Sunday
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. (v. 16)
Background
Verse 14 which opens today's reading makes little sense without referring to the story in Numbers 21:4-9 where we find the people complaining to Moses about the lack of food and water on their journey through the wilderness. As a consequence, the Lord sends poisonous serpents which bite the people, resulting in many deaths.
When the people repent of their actions, the Lord tells Moses to make a serpent out of bronze and set it on a pole so that whenever a serpent bit anyone, "that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live."
In the same way, Jesus tells Nicodemus a prominent member of the council who has come at night to question Jesus, that when he is ‘lifted up’ (on the cross) those who look upon him and believe will receive eternal life. (vs 14-15)
It is easy to read verse 16 as referring to just how much God loved the world. However, the Greek word ‘houtos’ that is translated ‘so’ means ‘in this way’, so the verse is about the way in which God loved the world, rather than how much.
God’s way of loving the whole of creation (not only God's people) was to send God's son (Jesus) to die on the cross so that those who believe on his name would not perish but have eternal life.
Just as the Israelites in the wilderness had the choice to look at the bronze serpent and live, so we have the choice to believe in Jesus and be saved from death. Verses 17-21 set out the stark choices before us with their emphasis on light and dark, condemnation and judgement, and good and evil.
We can believe and not be condemned, or not believe and bring condemnation ourselves. We can choose to live in the light that Jesus brings or stay in the darkness of sin and evil. And we can look to him lifted up on the cross and accept his offer of grace and forgiveness – or look away and perish. The choices are ours.
To Ponder:
- This passage can make us feel that the decision to follow Christ must be made in an instant. Yet Nicodemus’ journey from darkness to light was quite gradual. What was your journey like?
- How do you explain the term ‘eternal life’ to people in the 21st century?
Prayer
Loving God, help me to live every day in the knowledge that you gave your life so that I might have eternal life. Amen.