For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.  He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.  But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."

- John 3:16-21

Yesterday we read that when Jesus was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did.  But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.  There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.  This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him."  Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."  Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old?  Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"  Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'  The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes.  So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."  Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?  Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness.  If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?  No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.  And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life."

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."  Jesus continues His conversation here with Nicodemus.  My study bible says here that to show the reason the Son must be crucified ("lifted up" in the verses above, from yesterday's reading), Jesus declares God's great love -- which is not just for Israel, but for the world.  This verse (3:16) expresses the message of John's Gospel, and of salvation history. 

"For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.  He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."   Christ comes to save, and to save because of love.  But human beings have free will, to reject or accept this love.  By rejection, we live in a kind of self-imposed exile from God's love.

"And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.  But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."  Everything becomes a question of relatedness.  But in this relatedness there is a question of what it is we accept and what it is we may reject.  Jesus teaches about God as the Light that is the source of all light, illumination, truth.  This light is inseparable from the love of God.  But human beings are free to choose to love the light or not.

What does it mean to have our deeds exposed?  Why should we fear this?  These deep theological teachings are linked to God's love, and our understanding or reception of that love.  They are also rooted in our own understanding of ourselves and our own choices.  The depth of relationship within us to God touches in the very deepest places of who we are.  In this context, Jesus speaks about coming to this light.  We still have the capacity to reject God's love.  So much about how we conduct ourselves and think about ourselves and our "deeds" is wrapped up in what we understand of God's love.  If we are afraid of condemnation, we fear what we don't know.  We hide from this light that wishes to bring us hope, correction, a way forward.  Love does not condone everything we do as perfect, but it does always see us in a way that gives us the capacity to understand that which we might become.  When we fear that love, and hang onto the things it might wish to see us change, then we remain in a place where nothing comes to the light.  In effect, we reject God's love and the truth it offers us.  And here is where Christ's teaching touches at the heart of faith:  when we trust in God, we seek that better way.  We don't fear it.  If we do not trust, we prefer to remain outside of that light.  This is not a demand for perfection in the worldly sense of that word.  Rather it is an understanding of true communion, and love, and trust.  Trust, that is, which is the essence of faith -- and where we place that trust.  That then becomes the basic choice we make, what we bond with, what we wish to guide us, and how we stand in that light.  God has made the sacrifice and sent His Son to us; this is the testimony of love and the witness of God's truth in the world.  But the question then becomes, what do we love?