Gospel Discussion Guide from Pastor Chris Hermansen, Epiphany Lutheran Church Some background, thoughts and questions for John 3:14-21 for the week leading up to Sunday, March 15 (groups meeting March 8-14)

In a way I hope you are a little confused by this passage (and the passage from last week). It is easy to miss, but up until last week we’ve been cruising through the Gospel of Mark for the previous six Sundays and all of a sudden we are in John. John and Mark are very different. Mark tells the story and it is the most direct telling of Jesus' story. John's gospel is full of theology. Supposedly Luther had a greater appreciation for John over the other three gospels because they just told the story where as John is filled with theological depth. That being said, this reading also has what is most likely the most well-known bible verse, John 3:16. (Imagine a guy with a clown wig in the end zone of an NFL game holding a sign above his head.) But this passage has a lot more going on in it than just this one verse.

John is filled with light and dark. What makes this topic so powerful is it is timeless. We hear about light and darkness in the creation story in Genesis. John opens his gospel with it and we can relate to it today. Now John can also come across as very exclusive and this passage is no different. This passage is filled with those who get it and those who don't – those who are in the club and those that aren't allowed inside. To make sense of this we have to know a bit more about John's audience. John is very much about turning the Jewish community on its head. Notice the connection to Moses and the comparison to Jesus. This is very much connected to the Jewish community. John has drawn a line in the sand and those who don't accept Jesus don't get in – again, trying to connect this new way of understanding faith and God through Jesus. Not everyone was on board with this and I believe this frustrated John. I think verse 17 reveals the center of John's passion, hope and frustration. Jesus was sent to save, bring hope and light so why isn't everyone as passionate about that as he is? And when you are excited about something and others aren't, that can be very frustrating. But he then ends this passage with a very judgment oriented slant towards those who love the darkness. John 3:16 may be very famous but are we sure we love it as much as we say we do?

1. Why the comparison between Moses and Jesus? Do you know the connection or do you need to brush up on your Old Testament study? 2. Maybe you can recite John 3:16 but are you able to articulate it to someone who doesn't know about Jesus so that it makes sense to them? Give it a try in your group and see what happens. We need to be able to do more than just quote the Bible; we need to help people connect it to their lives. 3. If God sent Jesus into the world to save it why isn't everyone saved? Do we have the free will to reject God's love or will God's love eventually win out? Can we completely walk away from God's love or will God continue to pursue us to the gates of hell? 4. Do we love darkness more than light? Can you give any concrete examples? 5. Are you OK with the judgment talk in this passage? Many churches use this to condemn others, should that be our approach? Is there hope for those who have been condemned? 6. How do you, the community around you, the Epiphany community need to hear this passage?

That all might thrive and serve in the light of God’s grace!