There are many things we can learn about Jesus’ mission to earth, but what could be more incredible than knowing it was motivated by the love God has for our sin-fractured world? God’s love is not contingent upon our behavior but is anchored in His very character. Here we learn about the most amazing rescue story in human history, the simple call to believe upon Jesus and his finished work, and the terrible fate of those who refuse to be rescued.
In John chapter 3 we encounter a Pharisee named Nicodemus. Nicodemus perceives that because of his prestige and his piety, his entry into the Kingdom of God will be certain. But on the night he enquired of Jesus, his worldview was flipped upside down. Jesus tells him that to receive the Kingdom he needs a radical heart change that can only come about by the work of Spirit. Here we learn that entrance into the Kingdom of God is not something we earn through good works, but by believing in the finished work of the Son of Man who was lifted up on the cross for our sins.
John’s main idea is that Jesus would become greater and he would become less. Nathan showed how Jesus can sometimes be a threat to a human and their response could be to either burn the scrolls, wrangle for power or gladly let Jesus become greater.