God SO loved us--Jesus Came

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God so loved us, Jesus came.

Welcome friends to the Move Your Heart podcast. This is Val Brown and I am so happy to be with you. Can you tell by the happy music? This is my new theme music. Welcome, welcome, welcome. I'm so glad you are here. Today I believe that I have a really wonderful do your heart good kind of message. And if you didn't catch the words at the beginning there, I said to you, God,

so loved us, Jesus came. So that's what we're going to talk about today. We're in the Easter season even as I record this, but this message is good. I hope for every day because we need to hear this word. We need to spread this word because it's such good news. We don't want to keep it to ourselves. So my opening scripture is from John 3, 16 through 18

John 3.16 is such a recognizable verse, but there are actually those who have never heard this good news that Jesus loved us so much that he sent Jesus. We're gonna read this scripture, but there are gonna be so many other scriptures that I'm going to share today. This is gonna be a share a lot of the word kind of day because I just want you to hear Jesus' words and hear him say again and again and again how much

the Father loved us and that he came for that reason. He also loves us and even though he went away, he's coming back because he loves us and he prepared a place for us. So we have so much good news for you today. So again, I am thrilled that you are here. So let's open with our verse John 3, 16 through 18. For God so loved the world,

that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already.

because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God." Doesn't that good news sound so easy?

To believe it's not just the mental assent like, okay, okay, I can accept that. Yeah, I believe that there's a God. I believe that Jesus is God. Sure, sure. No, It's not that kind.

It's that you believe so much that you put your entire trust, your entire life in the Son of God. He is the one God sent so that we could be in right relationship with him. Again, it's gonna get a lot clearer. So let's take a look at ⁓ Jesus' part in this. So for that, I'm going to go to Philippians chapter two.

And this is verses five through eight. And it starts off talking about our relationship and how we should treat one another, but listen for the words that pertain to Jesus. So verse five begins, in your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus, who being in the very nature, God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage.

Rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness, and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. Did you hear? It says that Jesus himself, his very nature, who he is, is God.

That's astounding. We're talking about God Himself coming down, Jesus in the form of God coming as a man. He took on the very nature of a servant and we're going to see how that plays out in the last days of his life. So he became a man and he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death.

even death on a cross. Here we get the first glimpse that God himself died on a cross for us. God so loved us, Jesus came. Are you beginning to hear that? Let's look in John chapter 12 and this is very close to his death. In verse 1 it says, six days before the Passover Jesus came

to Bethany where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus' honor. Martha served while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard an expensive perfume. She poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the

house was filled with a fragrance of the perfume. But one of the disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages. He did not say this because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief. As keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself

to what was put into it. Leave her alone, Jesus replied. It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me. Let's talk about that a little bit. In this passage, we hear Jesus

knowingly sharing words about his death, even that his death was going to come through a betrayal. A betrayal. He as God and walking with God knows these things. But remember, he is still walking as a man with all of the same limitations as a man, except for the Spirit of God came on him and he did so many things

for the people of his day. But what he did on the cross, he did for all of us. In the same chapter of the Bible, John 12, let's drop down and begin at verse 20 and read a little bit more. Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival. They came to Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee.

with a request. Sir, they said, we would like to see Jesus. Philip went to tell Andrew. Andrew and Philip, in turn, told Jesus. Now, they brought this man to Jesus, and you would think that Jesus might say, okay, why did you want to see me? But no.

Jesus replies differently. Let's read his words. Verse 23 of John 12. Jesus replied, The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.

Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour? No.

It was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name. Then a voice came from heaven. I have glorified it and will glorify it again. The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered. Others said an angel had spoken to him. Jesus said, this voice was for your benefit, not mine.

Now is the time for judgment on this world. Now the prince of this world will be driven out, and I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." And he said this to show the kind of death he was going to die. The crowd spoke up. We have heard from the law that the Messiah will remain forever, so how can you say, the Son of Man must be lifted up?

Who is this son of man? Then Jesus told them, you are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. Believe in the light while you have the light so that you may become children of light. When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself.

from them. here we see so close to his death, he's troubled about the fact that he is going to be lifted up. He's going to have to suffer and endure so many things at the hands of people who don't know what they are doing, that they are crucifying the very Savior God who came to rescue them. These people

don't really understand why he's there Jesus refers to himself as the light and he says walk in the light while I'm here then you won't be walking in darkness believe in the light while you have the light so that you may become children of light We hear our position that we are going to have with God when we believe in Jesus

and walk in him. We are children of light. God is light and of course the enemy is darkness and this world is dark because the prince that Jesus spoke of in this passage, the prince of this world, is such a dark, dark spiritual force, but Jesus came to drive him out. He's

presently in the world but he can be out of our lives. can be no longer the one who rules over us, who influences us. in the same chapter John 12. We'll pick it up at verse 37. Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence

they still would not believe in him. Yet at the same time, many, even among the leaders, believed in him. But because of the Pharisees, they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue, for they loved human praise more than the praise from God. Then Jesus cried out, whoever believes in me does not believe in me only

but in the one who sent me. The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me. I have come into the world as a light so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness. If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person, for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words.

The very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say. Do you hear there again that it was the Father

that sent Jesus. came as the light into this dark place. He says that certain ones there believed but they didn't openly have a walk that the religious leaders could observe because they would have been persecuted for believing in Jesus. How many of us have done that too? We've believed on Jesus but we haven't lived that life openly.

and then we've slipped back because that's thing that happens if you're not showing the evidence of Jesus in your life then the ways of this world are going to take over again. But there's hope. You can go back to God if you find yourself in that position. So Jesus says he didn't speak his own words. He spoke the words that the Father commanded him to speak.

and he says that those words that the Father gave him leads to eternal life. We're going to hear again about eternal life and we're also going to hear the way to eternal life. I promised you we were going to hear a lot of Jesus' words today and I hope you're enjoying it. Let's look at the evening that Jesus was betrayed. We are so very close to his death.

This is John 13. It was just before the Passover festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The evening meal was in progress and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew

that the Father had put all things under His power, and that He had come from God and was returning to God. So He got up from the meal, took off His outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around His waist. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around Him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him,

Lord, are you going to wash my feet? Jesus replied, You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand. No, said Peter, you shall never wash my feet. Jesus answered, unless I wash you, you have no part with me. Then Lord, Simon Peter replied, not just my feet, but my hands and my head as well. Jesus answered,

Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet. Their whole body is clean, and you are clean, though not every one of you. For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said, not everyone was clean.

I am not referring to all of you. I know those who I have chosen. But this is to fulfill this passage of Scripture. He who shared my bread has turned against me. I am telling you now before it happens so that when it does happen you will believe that I am who I am. Very truly I tell you, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me.

and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me." After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me. His disciples stared at one another at a loss to know which of them he meant. One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him.

Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, ask him which one he means. Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, Lord, who is it? Jesus answered, it is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish. Then dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot

As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. Jesus told him, What you are about to do, do quickly. As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out, and it was night. When he was gone, Jesus said, Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in him.

If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself and will glorify him at once. My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me. And just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now. Where I am going, you cannot come.

We have quite a scene here. We have Jesus in an upper room celebrating the Passover meal. Such a holy time God gave them that tradition, that memorial. When he was about to rescue the Jewish people out of slavery in Egypt.

Part of the plagues on Egypt was that the firstborn of the Egyptians would be killed, but if the Jewish people went into their homes for the night to eat their Passover meal, they were to put the blood of a spotless young lamb over their doorposts, the lintel and the sides of their door.

And when the death angel came through, he would pass over those homes because they believed and did what God told them to do. So this was the meal that they were doing as a memorial. It was quite a wonderful thing. And it is a picture of Jesus that God would see Jesus' blood

that he offered on our behalf and he would pass over our sins and we would not be subject to eternal death, but eternal life. But at this special meal, he said, one of you is going to betray me. He knew which one it was. When they asked, who is it? He said, I'm going to dip the bread and then give it to him. It was Judas.

It says that Satan entered his heart so that he would go out and he would commit that act of betrayal by turning him in to the authorities to say exactly where he was going to be that they could come and arrest him and take him away. Judas knew what he was doing. But note that Jesus washed every one of the disciples feet as a lowly servant and he washed Judas feet as well.

They couldn't even tell who it was that would betray him. That tells me something really, really big, and that Judas was loved by Jesus as well. Jesus, knowing he was going to betray him, still treated Judas with love. But Judas would be the vessel through whom Satan himself would do this heinous act.

He thought he was going to take out the Son of God and he wouldn't be able to accomplish the purpose for which he came. But he was so wrong. Jesus said, My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now where I am going, you cannot come.

they couldn't understand what Jesus was saying. What do mean you're going to die and where are you going? It was all such a mystery to them Let's go over and begin chapter 14 Jesus told these disciples Do not let your hearts be troubled you believe in God believe also in me my father's house has many rooms

If that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going." Thomas said to him, Lord, we don't know where you're going, so how can we know the way? Jesus answered, I am

The way and the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me. You heard me say I am going away and I am coming back to you. If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen, you will believe. I will not say much more to you

for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me, but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me. Come now, let us leave." So Jesus answered their question. He began to speak to them about heaven. He said, you believe in God. Believe also in me.

He said, my father's house has many rooms. If it wasn't true, I wouldn't have told you that. And he says, I'm going to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare that place for you, I'm going to come back and I'm going to take you to be with me so that where I am, you can be there. And then when he says this statement, you know the way to the place where I am going, that caused them to say, Jesus, what do you mean? You're leaving.

How are we going to go? We don't know the way. And Jesus' answer was, I am the way. And when he says, you believe in God, believe in me, that's the way. The way to eternal life is to believe in Jesus, that he is God in the flesh who came. And as we believe in him, and he becomes our life.

then he surely is going to come back for us and where he is we will be. Notice he says that the prince of this world is coming but he has no hold on me. Satan thinks he's going to kill him and then the divine plan with the father won't be. But Jesus says he has no hold on me so he's not going to

take Jesus' life when Jesus is crucified. Jesus is willingly giving up his life to die. That is so astounding. God so loved us, Jesus came, but then there's the other side. Jesus so loved us that he laid down his life and died for us. That's a wow. That's a really big wow.

Let's go over to John 16 verses 27 and 28. The Father Himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. I came from the Father and entered the world. Now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father. He is telling them, God,

loves you, God the Father, the one who sent me, He loves you because you love me and have believed that I came from Him. That is so wonderful to believe that the God who created the universe and Jesus, the Word of God, there's so much to learn about Jesus, but the world was created through Him, by Him. But this is the one who was

on the verge of death and he's speaking to them about the love of the father and how he's going to die, he's going to endure being lifted up this crucifixion, this horrendous crucifixion. Let's go back to our very first verse in John 3.16 through 19. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.

that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment.

The light has come into the world and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.

Wow, this is very telling. Again, the love of God caused him to send Jesus for us, and it's through believing him in him that we're not condemned. All of the world without Jesus will go to be with the prince of the world, Satan. His place is that fiery hell.

And God never wanted that for us. That's not our place. That's why He says that whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already. So He's rescuing us. He's made the way for the rescue. And it is in believing and receiving the Son of God who willingly died for you and for me. But if we don't receive Him, we're rejecting Him;

we're choosing to follow the Prince of this world, Satan himself, who wanted to destroy Jesus, but he wants to destroy humankind that God so loved that he sent Jesus. So we do want to receive the love of God as shown in Jesus' coming and Jesus' death. Let me ask you, my friend,

as we close. Do you believe in Jesus' words

God so loved us, He loved you, and Jesus so loves you that He came.

Jesus willingly came into the world for the Father. He lived as a man and he died as the man. But he wasn't only the man, he was the only acceptable sacrifice to restore our relationship with God. It would take God, somebody who was sinless, to die for us. The cost for our very souls

was so expensive, so expensive to God. Can you even imagine that? Jesus would feel all of the pain. In these scriptures there's so much more to learn about what happened after this meal. Jesus was mercilessly tortured, so tortured, and it says that his form was beyond recognition,

His face was beaten to a pulp. He had blood from thorns, made into a crown, jammed down into his forehead. Blood was running from there. Blood was running from the punches. He received lashes with a whip that had, metal and stone or bone in it, and it ripped open his flesh.

He had to be put on that cross. Nails were driven into his hands, into his feet. He was stripped naked. And he was raised up on that cross. Can you imagine that cross being plunked down into the ground and he's hanging by his hands and his feet? His back is so, so ripped open. It's told that this kind of beating

would even make the spine visible. Such, such horrendous torture that he went through because God loved us, because he loved us, and he would have to be the sacrifice. No other sacrifice would do. That's the love of God. through faith in Jesus, we are made sons and daughters of God.

That's the only way to be a son and daughter of God. Yes, He created humanity. Adam and Eve were sons and daughters of God. But when they chose to follow the Prince of this world, Satan, when he came in the form of that serpent and tempted Eve, then Eve tempted Adam, and they disobeyed God, they were no longer children of God spiritually. They were children of the devil.

we've been offered that relationship to be children of God once again.

Have you believed and received God's love His forgiveness?

That's a question that only you can answer. I want you to know Jesus. God wants you to know Jesus. Jesus wants you to know him. And Jesus wants you to come to that place that's been prepared in heaven for you. But there's only one way to get there, and that is through Jesus. I want to pray with you. I hope that you'll pray with me. And remember, if you did once ask Jesus into your life,

and you believed in him and you walked away, it's not too late for you to come back. Remember Judas at the table? God loved him. He loved his betrayer. You couldn't have done something that would stop the love of God for you. That is such amazing mercy. Wow, the love of God. Let's pray.

Jesus, we thank you for coming. We thank you for telling us about the Father, for teaching us.

about his love and for offering yourself up for us. For going through the things that you went through, the tremendous torture because you loved us and you were willing to do that gladly. you didn't stay dead, but three days later you rose. You rose from the grave and you went to be with God and you're coming back for us again and we want to be ready.

So Jesus, for the friends here today who are listening, ⁓ Lord Jesus, we come together. We thank you. We receive your mercy that you offer to us. We receive the sacrifice that you gave to us. We receive your death for us. Father, we just ask that in Jesus' name you would forgive us from our sins. And for all of us that...

you would come into our very lives, our very hearts, make us children of God again, or for the first time, through faith, true faith in Jesus. We receive you, Lord Jesus, this day, and we want to live for you, and we want you to live through us. So this day, we commit ourselves to the love of God and to the Spirit of God to live big inside of us.

and to show us the way to walk until the day when you come back for us. We thank you, Lord. We love you.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Thank you, my friends, for sharing this time with me on this very, very special day. I love you as well.

Bless you.