Saturday Meeting 2008/07/12

From our session leader Andy:

Everyone has heard about John 3:16 at some point - "For God so loved the world..." ...you know the rest. However, there are quite a few interesting verses that follow it immediately that aren't discussed nearly as often: Jn 3:17-21. This paragraph immediately and abruptly following the discourse between Jesus and the Pharisee named Nicodemus is an excellent summary of the story of the Christian faith - not just from God's point of view but also from humanity's. The promise of verse 16 is accompanied by a very stark choice offered to humanity in verse 18: "Whoever believes in Him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God."

The rationale for this choice is presented in the light of God's recognition of our human weakness: "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him (17)." This is a very crucial point as people shrink back in fear from God's message, and this fear manifests itself in many ways: doubt, hatred, indifference: "And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light so that his works might not be exposed" (19-20). However, the encouragement remains: "But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God" (21).

Some warm-up questions:

"Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and not tried." (G.K. Chesterton). Yet these verses indicate how God proposes to reach over that chasm of difficulty. Why do people not believe the promise of 3:17? How and why do they fear this?

"Blessed is he who takes no offense at Me" (Lk 7:23): I imagine everyone at some point has run into someone who just can't accept the Good News because they want to see proof: some sign, some miracle. This demand is especially high in this modern age where technology can seemingly make
anything happen and science often endeavors to meet any and every phenomenon with self-contained explanations. What strikes you about people who think this way? What kind of answer would you propose for them?

There was a mantra I recall hearing with regard to the Catholic faith: "I have been saved, I am being saved, I will be saved." In other words, while we believe and have been baptized into the fold, our goal is to keep growing towards the Lord and not turn back, and one day we will be with
our eternal Father. As a believer, what meaning would you draw from these verses that would help you grow in faith?