God's Way or No Way

Topic : God’s Way Or No Way 上帝的方法或根本无法可行

Text : John 约翰福音3:14-16

Ng Kien Lock

25 Aug 2019

Understanding biblical narratives in the perspective of those in the story as well as what the author intended for the original audience is important in order to understand its original intention and message. Just like Musang King means king of durian to us Malaysian, but can be misunderstood as king of civet to foreigners if they literally translate the word Musang to English. 

The problems of life is mainly caused by us wanting to do things our way like the famous song sung by Frank Sinatra 'My way.’ However, God requires of us to follow His ways in order to enjoy fullness of life. This can be illustrated in John3:16. 

To fully understand John3:16 we must begin from John3:14-15 where Jesus was having a conversation with the Pharisee Nicodemus. It was a conversation between two Jewish Rabbi, who fully understood their cultural background and the historical events relating to the account of Moses, wilderness and the bronze snake. They understood it without going into details just like Malaysian understood the Musang king. 

 • Important to understand the biblical narratives in the perspective of those in

 the story as well as what the author intended for the original audience.

 清楚了解圣经故事中的内容及观点，及作者对原始听众的意图是非常重要的。

• To understand John 3:16, we must begin from John 3:14-15.

 要了解约翰福音3:16，我们需先了解约翰福音3:14-15

Nicodemus and Jesus were both Rabbis.  He was too busy during day and might be worried to be seen by other Pharisees, so he came during the night.

Genesis 3

Man's Way :- Adam and Eve weaned leaves to cover their naked bodies.

God's Way :- God made them. Coats of skins.

Numbers

Man's Way :- Isrealites asked for serpents to be removed.

God's Way :- God asked them to make bronze serpent on a long pole in V8.

Whoever bitten by serpents, could look to the serpent and live and not die.

John 3:14

A discussion if the Torah

Even so

The Repentance

V7 the people came to Moses

Man's method of salvation

Pray unto the Lord that he take away the serpents from. Them. And Moses prayed for the people.

• The background to this story is in Numbers 21:4-9.

 民数记21:4-9的故事背景。

• John 3:16 is a parallel to John 3:14

 约翰福音3:16与约翰福音3:14-15是平行的

1 John 4:10-11

For God so loved the world

Whoever believes in Him, will be saved

• Keywords in John 3:16

 约翰福音3:16的关键词

What is God's Way?

1) Love

Deut 3:5 the Lord your God Loved you

Ahav in Hebrews

In Hebrew, Love is not Agape, Love is to do and show in actions.

Matt 22:37-40

Deut 6:5

Lev 19:18

All about God Loving us and doing things for us.

2) Faith

To Believe we need faith

• Application to Life 应用

God's way is the only way.

John3:16 is a parallel to John3:14. V14-15 reads 

“Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” 

Jesus and Nicodemus remembered their past historical events in Numbers 21:4-9 whereby anyone bitten by a snake, sent as a judgement to the people by God because of their sin, will live by looking at the bronze snake on the pole. John 3:14 reminded the Israelites of their sin towards God, the judgement due to sin, and the provision of God’s salvation as in John3:16, where God sent his only begotten son to save us. Jesus in place of the bronze serpent and the cross resembles the pole. Sin has to be judged and penalty of sin is death. God is just, He cannot remove the judgement but instead provided a solution, His way, by sending Jesus Christ to die for our sins to save us and there is no other way. However we must repent of our sins and believe and trust in his way to be saved. God's way is all about love and faith. 

The word love in Hebrew requires love to be practical, follow up with action, as God did by sending His son to die for us and demanded of us in Deuteronomy 6:5, Mathew 22:37 to love God with all our heart, soul and strength. God requires of us to believe Him and trust Him in following His ways and not our ways to enjoy the fullness of life. 

From Susan Bong :-

 John 3:16 great expository sermon on thinking like the Hebrew which will allow us to connect the verses to the context it was spoken. How John 3 16 is related to Numbers and why there is a serpent on Moses staff that carried out many miracles. Moses led the people thru the desert for 40 years and the people saw the hand of God in their journey yet they disbelieved, was unfaithful and complained. Thats when God sent the serpents after them. But the serpents and calamity continued to befall the Isrealites. Becoz Loving a person does not mean loving without punishment when a sin has been committed. Love does not obliterate punishment but coming to terms with the wrong that has been done and providing a way to return to the grace. God sent His son as the “Grace” so that He can be the way the truth and the light for us to return.

Questions for discussion 

1. Share one new insight into John 3:16 that you never knew before. How does that change your perspective on this verse or the way you read your bible now? 

2. Share one of your recent experience when you got into trouble and tried to solve it your way, what was the outcome? And how did the situation change when you choose to do it God’s way? 

3. Hebrew understanding of love is beyond lip service, it is to show by way of action, e.g. to protect, to provide, to give. How are you expressing this love for God, for your church, your Christian community and for your neighbour?