Whoever Believes in the Son Has Eternal Life (John 3:31-36)

First Scripture Reading: Psalm 110:1-7

Second Scripture Reading: Hebrews 1:1-14

Sermon Text: John 3:31-36

The Apostle John states the purpose of his writing in John 20:30-31, “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.” While John explicitly states his purpose at the end of his gospel, he nonetheless weaves this theme throughout, such as in our sermon text. John, as he is writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wants us to embrace Christ by a living and abiding faith so that we may have eternal life (John 3:36). Charles Spurgeon writes about this verse:

The whole gospel lies in this nutshell. Come, thou guilty one, just as thou art, and rest thyself upon the finished work of the Savior, and take him to be thine for ever. Trust Jesus now. In your present position it may be done. God’s Holy Spirit blessing your mind, you may at this moment say, “Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief.”

1. For review, read John 3:22-30. What were John the Baptist’s disciples concerned about? How did John respond to their concerns, and what does his response teach you about the Christian life?
2. Read John 3:31; Ephesians 1:20-23; and review our second reading from Hebrews 1.  What do these passages reveal about Jesus’ divinity and glory?
3. Read John 3:32-34. How do these verses connect with John 1:1-5, 14-18 and John 14:6-14? What do you learn about the Trinity from these passages?
4. What was the relationship between Jesus and the Holy Spirit according to John 3:34?
5. What is the relationship between “belief” and “obedience” according to John 3:36?
6. In preparation for our next study through this gospel, read John 4:1-45. Why do you think it’s important that this woman is identified as a Samaritan? What did she learn about Jesus during the course of their conversation?