Born Again - John 2:1-17 - Trinity Sunday - Memorial Day Sunday - 5-26-24

 Sermon podcast from the Trinity Sunday, 5-26-24 worship service - Peace Memorial Church, UCC in Palos Park, IL. John 3:1-17

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Born Again - John 3:1-17 - Trinity Sunday - 5-30-21

 

Sermon podcast from the Trinity Sunday, 5-30-21 online worship service - St. Paul's UCC in Downers Grove, IL. John 3:1-17

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Sermon podcast from yesterday at St. Paul's UCC in Downers Grove, IL.  John 3:1-17. This may be a different look at John 3:16 than you're used to . . .

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Mysterious

Yesterday's sermon at St. Paul's UCC in Downers Grove explored the context of that super familiar BIble verse you see on posters at football games and sometimes on the bottom of retail store shopping bags.
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By night

This week's Bible reflection (The next verse) provides some early thoughts on what is now the Sunday sermon at St. Paul's United Church of Christ in Downers Grove, IL
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The next verse

Sure.  Not everyone knows it.  But whether it was in church, Sunday School, Bible club, or . . . on a sign in the end zone during a football game, there are many, many, many people who have heard -- and perhaps read -- and maybe memorized John 3:16.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

I wonder how often folks remember the next verse.

God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

• God's desire is that the whole world would be saved. 
• If that doesn't happen, does that mean God fails?
• And if God never fails, then doesn't that have to happen?
• And what if someone doesn't believe?  The next next verse has some thoughts:

Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

How can God want the whole world to be saved, and never fail, and then fail because the ones who don't believe are condemned?

God gets what God wants.  And God wants the world to be saved.

Now what are you thinking?

Bannerman

Here's this week's Bible study blog entry for i.ucc:

One man's grinning from behind the net
Waits 'til the camera's adjusted
Don't you worry 'bout the flak you'll get?
Aren't you scared of getting busted?T
he ball gets booted - It hits the crossbeam
Up goes the banner - "JOHN 3:16"

From “Bannerman” by Steve Taylor – © 1993 Soylent Music

Steve Taylor wrote and sang about “Bannerman” – ‘that person’ who raises the banner with John 3:16 on it at sporting events. (Steve's still around, but I don't know if he sings the song anymore. He's more of a record producer now.)

A few years after the John 3:16 banner showed up at games, pro wrestler Steve Austin received some ‘inspired’ publicity as folks started displaying “Austin 3:16” on banners at sporting events. And though the presence of either banner isn’t as prevalent anymore, I still see one or the other from time to time.

John 3:16 is one of the, if not the most quoted Bible verses of all time. And here it is – in this week’s Bible reading from John 3:1-17. Austin 3:16 – I won't quote that one, but I can appreciate the marketing mind that came up with it!

This week folks will be wondering aloud about the words 'born again' and 'born anew' and 'born from above' and how they relate to this week's reading. They'll also be talking about the pharisee Nicodemus' night visit to Jesus and how the timing of his visit affects our understanding of what was going on. And we'll also be paying close attention to the word "whosoever" (in the NRSV. "everyone") and the ministry to GLBT folks that takes it's name from that word.

And in all the conversation I worry that our personal experience with this most famous verse will get lost. I hope it doesn't.

What’s your experience with John 3:16?

Born again

There's almost nothing left from this week's Bible study blog entry for i.ucc.org (Snakes on a pole) but if you look hard you can find just a bit of it in this week's sermon at Union Congregational Church, United Church of Christ in Somonauk.
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Snakes on a pole

Back when the famous movie that never really became famous came out, I wrote a song for a "Get your song in the movie" competition. It didn't win or even come close to winning. But I sold a bunch (by that I mean a few hundred) copies of it on itunes, napster etc.

This week I'm taking liberty with the title of the movie and hoping that a few people will read this entry about Jesus and Nicodemus from John 3:1-17. Here's this week's Bible study blog entry from i.ucc.org


Nicodemus came to Jesus to find out more about the things he’d been talking about with the crowds. While Jesus was telling Nicodemus about God’s saving through Jesus, he used the imagery of snakes:

“as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.”

And then the snake talk was followed by what is likely often quoted verse in the Bible. (And the one that still keeps appearing in end zones of football games!)

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life."

The two verses before John 3:16 aren’t quoted quite as often. Here’s where they come from:

In a scene from Numbers 21:4-9– poisonous snakes were biting and killing the Israelites after they had whined and whined to Moses. “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we detest this miserable food.” (think in a very whiny tone) Of course, their attitudes changed after the snakes started biting. “We have sinned by speaking against the LORD and against you; pray to the LORD to take away the serpents from us.” (think in a less whiny, more frightened tone)
So God had Moses make an image of the poisonous snakes and put it on a pole and everyone who was bitten would look at the snake on the pole and they would be healed.

I think this whole snake on a pole/Jesus on the cross comparison is strange. I get that both are about healing and life - but Jesus and a snake?

But here’s what I think:

• As the snake was lifted up on the pole, Jesus Christ was lifted up on the cross.
• As the Israelites were to look at the snake image on a pole, so we look to Christ for salvation.
• God provided no other remedy than looking for the bitten Israelites and God has provided no other way of salvation than Jesus. (Let the discussions begin!)
  

Crucifixion was a sign of a curse. Therefore, just as the Israelites had to look on the repugnant, uplifted image of a serpent to be saved, we today look at the uplifted image of Jesus on the cross. (Hmmm – in protestant churches we look at an empty cross in celebration of the resurrection. In the Roman Catholic Church the uplifted image of Jesus provides a much closer comparison with the imagery in John 3.)

What are your thoughts?