(The following questions have been developed to answer some of the concerns of Law and Gospel preachers, whose main concerns have to do with how the Word functions. You can learn more about this unique genre of preaching in my brief guide to Law and Gospel preaching, Afflicting the Comfortable, Comforting the Afflicted, available from wipfandstock.com or amazon.)
1. How does the Word function in the text? This Word functions to bring both hope and judgment. It is then, functioning as both Law and Gospel. The Word is lifting up Jesus as the One whom we look to for life and salvation. The Word is also revealing our state apart from Christ - "condemned already" - because we have "loved darkness rather than light."
2. With whom are you identifying in the text? These verses are all inclusive: "whoever believes", "everyone who believes", "those who believe", "those who have not believed". As part of the unfolding drama, we are both those who are drawn to the light and those who hate the light. We are simul justus et peccator, simultaneously sinners and saints.
3. What, if any, call to obedience is there in this text? Since the call to obedience is the Word functioning to invite us to live faithfully in response to God's work, we see here no evidence of this call. This text is about faith alone and the call to look to Christ for life and salvation.
4. What Law/Gospel couplet is suggested by this text? Unlike many texts we have plenty of images for both Law and Gospel in this text. Some couplet ideas: perishing/gaining eternal life; condemned/saved; loving darkness/loving light; hating the light/coming to the light.
5. Exegetical work: I find Kittel's discussion of John's use of kosmos (world) most helpful. He writes: "The kosmos is the setting of the drama of redemption which is recounted in the Gospel....The kosmos is, in some sense, personified as the great opponent of the Redeemer in salvation history. It is as it were a powerful collective person which the [powers of the world] represents.... Hence salvation history is a conflict between Christ and the kosmos, or the poneros who rules it." (Theological Dictionary of the NT, Vol. III, p. 894) D. Moody Smith, in his commentary, reminds us that the kosmos is not only the setting of a drama, but much more: "Although 'the world' sums up man's opposition to Jesus in John, there is another sense in which the world is the object of God's love." (Proclamation series, John, p. 32) We hear this, of course, most clearly in the 16th verse: "For God so loved the kosmos..." Some of the most vivid scenes of this drama have been given to us through the pen of Augustine who wrote imagining Christ and Death in dialogue; "[To Death Christ said], 'I will be your death, O death; I will be your sting'... I will slay you, [Death], by dying. I will swallow you up." (Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, NT, vol. IVa, p. 126) Luther takes up this last image in his sermons on this passage: "As we read in Hos. 13:14, [Christ] devours death and destroys it." (Luther's Works, vol. 22, p. 357)
6. How does the Crossings Community model work with this text? Marcus Felde is expert in his analysis of this text. He reminds us of our penchant to trust darkness to "save" us, when nothing could be further from the truth. He reminds us also how Christ said it and it is done - our salvation. See the whole analysis at crossings.org/text-study.
7. Consider the insights of the pioneers of the New Homiletic? David Buttrick was always reminding us that too many moves or too few moves in a sermon leaves the listener in the dust. As we prepare our sermons we need regularly to ask ourselves, "Have I kept the listener in mind?"
Blessings on your proclamation!
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