StoneBridge Community Church
Senior Pastor Jon Saur
In this series, we will examine Jesus' interactions with different characters in the Gospel of John. Much of the theology in the Gospel of John is revealed in Jesus' dialogues with characters.
John 3:16-21 NRSV
Eternal Life vs Heaven
This may seem like splitting hairs, but it is important to distinguish between "Eternal Life" and "heaven." It is important to do so because the Gospel of John does so. The gospel of John has a heavy emphasis on the concept of "eternal life," moreso even than the other three gospels.
"Heaven" in the Bible typically points to the sky. We can see this in English, when we refer to "The heavens above." The Greek term that is translated as "heaven" is also translated in numerous places as just the basic "sky." In our culture, "heaven" has come to mean a beautiful and grand place we go to after we die that isn't necessarily "above" us.
"Eternal Life," at least in the Gospel of John, does not begin after we die and does not require that we go to a different geographic location. "Eternal life" begins right when someone interacts with Jesus and recognizes him for who he is - the Messiah and the Son of God.
If we focus too much on "heaven" or "life after death" in the Gospel of John, we miss one of the main points this gospel is trying to teach us - Jesus meets us now, in this life, and gives us a glimpse of what eternal life with God will look like, right here and now. It's not a perfect glimpse, but it's enough to spark our hope, so that we can spread the hope we have in Jesus with others.
Who is Nicodemus?
Nicodemus was a religious ruler in Jesus' day. He was a Pharisee. The Pharisees were a sect within Judaism who focused on a strict interpretation of Torah, resurrection of the dead and marking themselves as separate from the rest of society. Jesus regularly debates with the Pharisees in the Gospels. While some have portrayed the Pharisees in an exclusively negative light, Jesus does have some positive interactions with Pharisees, such as with Nicodemus. It has also been said that Jesus debated with the Pharisees because they were the best that Israel had to offer and were the most similar to Jesus in beliefs.
Who were the Samaritans?
The Samaritans were a religious group that lived just to the north of Jerusalem and the Jewish people. They were remarkably similar in beliefs to the Jews of Jesus' day. The Samaritan's even shared the Pentateuch with the Jews (the first five books of the Bible), until about 100 years before Jesus' birth. 100 years before Jesus' birth, a permanent rupture took place between the Samaritans and the Jews and the Samaritans changed their version of the Bible.
For more information on the Samaritans, check out Pastor Jon's StoneBridge Extras podcast, which will be posted this week on Tuesday. Pastor Jon will explain more about the Samaritans, how they developed and help put Jesus' encounter with the woman at the well in context.
Darkness in the Gospel of John
At first, it may seem like a stretch to believe that the narrator of John mentioning that Nicodemus came to Jesus in the night has any real significance. However, one has to take the entire Gospel of John into account.
Recall that at the very beginning of John we are told "In him (Jesus) was life and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it." (John 1:4-5) This is a clue that, throughout this gospel, the reader should look for scenes that involve light and scenes that involve darkness. It is setting the stage for the whole gospel.
If that isn't enough, look at John 13:30. Judas leaves to go and betray Jesus and prepare to hand him over to be killed. This is the moment that was foreshadowed as the main conflict in this gospel. This is the most evil moment in this gospel. And what does the narrator of John tell us right after Judas goes out to betray Jesus? "And it was night." It doesn't get more ominous than that, does it?
If you still aren't convinced that this is an intentional theme in John, turn to the garden scene in John 18, where Jesus is arrested. The narrator makes sure to point out that the soldiers came with "torches and lanterns," another sign that darkness is still reigning in this most evil of events.
When you see "night" or "darkness" in the gospel of John, most likely, someone is about to betray their ignorance of what God is doing in Jesus.
GROWTH GROUP / PERSONAL REFLECTION QUESTIONS
1. Do you usually conflate "heaven" with "eternal life"? What might be some possible differences between these two ideas?
2. Read Jesus' interaction with Nicodemus in John 3. What stands out to you about Nicodemus' questions and Jesus' response?
3. Read Jesus' interaction with the Samaritan woman in John 4. What is different about this interaction from Nicodemus' interaction with Jesus?
4. Are there any lessons we can learn about "eternal life" from the Samaritan woman that haven't been discussed already? What, from her example, can help you know how to follow Jesus in your life?
QUESTIONS FOR FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN
1. What do you think "eternal life" is?
2. What in your life now do you hope will carry over into eternal life with God?
3. What do you think John 3:16 teaches us?
NEXT STEPS
Beneath the veil of darkness, Nicodemus explores Jesus' identity and the scripture implies that he departs back into the night. In contrast, the Samaritan woman encounters Jesus in the height of the day and, after departing Jesus, tells her village all about him and invites them to meet Jesus, themselves.
- Prayerfully consider where in your life you "hide" your faith and why.
- Prayerfully consider where in your life you can share about Jesus.
