John 3:17-21 - Homiletics

The Incarnation regarded respectively in its design and in its actual result.

I. THE DESIGN OF THE INCARNATION . "For God sent not his Son into the world to judge the world; but that the world through him might be saved."

1 . It was for the salvation of the world.

(a) from the guilt of sin,

(b) from the power of sin,

(c) and to give him an eternal inheritance in glory.

2 . It was not for the judgment of the world. The Jews expected the kingdom for the Jews, and judgment for the Gentiles.

II. THE ACTUAL RESULT OF THE INCARNATION —A JUDGMENT . "To judge is to prove a man's moral state by a detailed examination of his acts." The judgment is not condemnation, for it may he favourable or otherwise.

1 . The application of the judgment. "He that believeth on him is not judged: but he that believeth not is judged already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

(a) The greatest sin is unbelief, because it is a rejection of God's dear Son, his sacrifice, his work.

(b) This unbelief reveals the moral tendency of the man. It is a mistake to think that unbelief is a purely intellectual act. It is moral as well as intellectual.

2 . The peculiarity of the judgment. "And this is the judgment, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than the light." The unbeliever unveils his moral state by rejecting Christ.

(a) themselves and

(b) Christ.

(a) It is hard to conceive of a rational creature loving darkness, walking in it, having fellowship with the works of darkness, because, darkness suggests the idea

( α ) of stumbling,

( β ) of discomfort,

( γ ) of danger.

(b) The reason of their choice. " Because their deeds were evil."

( α ) Thus the evil life reacts upon the mental judgment.

( β ) The unbeliever is resolved to continue in his evil, and therefore will not allow the light to fall upon him.

III. THE CAUSE OF THIS SELF - EXECUTING RESULT . There is a twofold moral state.

1 . Those who do evil hide from the light, because they dread its manifesting power. "For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved."

2 . The true believer seeks the light, because he seeks the manifestation of his divinely done acts. "Right action is true thought realized" in the case of the "doer of truth."

(a) lovely,

(b) comforting,

(c) stimulating.