Jesus: The Life

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

John 11:25-26 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?"

A Central Conversation: John 3:9-16

John 3:9-16

9 Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered him, "Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."

The OT Background: Numbers 21:4-9

Numbers 21:4-9

4 From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. and the people became impatient on the way. 5 And the people spoke against God and against 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 loathe this worthless food." 6 Then the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. 7 And the people came to Moses and said, "We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you. Pray to the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us." 8 And the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live." 9 So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.

Five Core Truths from This Text

1 The root of Israel's sin was ____________ God's ______________ and ____________ His ___________. 
2 The fiery snakes that __________ the people were sent by God as __________ _______________.
3 The bronze serpent that __________ the people was sent by God as a ____________  _______________.
4 This bronze serpent was given __________ for those ______________.
5 These people were healed not by ___________ nor ______________. Instead, they were healed __________ by ______________ to the ____________ _______________ God provided.

Two Fundamental Points

1 ____________ is the heart of ____________.
2 ____________ is the heart of _______________.

Returning to That Conversation: John 3:9-16

John 3:9-16

9 Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered him, "Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."

Five Core Truths from this Text

1 Nicodemus came to Jesus to gain __________ from him as a ______________. Jesus called Nicodemus to receive __________ from him as a ______________.
2 Jesus is the bronze serpent: The __________ _______________ for our sin and God's ____________ _______________.
3 Because of our __________, we all stand _______________. Because of ___________, we all can be _______________.
4 We are healed not by __________(*) or ______________. Instead, we are healed __________ by ______________ to the ____________ _______________ God provided.
5 Nicodemus came to Jesus to ______________ and ______________. Jesus called Nicodemus to ______________ and ______________.

One Important Distinction

1 While the bronze serpent could only offer a ______________ healing, Jesus offers an ____________________ one.

One Snowy Sunday: Isaiah 45:22

Isaiah 45:22

22 "Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other." (ESV)

Nothin' To Do, But...

"Young man, you look very miserable. . . Young man, look to Jesus Christ. Look! Look! Look! You have nothin' to do but to ______________ and ______________."

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