book, you may be wondering what the big deal is. The big deal is that some readers think his book is headed towards universalism. Universalism suggests that everyone goes to heaven and there is no hell or if there is a hell it is empty. The idea of universalism is not very popular in the evangelical circles and his colleagues have spoken very loudly about their displeasure with Bell’s new book. Now, I have not read the book yet, but just the title “Love Wins” speaks loudly to me. It speaks loudly about God’s love. Whether there is a hell or not. Regardless of if it is empty. Bell’s title argues that love wins…God’s love wins. And that is the truth. Whether or not we agree with the other messages of his book, that is the the gospel message for today. God’s love wins.

John 3:16, arguable the most popular Bible verse in our society today, says “For God so loved the world.” In this manner God loved the world. God loved the WHOLE world. God loved in a way that God gave. God did not give to condemn, but to save. And ultimately, God’s love wins. Throughout the Lenten journey much emphasis is placed on the sinfulness of humanity and the need for repentance. However, that is not the only reason we are on this journey. We are journeying to the cross. This journey is not about what we have done or left undone, but about what God has done. This message of love is not an if/then message. It is not about how many good works we do in order to inherit eternal life. It is a because/therefore message. Because of the “great” love God has for us we love others in response. It was out of love that Jesus came among us, stood beside us, died with us, for us, and saved us. It was out of “great” love. May we be bold enough to share that “great” love with others. Amen.