Lavish - John 12:1-8 - Rev. Justin Young
Main Idea: Love lavishly because He lavishly loved us first.
John 12
How?
🌏 Global Spotlight: Michelle Li
✉️ Stay updated by subscribing to our weekly newsletter.
(Complete plan here.)
READ John 3:1-21.
READ the following reflection.
We like to think of ourselves as modern people, people of reason, impartially evaluating the evidence. But the reality is we're not neutral observers and we're not impartial. We’re firmly on one side -- and it's the dark side.
Think about when this conversation takes place. Nicodemus comes to Jesus at night because he fears exposure (v 2). Nicodemus meets Jesus in the dark and then asks why he can't see! Nicodemus is himself a picture of the answer to his question.
"Light has come into the world," says verse 19. It's a reference to Jesus himself (1 v 9). Jesus has come, but we've chosen darkness instead of light because we're already biased against Jesus. There are two issues.
First, our deeds are evil (3 v 19). We love sin and we don't want to stop. We don't want to submit to God. In other words, we don't want Jesus as our King.
Second, we fear exposure (v 20). We're too proud to acknowledge that we need Jesus. In other words, we don't want Jesus as our Saviour.
And so we're deeply invested in rejecting Jesus. We come up with all sorts of reasons to reject him as our King and Saviour.
We're all like Nicodemus. We prefer darkness to light. We fear exposure. Underlying all our reasons for not knowing God is the fact that we won't admit our need and we won't submit our lives. And so we need God's Spirit to recognise God's King, because we're hiding from him.
Ash Wednesday is traditionally a day for confession and repentance. Take the opportunity to confess your failure to admit your need and submit your life. Leave behind the shame and guilt and evil -- and take a step into the warmth of Christ's light. (Excerpt from The Glory of the Cross by Tim Chester)
PRAY the following aloud as a group
Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have made, and you forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (The Book of Common Prayer (2019))
READ the following memory verses and MEMORIZE the first verse:
"Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him."
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. (John 3:14-18)
SING the Doxology
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heav'nly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Amen.