'A God Who Has No Son ...'
The sermon highlights the significance of God's love and the importance of His Son in the Christian faith, contrasting it with the teachings of Islam.
Selwyn Hughes delves into the profound truth of God's love for the world as expressed in John 3:16, emphasizing the unique and sacrificial gift of His one and only Son. He contrasts the significance of Jesus Christ in Christianity with the absence of such a concept in other religions, highlighting the pivotal difference between Islam and Christianity regarding the Son of God. Hughes reflects on the immense gratitude towards God for providing a direct path to reconciliation through His Son, unlike religions that rely on intermediaries for connection to the divine.
Text
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son ..." (v. 16)
For reading & meditation:
John 3:1-17
Yesterday's point about God finding great pleasure in His Son is worth pursuing as so much hangs on it when contrasting the Bible with the sacred books of other faiths. It seems strange to me that God should have so much to say about His Son in the Bible and yet ignore Him when supposedly revealing Himself to the founders of other religions. Long ago, in India, I sat by a man who, when he discovered I was a Christian, showed me his English translation of the Qur'an. I spent several hours perusing it. When eventually I returned it to him I commented: "I notice that though it talks a lot about God (Allah), it never mentions that He has a Son." He looked startled for a moment and replied: "Sir, in our religion such a thing could not be possible." He drew my attention to these words: "Allah forbid that He Himself should beget a Son." I turned to the Bible verse which forms our text for today, and read him the words. We sat quietly after that, both of us realizing we had touched on the main difference between Islam and Christianity. My heart leaped in gratitude to God that He had an only begotten Son whom He was willing to give up for my sin and the sins of the whole human race. A God who has no Son has to rely on intermediaries to bring people to Himself. And an intermediary who is not God and not man cannot effect complete reconciliation. It would be like a wonderfully constructed bridge that is broken at the farther end.
O Father, as I ponder John 3:16 I feel I am putting my heart up against Your heart. I want to feel its beat and catch its rhythm. For Your heart is here. I am so grateful. Amen.
Sermon Outline
- The Main Difference Between Islam and Christianity
- The Implications of a God with No Son
- The Bridge of Reconciliation
- The importance of a complete and perfect bridge
- The role of God's Son in reconciliation
Key Quotes
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son ...” — Selwyn Hughes
“A God who has no Son has to rely on intermediaries to bring people to Himself.” — Selwyn Hughes
“It would be like a wonderfully constructed bridge that is broken at the farther end.” — Selwyn Hughes
Application Points
- Recognize the significance of God's love and the importance of His Son in the Christian faith.
- Understand the implications of a God with no Son and the reliance on intermediaries.
- Appreciate the bridge of reconciliation provided by God's Son.