John 3:16—The Sequel

In Cody's last sermon on John 3:16, we did a deep dive on the hidden meanings of three words used in the verse, and how those deeper meanings fit into the context of the New Testament as a whole. In that sermon, we didn't really get into the immediate context of the John 3:16—instead we took more of a bird's-eye view. In this follow up, we narrow our scope by going into another deep dive—this time into the verse's immediate context in John Chapter 3.

Where our last look at John 3:16 played heavily on the love of God, this time around we bring God's justice into play as well, by getting a feel for what Jesus was talking about when he referenced Moses lifting the snake in the desert in Numbers 21. This Old Testament story serves as a powerful metaphor for Christ's crucifixion and our salvation. We're challenged to confront the 'serpents' in our own lives - those sins and struggles that poison our relationship with God. Just as the Israelites had to look upon the bronze serpent to be healed, we too must look to Christ on the cross to find healing and redemption from that ancient serpent's bite.

Check out Cody's initial sermon on John 3:16 here.