1. Sent to Save (verses 16-18)
2. Sent to Shine (verses 19-21)

Perhaps you remember what took place in August 5, 2010 in Chile. There was a catastrophic collapse at the San Jose copper-gold mine, which trapped 33 miners. These miners were buried 2300 feet underground. Their conditions were grim. They had little food. They had little water. They had little air. As the world learned of the tragedy, it became a national story, as many imagined what it must have been like to be one of these trapped miners.

The initial days of the ordeal were marked by uncertainty and despair as rescue teams worked tirelessly to establish contact and assess the situation. There seemed little hope of their rescue. Multiple exploratory boreholes were drilled, trying to find the miners. These are holes about 16 centimeters (6.3 inches) in diameter. After 14 days of intense work, one probe reached a space where miners were believed to be trapped, but they found no signs of life. However, three days later, another probe finally established contact with the trapped miners through a borehole. Contact came through a note that was taped to a drill bit that had been pulled back to the surface: The note read, "Estamos bien en el refugio los 33." Translated, that is, "We are well in the shelter, the 33 of us."

With this note, the hope of rescue seemed real. With this small borehole, those on the surface were able to send supplies and communication devices to the miners. This meant that rescue teams had some time to plan a more detailed rescue operation. The whole world seemed hopeful. Over the next few weeks, workers commenced an operation to drill a larger borehole through which the miners could be extracted. These boreholes would be much larger, not a 6.3 inch diameter hole, but a 28 inch diameter hole, through which a miner could be extracted.

On the surface, they constructed a rescue capsule that would carry the miners out. The complexity of the rescue operation required the collaboration of international experts, advanced technology, and careful coordination. Three larger holes were bored concurrently, each using a different sort of technology. The miners would be brought out through the first hole that reached them.

Finally, on October 13, 2010, some 69 days after the collapse of the mine, more than 5 million people watched online as the first miner, Florencio Ávalos, emerged from the depths of the mine, followed by the others in a carefully orchestrated sequence. And of course, you can only imagine the great joy when all 33 miners were extracted safely from the mine. “Mision Cumplida Chile” read one sign. It was a rescue effort that brought the world together, the resilient spirit of the trapped miners, and the tireless efforts of the rescuers, became a source of inspiration worldwide.^[1]

Well, this morning, we are going to read of another rescue operation. Not of miners trapped deep in a collapsed mine, but far worse, of humanity trapped in our sin. This rescue operation is worthy of much more inspiration than any earthly rescue ever would be. As this is a heavenly rescue in the spiritual realm. So, if you haven’t done so already, I invite you to open in your Bibles to John, chapter 3. We will be looking at John 3:16-21.

Last week, we looked at verse 16, and saw how 1. God loved the world. Even when we were sinful, God loved us and 2. God gave his Son to be the sacrifice for our sins. We also saw how 3. God invites our faith. He invites us all to believe in his Son and 4. God promises eternal life to all who believe.

This verse, is perhaps the most famous verse of the Bible. It is to be memorized. It is to be cherished. It is to be believed. It is to direct us to faith in Jesus. Well, this week, we are continuing in the text, beginning again with verse 16, and working through verse 21. Let me read our text.

John 3:16-21
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 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. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.

The title of my message this morning is “The Mission of Jesus.” Because, that’s what these verses tell us. They tell us of the rescue mission that Jesus pursued. Now again, before we dig into our text, let us again remind ourselves why these things were written. Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name (John 20:30-31)

My first point comes in the first three verses. It is simply this:

1. Sent to Save (verses 16-18)

That is what Jesus was sent to do. He was sent on a saving mission. Just like the engineers in Chile, who dedicated many hours of thought and planning and work to save the miners who were trapped in the collapsed mine, so also did Jesus dedicate himself to save those who were trapped in their sin. Now, of course, the means of the rescue are different. The miners were saved through a borehole that was big enough to bring them out. Jesus saves us by dying upon the cross for our sins. The miners were saved by stepping into the capsule, which raised them to the surface of the earth. We are saved by believing in Jesus. This is what John 3:16 says.

John 3:16
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 promise is clear. It’s the promise of eternal life to all who believe, including every single one of you here this morning. If you place your faith and trust in Jesus, you won’t perish, you will have eternal life. Note again, the parallelism with the Chilean miners. They didn’t dig themselves out of the mine. They had someone come to rescue them. That’s what Jesus did in his mission to earth. We will see this especially in verse 17, which goes on to further elaborate on verse 16. I was recently talking with a man about John 3:16. He said, “Lots of preachers preach on John 3:16, but what about John 3:17?” Well, here’s what John says in verse 17.

John 3:17
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.

Here’s where we see our first point. Jesus was 1. Sent to Save (verses 16-18). Jesus wasn’t sent on a mission of condemnation. He was sent on a mission of salvation! We might hear that and say, “Of course Jesus wasn’t coming to condemn.” “Of course, Jesus was coming to save.” For us, to think that Jesus was coming on a mission of condemnation, is not so unlike us thinking that those engineers who descended upon Chile in 2010 were there to figure out how to destroy the trapped miners. To us, it seems absurd. Yet, you have to ask yourself, why did John write this? (Or, if indeed, these are the words of Jesus, Why did Jesus say this?)

It’s because of the common understanding of the day. When the Messiah arrived on the scene, he was coming for judgment. They weren’t wrong. For those of us reading through the Bible together this year, our schedule has taken us into Isaiah this week. in which we hear about the relentless judgment that God will pour out upon all of the rebellious nations of the earth. Babylon (Isaiah 13). Assyrian (Isaiah 14). Moab (Isaiah 15-16). Damascus (Isaiah 17). Cush (Isaiah 18). Egypt (Isaiah 19).

The Jews believed that all of this would come upon these nations when the Messiah arrived. They weren’t wrong. Indeed, when the Messiah comes, it will spell doom to the nations of the world. We saw that when I preached through Revelation a year ago, Do you remember in our study of Revelation 18? That chapter described the destruction of Babylon at the return of Jesus, the Messiah. `But what the Jews missed (and quite frankly, everyone in the world missed, because it was a mystery that was hidden in the Scriptures), is that the Messiah had two missions. The first mission was a mission of salvation. The second mission will be a mission of condemnation. Today, we stand right in the middle of these missions.

The first mission of the Messiah into the world was a mission of salvation. Now, listen again to verse 17.

John 3:17
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.

Oh, there will be a day, when people will long to be with the Chilean miners, buried deep in the holes in the ground. "And people shall enter the caves of the rocks and the holes of the ground, from before the terror of the LORD, and from the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to terrify the earth" (Isaiah 2:19). So terrifying is the coming of the Messiah to the earth, that people will head into their bomb shelters in efforts to hide from the LORD when he returns in final judgment.

But that’s not this day we are looking at in John 3 this morning. The day of judgment is a future day. But John 3:16 and 17 speaks about today, the day of salvation.

John 3:17
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.

Again, that comes through faith in Jesus. It’s the only way that you will be saved, by trusting in Jesus. Do you trust in him? Do you believe in him? Have you placed your faith in Jesus?

Well, a few moments ago, I told you of a man who said to me, “Lots of preachers preach on John 3:16, but what about John 3:17?” At this point, I say, “what about John 3:18?” How many preach on this verse? Here’s the verse:

John 3:18
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.

Although Jesus came on a mission of salvation, and not condemnation, it doesn’t mean that condemnation was not in the discussion. It comes right here in verse 18. The promise of salvation is repeated again in the first half of the verse:

John 3:18
Whoever believes in him is not condemned,

But the danger of condemnation is present in the second half of the verse.

John 3:18
whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

Here is the danger for all of you this morning, who aren’t believing in Jesus. Because, you have heard about Jesus. But haven’t trusted in Jesus. Perhaps you have been here through the gospel of John, hearing about all of the wonders of Jesus, How he is the Word that became flesh to dwell among us (John 1:14). How he is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:20). How he can turn the water into wine as he did in Cana of Galilee (John 2:1-11). How he prophesied of his body being raised when he cleansed the temple (John 2:20-21). How he stood toe-to-toe with the greatest theologian of his day (John 3:1-15).

Yet, you remain unconvinced. You have not placed your trust in Jesus. Yes, Jesus was 1. Sent to Save (verses 16-18). But he saves those who believe. He saves those who are willing to squeeze on that rescue capsule in Chile, to be taken for a ride, up to the surface of the earth. trusting that capsule will be able to carry them, trusting that the cable won’t snap, trusting that capsule won’t get stuck halfway up the borehole. But can you imagine one of those Chilean miners who had refused to get on that capsule? What would be their fate? In some regards, their fate would have been secure. They would have died, some 2300 feet underground. Oh, perhaps not right away. But they wouldn’t have lasted long.

Perhaps one of the miners could have said to himself, “You know, I kind of like it down here. I’m off on my own, away from the worries of the world. away from the distractions of technology. I have a lot of problems in life up there. I’m just going to stay down here a while longer. The shaft is there. The rescue capsule is there. I can get on it whenever I want. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe next week. Maybe next month.” That miner would have been foolish not to take the rescue available to him at the moment. He would have no guarantee of the capsule still working in the future. The earth could easily shift in a hole 2,300 feed deep. So likewise, it is foolish of any of you, to think that maybe tomorrow you will fully trust in Jesus. Maybe next week. Maybe next month.

Verse 18 tells us:

John 3:18
whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

The condemnation comes today, because belief will not come tomorrow. You may not know that there is a tomorrow.

I heard this past week of a family friend who died in a car accident. Here name is Sue Englert (Some of you may know the Englert family). She and her family had been at Kishwaukee Bible Church years ago. I had worked with one of their daughters when we lived in DeKalb. The Englerts are one of the kindest families that I know. I haven’t seen Sue for a decade. But if I had, I would have greeted her and called her by name.

She was 68 years-old, a mother and grandmother. She was riding in a 2011 Dodge Charger, traveling south along a road in Kansas with her family. When a Jeep Cherokee turned in front of them. Sue was killed, but the other three with her survived with serious injuries.^[2] You never know. When I heard about this I texted Yvonne, “It is so sad, especially as the Englerts are such sweet people. Let us cherish our days.” You never know what tomorrow will bring. So, don’t delay your trust in Jesus. You have heard enough about Jesus! Believe in him, today! Trust in him!

Well, let’s move on with the mission of Jesus. Jesus was 1. Sent to Save (verses 16-18) He was also:

2. Sent to Shine (verses 19-21)

Look at verse 19.

John 3:19
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.

Jesus is the light of the world. We will think about that more deeply when we get to John 8:12, where Jesus says, “I am the light of the world.” In our exposition of John, we have already heard of Jesus being the light. Several times in the prologue (or overture), Jesus is described as “the light.” "In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it" (John 1:4-5). That’s what we see here in John, chapter 3. We see the light shining in a dark world.

This is why Jesus was sent. He was 2. Sent to Shine (verses 19-21). Now, in the prologue, when we read of Jesus, coming as the light, we read of him not being received. "The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him" (John 1:9-11). What a sad thing. That the light shining in the darkness was neither recognized nor received.

It’s the same here in verse 19.

John 3:19
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.

Jesus comes into the world as a light for our souls. But the people prefer the darkness rather than the light. How many times have you seen this? When the light of Jesus shines upon others and they run away, like a cockroach scurrying across the floor when the light is turned on, in search of a place to hide in the darkness.

People are like bugs. They don’t want the light. They want to walk in the darkness, rather than the light. Perhaps you know this. Perhaps you have been on your phone, looking at something that you shouldn’t be looking at. Someone comes around, and you hide your phone. This is what John is talking about here. He’s talking about those who want to run and hide from the light. The reason is clearly given in verse 18. Because their works are evil. Look again at verse 19.

John 3:19
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.

Evil-doers hate the light. Most violent crime take place at night, when nobody is looking. when nobody can see what they are doing. when they can do their deeds without being exposed.^[3] Much evil is done at night. Now, when it comes to Jesus, he wasn’t a physical light bulb, shining actual light upon people. No. He was a spiritual light that came. But the principle is the same. The presence of Jesus is a light that shines upon the wickedness of people. Those in the world would rather have their darkness than Jesus. They would rather have their wickedness than the light that Jesus brings.

Again, the illustration of the Chilean miners is appropriate here. It was dark in the mine. It was unpleasant in the mine. But the light came with the shaft that was drilled into the earth. Now, can you imagine those who were trapped refusing to enter into the rescue capsule because they preferred the darkness of the mine instead? They preferred the miserable conditions of the darkness to the life offered on the surface? Such a comparison sounds ridiculous! And it is! So also is the choice that people make to love their sin, rather than loving the Savior.

So, what about you? Do you love the darkness more than the light? Verse 20 goes on to explain what’s going on. It’s about exposure:

John 3:20
For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.

When you come to the light, when you come to Jesus, your works will be exposed. There is no doubt about it. This is bad news for those who don’t want to be exposed. Often, exposure is the very thing that is most feared by evil-doers. Evil-doers love their sin and they don’t want their sin to be exposed. You show me an adulterous relationship, and I will show you a trail of lies and cover-ups. You show me an abuser in the home, and I will show you a façade of charm and manipulation. You show me a drug user, and I will show you a pattern of denial and diversion. This is how sin works. It works best in the closet, alone. Because sin hates exposure.

But what is bad news to some is also good news to others, for those who realize that Jesus dealt with our sin on the cross. For those who believe in Jesus, exposure may not be pleasant, but it brings healing and forgiveness. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). In other words, if we bring our sins into the open, and agree with the Lord that they are sins, not covering them up, not making excuses, then we can experience the forgiveness that Jesus offers. Jesus will “cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). When this happens in our souls, we can come to the light without fear. Without threat. Without worry. Without embarrassment. Because God is working in our lives. Look at verse 21.

John 3:21
But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

Here we see the opposite of verse 20. In verse 20, we see the wicked fleeing from the light. But here in verse 21, we see the righteous coming to the light. I love how the righteous are described. They are described as the one who “does what is true.” They “do the truth.” See, the “truth” is not something merely to be believed. The “truth” is something to be obeyed. If it’s true, we follow in its ways. The second half gives explanation of why the doers of the truth come to the light.

John 3:21
But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

Think about what John doesn’t write here. John doesn’t write that we come to the light because we are good. John doesn’t write that we come to the light because we have it all figured out. John doesn’t write that we come to the light because we are without flaw. John doesn’t write that we come to the light because we are seeking approval. John doesn’t write that we come to the light because we have achieved perfection. No, it is to show that God has been working in us! Our “doing the truth” and “coming to the light” shows that God is at work in us.

Here’s the reality of life. Any evil that you do is your sin doing it. Any good that you do is from God. Our good works are carried out in God. We who believe know what it is to have God working in us. We want to put that on display by coming to the light!

So here’s the final question for you. Do you believe in Jesus? Jesus was 1. Sent to Save (verses 16-18). Do you come to the light? Jesus was 2. Sent to Shine (verses 19-21). Or will you be like a Chilean miner, preferring your hole in the ground, away from life? Oh, may you believe in Jesus.

This sermon was delivered to Rock Valley Bible Church on September 15, 2024 by Steve Brandon.
For more information see www.rockvalleybiblechurch.org.

[1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Copiapó_mining_accident.

[2] https://www.kwch.com/2024/09/12/illinois-woman-killed-6-others-injured-thomas-county-crash/.

[3] https://www.securitymagazine.com/articles/90384-murder-robbery-and-driving-while-impaired-happen-at-night.