No one will escape their sin’s condemnation unless they lift their eyes to the crucified Savior and entrust their salvation to the risen Lord Jesus. Continuing his sermon series in John, today R.C. Sproul proclaims the gospel from one of the most famous—and most distorted—passages of Scripture. Get R.C. Sproul’s commentary on the gospel of John for your donation of any amount: https://gift.renewingyourmind.org/3732/john-commentary Learn more about the gospel, the good news of salvation found in Jesus Christ alone: Meet Today’s Teacher: R.C. Sproul (1939–2017) was known for his ability to winsomely and clearly communicate deep, practical truths from God’s Word. He was founder of Ligonier Ministries, first minister of preaching and teaching at Saint Andrew’s Chapel, first president of Reformation Bible College, and executive editor of Tabletalk magazine. Meet the Host: Nathan W. Bingham is vice president of ministry engagement for Ligonier Ministries, executive producer and host of Renewing Your Mind, host of the Ask Ligonier podcast, and a graduate of Presbyterian Theological College in Melbourne, Australia. Nathan joined Ligonier in 2012 and lives in Central Florida with his wife and four children. Renewing Your Mind is a donor-supported outreach of Ligonier Ministries. Explore all of our podcasts: https://www.ligonier.org/podcasts
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Are you one of those that gets angry when you hear there's only one way to God? The question is, why should there be one, not why is there only one? It's why is there one at all? Well, God loves the world enough to send the only one. He doesn't love the world enough to say you can ignore the only one.
You have heard that complaint, haven't you? That it's not fair that there's only one way. That it's arrogant for the Christian to make that claim. But it's not arrogant. It's the truth. And it's a loving thing to tell a fallen sinner. Hi, I'm Nathan W. Bingham, and welcome to the Sunday edition of Renewing Your Mind.
As we come to the final sermon in this short series from John's Gospel, we continue Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus, in which he tells him that the Son of Man must be lifted up. And we come to the famous and often misunderstood text, John 3.16. As this is the final time that we'll be in, John, it's also the final day that you can request R.C. Sproul's commentary on John.
Before midnight tonight, give a year-end gift of any amount in support of Renewing Your Mind at renewingyourmind.org, and we'll get this hardcover volume to you as our way of saying thank you. Every gift between now and December 31st makes a difference and will be used to help fuel the global outreach of Ligonier Ministries. Well, here's Dr. Sproul in John chapter 3.
Now, Jesus, in this discussion with Nicodemus, uses this title, Son of Man. And He's saying to Nicodemus, Nicodemus, you're talking to the One who has come down from heaven. You are talking to the Son of Man in person, and you don't understand these basic truths that my Father has revealed in the Old Testament.
And now after having this claim, he answers the question that Nicodemus had raised, how can these things be? And Jesus now directs him back to the pages of the Old Testament when He says in verse 14, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
Well, this reference back to an event that took place in the wilderness experience with the Israelites in the Old Testament is recorded for us in the book of Numbers. In Numbers chapter 21, beginning at verse 4, then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea to go around the land of Edom. And the soul of the people became very discouraged along the way. Does that sound familiar?
That's the daily description of the attitude of the children of Israel during the wilderness experience. And so the people spoke against God and against Moses. saying, why have you brought us out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There's no food, no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.
And so the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, and many of the people of Israel died. You get the picture. God has delivered these people from slavery, from bondage. He's now provided for their physical needs supernaturally with the manna on the floor.
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