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

Annunciation, by Lorenzo Veneziano, 1357.  Lion Polyptcyh (detail), Gallerie dell'Accademia, Venice, Italy

 "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 what We know 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."   Looking back again at yesterday's reading (above), we recall that Jesus stated, "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."   Here is the reason why He must be "lifted up."  Jesus declares God's great love not just for Israel, but for the world.  My study bible claims that this single verse expresses the whole of the message of John's Gospel, and even 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 came in order to save and not to condemn.  But human beings also have a role; we have free will.  Therefore we are capable of rejecting what Christ brings into the world, the gift that He offers.  It is that rejection that renders us excluded and outside the therapeutic and salvific effects of the gift.

"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."  Once again, as in its Prologue, John's Gospel returns to themes of darkness and light, which will also be strongly emphasized in some of Jesus' most beautiful teachings.  As Jesus phrases it, salvation and its acceptance also rests with the heart, and our impulse for truth.  A relationship to God, and our depth of communion with God, rests within this impulse and the freedom with which we open ourselves to that light, even for correction and change.  Let us note that it is only God who truly knows all these depths of the heart, and who can judge them.  Additionally, evil is contrasted with truth.  It is a reminder that those who remain outside the Kingdom include "whoever loves and practices a lie" (Revelation 22:15).

In Christ's explanation of salvation and also the failure to find it, our own role as human beings also counts for something.  We have the power to accept or reject the gift Christ brings to us all.  Phrased in terms of darkness and light, we have the free will to "take in" this light and allow it to operate in ourselves, to bring to light all that is in the heart -- or to resist and reject it.  It reminds us of the role that human beings play in the story of the Incarnation, and especially, as we are in John's Gospel and have recently read the story of the first sign at the wedding at Cana, the role of Mary, the Mother of God.  Luke gives us her assent and interaction with the Archangel Gabriel, at the Annunciation (Luke 1:26-38).  Mary first questions what she is told, asking, "How can this be?"  But later, she gives a clear assent to the work of the Holy Spirit that will take place and the plan of God for her life:  "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word."  We may feel, of course, that God can do anything -- which is quite true.  But God's grace also asks for our cooperation.  These words of Mary are not included in the Gospel for nothing; they have great significance for her own role in salvation history, and for the importance granted to human beings by a gracious and loving God.  We have recently been given the first sign in John's Gospel, that of turning water to wine at the wedding in Cana, and this, too, began with words from Mary -- a plea, a prayer, a simple statement to her Son.  These things, and Mary's role in salvation history, serve to enforce the importance of Christ's teaching to Nicodemus regarding the roles that human beings play themselves in salvation.   We don't determine the gift and its action.  But we do have the capacity to reject or accept.  We can be with Mary, stating, "Let it be to me according to your word."  Or we can refuse, in the clear words of Christ here in today's reading.  We may exclude ourselves, and thus guarantee that our hearts are not opened to the work of God the Holy Spirit, illuminating and enlightening what we need to do and guiding our lives according to Christ's commands to find our way into this kingdom.  Jesus contrasts those who love truth with those who do not, a theme which will also run through the Revelation and its images of Judgment.  Let us remember that in Matthew's Gospel, when Christ speaks of Judgment, He speaks of the actions of compassion, a righteousness that looks at the depth of the heart and the truth found there.  His light comes into the world to make us more like Him, to give us discernment, but all of this depends upon a love of and commitment to truth -- the truth of God and our spiritual calling.  Mary, the Mother of God, has throughout the history of the Church, and from its earliest years, been seen as a model for the saints, and one of whom we may ask prayers and intercession, just the same as if one would ask a fellow faithful parishioner for their prayers and intercession at a time of special need.  Let us consider the role she plays for us, the human character she no doubt contributed to the Incarnation of her Son, and her "yes" to God's word and God's grace, God's calling for her.  Among the names attributed to her in the Church, many frequently express her character of compassion.  Among so many other titles, she is called, "Joy of All Who Sorrow," "Lady of Perpetual Help," "The One Who Comes Quickly to Help,"  "The One who is Quick to Hear," and so many more.  St. Chrysostom called her "Mary Help of Christians," and in Luke's Gospel, the Archangel Gabriel greets her as one who is already "full of grace."   In the historical view of the Church, she is the human being who serves as the prime example of that to which the rest of us aspire, the greatest of the saints, whose assent was fully to the grace of God and God's gift of salvation.

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

 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 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 what We know 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.  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 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 3:1-21

Yesterday we read that the Passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.  And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business.  When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers' money and overturned the tables.  And He said to those who sold doves, "Take these things away!  Do not make My Father's house a house of merchandise!"  Then His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up."  So the Jews answered and said to Him, "What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."  Then the Jews said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?"  But He was speaking of the temple of His body.  Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.  Now when He 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."   Nicodemus, we're told, is a man of the Pharisees, and a ruler of the Jews.  This makes him an important man, a member of the ruling Council, also known as the Sanhedrin.  My study bible's emphasis is on faith; here Nicodemus believes that Jesus was from God, but his faith is still weak, as he is afraid of his peers and thus he came to Jesus by night.   But later on, after this conversation, Nicodemus's faith will grow to the point of defending Jesus before the Sanhedrin (7:50-51).  Eventually, he will also come to make the bold public expression of faith of preparing and entombing our Lord's body (19:39-42), along with another wealthy and distinguished man, Joseph of Arimathea.   According to some early sources, my study bible notes, Nicodemus was baptized by Peter and consequently he was removed from the Sanhedrin and forced to flee Jerusalem.

Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."   The word translated as "again" in born again can also be translated "from above."  It clearly refers to the heavenly birth from God through faith in Christ (1:12-13).  The heavenly birth referred to in today's passage is baptism, and our adoption by God as our Father (Galatians 4:4-7), my study bible says.  Clearly the new birth is the beginning of spiritual life; the goal is entrance into 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?"   A misunderstanding by Nicodemus; he questions the possibility of a second physical birth.  Emphasizing the need for insight, for spiritual eyes and ears in the practice of our faith, misunderstandings like this occur frequently in John's Gospel (see 2:19-21; 4:10-14, 30-34; 6:27; 7:37-39; 11:11-15).  Jesus uses such opportunities to elevate an idea from a superficial or earthly meaning to a heavenly and eternal one.

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.'"   To be born of water and Spirit is a direct reference to Christian baptism, and to the gift of the Holy Spirit given at chrismation.   This is a spiritual birth by grace, through faith, and in the Holy Spirit.

"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."   This is a play on words.  The Greek word pneuma/πνεῦμα means both wind and Spirit.   My study bible says that the working of the Holy Spirit in the new birth is as mysterious as the source and destination of the blowing wind.  So also the Spirit moves where He desires, and cannot contained by human ideas or agendas.

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 what We know 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."  St. John Chrysostom teaches that Jesus uses the phrase earthly things to refer to grace and to baptism which is given to human beings.  They are earthly, not in the sense of "unspiritual,"  but rather in the sense that they occur on earth and are given to creatures.   Heavenly things, by contrast, involve the unknowable mysteries of the eternal generation of the Son from the Father; they relate to the Son's eternal existence before all time and also to God's divine plan of salvation for the world.   My study bible says that a person must first grasp the ways in which God works among human beings before one can begin to understand those things which pertain to properly only to God and relations of the Holy Trinity.

"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."  Moses lifted up an image of a serpent in order to cure the Israelites from deadly bites of poisonous snakes (Numbers 21:4-9).   This miracle-working image prefigured Christ being lifted up on the Cross.   As believers behold the crucified Christ in faith, my study bible says, the power of sin and death is overthrown in them.  As the image of a serpent was the weapon that destroyed the power of the serpents, so the instrument of the death of Christ becomes the weapon that overthrows death itself.

"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."  It's not always that we get a reason for why things happen in life, but here is this reason straight from the mouth of Christ Himself.  To show the reason why the Son must be crucified (or "lifted up"), Jesus declares God's great love not only for Israel, but for the world.  This is our answer.  This single verse, my study bible tells us, expresses the whole of the message of John's Gospel -- and indeed it is true for all 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.  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 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."   Christ came to save and not to condemn.   But human beings have free will; therefore we are capable of rejecting this gift.  People become condemned by their own rejection of the light of life which is in Christ.

Why this mission into the world?  Why the Cross?  Theology and the Church may come up with many answers to such questions, and through time we will receive more, but here in John's Gospel, we are given the most central and wide-ranging and foundational answer for all:  "For God so loved the world."   Everything starts with God's love.   John's Gospel began with its Prologue, echoing the words of Genesis, "In the beginning."  And, following that echo, John gave us the first seven days in Jesus' ministry, culminating with the first sign at the wedding in Cana, and then a day of rest for Himself and those who were with Him (2:1-12).   In the creation story of Genesis, God's acts are punctuated by God's thoughts; we're told that "God saw that it was good" (Genesis 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25).  But after God's final culminating act of creation, it was more than good.  Genesis 1:31 tells us, "Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good" (my italics added).   This word for "good" in both Hebrew and Greek means more than good.  It also means "beautiful."  It can mean "pleasing," "excellent," "valuable," "worthy."  All of these adjectives fit the ways in which God viewed the world, God's creation.  But John's Gospel gives us the deeper understanding of God's perspective:  God so loves this world that God gives God's only-begotten Son -- so that whoever believes in Him may have everlasting life.  Notice that we are part of the wholeness of the beautiful, worthy, good creation of the world -- and God wishes to offer us eternal life through the Son, who is life (14:6).   Therefore, this life that we are offered is something merited by the full goodness and beauty of the world, and is fitting to it.  It is like a "blessing of blessings":  whatever God has already created as good is bestowed with a grace that exceeds all good, bringing out of its potentials greater good;  that we may have life more abundantly (10:10).  Whatever are the great blessings and potentials that grace can bring, evoke, multiply, and manifest, what we are given is a picture of the wholeness and completeness of the inherent and basic goodness of our world and ourselves as part of this created world.  It is good and beautiful, and so beloved of God that it is worth God's sacrifice, and we may come to eternal life through belief in the Son who is sent to our beloved world.  This is a picture of the wholeness of life, that regardless of what we see and experience, however it may be that there is a "fallenness" or darkness or evil that has made itself present to our world, this does not touch the basic goodness or the fact of God's love for the world.  And that is what we can take as our foundation for life and our understanding of life and where we stand in the whole created order of life.  It is this foundation of goodness, that which is worthy and pleasing, for which God deems the greatest sacrifice of love as God's gift, that sets out how we must view an entire order of creation and ourselves in it.  This act of giving by God is the centerpiece of history in the terms in which Christology sets out what life is all about and what we must be all about.  That promise of life is made so that the life we have may be enhanced without the limits we think we have, but with the abundance that only Christ knows and can promise.  Let us consider what light this love sheds on the meaning of our lives and how it intersects our lives in the here and the now.  What is He asking of us?  What is God offering?  That it is an offer made from love must tell us all about the gift, and what we have to lose when we refuse it.  Let us note a tiny glimpse of what this means hidden here in our reading:  Nicodemus is a Pharisee, an important man among the leaders.  He comes to Christ in faith, despite the fact that it will be the Pharisees who seek to condemn Jesus.  God's love rules out no one, there is nothing in this world inherently not "good."  It is simply a matter of our own acceptance of the gift of life and the light of Christ that makes the difference of grace.   The salvation that is offered is for all the world.

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 He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs that Jesus 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?  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 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."  My study bible explains that Jesus is showing here the reason why the Son must be crucified ("lifted up" from verse 14, above, in yesterday's reading).  He declares that God's great love isn't only for Israel, but that it is for the world.  This single verse, it notes, expresses the whole of the message of John's Gospel, and even of all 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."  Jesus has come to save and not to condemn.  But human beings have free will.  This means that we are free to reject the gift.  Thereby we lose what He is offering through rejection.

"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 ties the failure to accept spiritual truth with the rejection of salvation.  He links it to the desire to hide from the light that is Christ. 

Faith is trust.  The word for faith in the Greek of the New Testament is rooted in the word for trust.  It is important to keep this in mind when we think about the words here in John's Gospel.  To lack faith is to lack trust, to fail to put one's trust in Christ.  That teaches us first of all that the nature of faith is all about communion and relationship.  It conveys more than simple relatedness, because Christ speaks of communion or participation in something.  Through faith, we participate in His life, and thereby through Him, in the life of the Church, the communion of saints, the reality of the Kingdom of heaven.  (See Luke 17:20-21.)  Lacking this trust of faith means that we fail to participate in this life that He is offering; that is, the life of salvation, and the eternal life He promises to those who are with Him.  In this sense, rejection is condemnation.  It is the failure to accept the gift of the life that He offers to us.  The gift of this faith is the whole of the package, all of its inter-relatedness, its meanings and values, its life of the Kingdom, its participation in His truth -- and even more importantly, in Him.  That is where the abundance of life dwells (John 10:10).  John links the lack of trust of faith with the desire to hide from the light, to hide one's deeds from the reality of Christ's life.  That is, from the light His life offers to us.  Within the perspective of that light, everything we are falls into a stark clarity.  But the life He offers us is also designed to do just that, to help us to come more fully into union with Him, and to grow in the life of God that gives us everything that we are.  It is all of this that is rejected through the desire to hide from that light, the lack of trust in Christ.  If we but think a little about it, we can start to see that it is within this context that Jesus' greatest warnings come to His own disciples, about how they are to treat the "little ones" who are entrusted to them for His care (see Luke 17:1-2, and especially Matthew 18:6-11).  It is all about trust in Christ, and the acceptance of His light for our lives.  We are to shine His light in the world, so that others may clearly see and choose for themselves.  At any moment, at all times, we each have this choice of trust available to us.  Even -- and perhaps especially when -- all else has failed us, we have our hope in Him and our trust.  To lose this is to lose everything.  And we remember that should we keep others from doing the same, we aren't being the good stewards He asks us to become.

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 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 what We know 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."  My study bible says that this passage is necessary to augment what comes just before:  it's the reason why the Son must be crucified ("lifted up" as we read in yesterday's reading, above).  Jesus declares God's great love not only for Israel but for the world, God's creation.  My study bible says, "This single verse expresses the whole of the message of John's Gospel, and indeed, 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."  My study bible tells us that while Christ came to save and not to condemn, human beings have free will.  We can reject this gift we're offered, and become condemned by that rejection.

 "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."  Here's the crux:  it's all in how we respond to the gift, to the light.  Do we want it, or do we not want it?  John's Gospel clearly states why we wouldn't want it; we don't want our deeds to be exposed in the light.

These are Christ's words given to us in John, that "God so loved the world." It's "the explanation for everything," if we want to put it that way.  Science gives us studies in which "the theory of everything" might be explained, but if we really want the key, well, here it is.  The key to everything is love.  God loves us as a Father.  So much so, the Only-begotten came into the world to save that relationship, to bring us back to God, so that our lives may be as rich as possible with life in abundance.  It's really that simple, and yet it is also so complex.  How do people reject love?  How do they reject that kind of love?  Human beings tend to make things so complex, don't they?  Some people confuse abuse with love.  Some people claim that love means tolerating all kinds of behaviors that are damaging to relationships, to a marriage, for example.  Forgiveness also comes in the great example of Christ, as part of love.  But His kind of forgiveness comes two ways in the Gospels:  via repentance, and via a plea to the Father on behalf of those who really don't fully understand what they are doing.  And so, we have love again, the love that more than anything else wants a full reconciliation with us, with each of us.  How do we live that love?  How do we follow His example?  How is condemnation also a part of this picture?  I think the text is telling us that this is up to us.  Do we want this love, or do we not want it?  It is like a marriage, it seems.  It's a relationship offered, the deepest possible bond.  But it's up to us to choose it for ourselves.  Do we want the place this love is taking us toward?  Are we willing to do our part?  Can we bring everything we are, everything we have, into this relationship of love?  John tells us there are reasons why it's rejected, that there are deeds desired and harbored that are in some way evil.  The Greek for this particular word for evil means "overly laborious" and its root is in the word for "pain."  So we get the image of what kinds of deeds are done that hides from this light:  things that cause others pain, inflict toil or distress.  We're all familiar with the "evil" things of the world that take up time, cause endless labor to deal with, delays and turmoil and toil.  This is the kind of "wickedness" described by this word.  Imagine the pain caused by selfish acts whose bad effects can last decades or a lifetime, causing others enormous distress which needs a great deal of work to heal:  murder, thievery, manipulation of all kinds.  Think of the hatred harbored that brings pain and toil to others, even needless misery.  Harassment is also something that, it seems to me, falls into this category.  These are the acts kept covered in a darkness that doesn't want the light.  So, the love is on offer, and it's our choice how we respond.  Do we really treasure the one thing necessary?  Do we have any idea how great is this gift?  Are we willing to bring everything to its light?

For God so loved the world

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 you do not know these things? Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify to 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. 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 3:1-21

In yesterday’s reading, we read about Jesus’ cleansing of the temple. In John’s Gospel, this act comes at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. It is Passover in the first year of Jesus’ public ministry, and He went to up to Jerusalem. He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers. He made a whip of cords, driving out the animals, pouring out the changers' money, and overturning their tables. He said to the ones who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!” The leadership asked, “What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” They replied, “It’s taken forty-six years to build this temple, and You will build it up in three days?” But He was speaking of the temple of His body, and later His disciples remembered this saying after His Resurrection. At the Passover in Jerusalem, many people believed in the signs that He did, but as He knew all men, He didn’t trust Himself to them.

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 is an important member of the Council. He comes to Jesus by night so his peers will not see Him. Later in John’s Gospel, He will defend Jesus’ legal rights before the Sanhedrin. Jesus reveals to Nicodemus the mystery of baptism. By this, we understand Christ’s perception of Nicodemus’ capacity for faith. My study bible says that some early sources claim that Nicodemus was baptized by Peter after Jesus’ death, and was consequently removed from the Sanhedrin and forced to leave Jerusalem. To be born again, here in the Greek, literally says to be born from above. This rebirth gives one the vision to 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.” Here Jesus introduces us clearly to the mystery of baptism, giving us the meaning in the immersion of water and at the same time the necessary component of the Spirit.

“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.” To enter the spiritual Kingdom one must be born of the Spirit. My study bible notes that next phrase is a play on words in the Greek: “the Greek word pneuma can mean either wind or Spirit. The working of the Holy Spirit in the new birth is as mysterious as the source or destination of the blowing wind.” This is a mysterious reality, nevertheless one in which we must participate.

Nicodemus answered and said to Him “How can these things be?” Jesus answered and said to him “Are you the teacher of Israel, and you do not know these things? Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify to 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.” Here, Jesus seems to compare the “earthy” thing of baptism, to the great heavenly mysteries of the Kingdom that belong only to Him as Son. He has hinted at the mystery of being born again in baptism, in the Spirit, and yet this teacher of Israel fails to understand. Therefore such things will remain Mystery, among the mysteries of the Church – to know God or other heavenly things remains with the One who has ascended and come down from 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.” Here is another key to life in the Kingdom of heaven, and that is Christ on the Cross. My study bible says, “Moses lifted up a bronze serpent to cure the Israelites from the deadly bites of poisonous snakes. Christ will be lifted up on the Cross. As the believer beholds the crucified Christ through faith as Savior, the poisonous bite of that old serpent, the devil, and the bite of sin and death, is counteracted and cured. The moment of Christ's greatest humiliation becomes the moment of exaltation for completing His redeeming work (19:30). This is the first of many instances in John’s Gospel where Jesus teaches that He is the fulfillment of an Old Testament type.”

“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.” My study bible calls this, “the essence of the gospel: God’s gift of His son as the ultimate expression of His love for the world.” This is Jesus’ statement of purpose: He is here to save, and for this reason He has been sent. It is tied inextricably with the purpose of baptism: the saving, redeeming work of the Spirit in us, for us, making possible our entry and participation in the Kingdom.

“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.” My study bible calls this “a profound insight: Goodness and a pure heart welcome the light, whereas evil deeds and malice resist the light and seek to hide in the darkness.” With the saving action of God’s grace in Christ also comes condemnation for those who reject the truth Christ brings. In this is a profound statement about Judgment. In the age inaugurated by Christ’s Incarnation, the Spirit lives and is present to us: Its truth and action become a standard, a touchstone, by which we live or which we reject for ourselves.

John’s statement about coming to the light is quite profound, and we can see this dynamic at work in our daily lives. Who has to hide something? Often, this means we immediately suspect something is amiss, something underhanded is happening. If something is hidden within ourselves, perhaps a shameful secret, something we may not wish to share with others for fear of their condemnation – even something which is not our fault – it can come to hurt us the more deeply for its secrecy. Coming to the light in this context must be seen in its spiritual reality, because the entire passage is about entering into the spiritual life through Christ. Whatever is within us comes to the light through Christ’s truth, and the work of the Spirit. In this context, seeking to hide something from that light becomes a much more profound statement about where we are and who we are. Salvation begins with the light and the truth. It is the action of the Spirit in which we see a healing balm, the mercy of God. Whatever comes to the light is healed, saved, redeemed in the light. Why would we need to hide it? In this rejection of grace comes judgment. Let us think about the gift of the Spirit, the rebirth into spiritual things, so that we may perceive that reality, that Kingdom. Let us seek that light, so that we may find where we are and who we are, and accept its healing, redeeming grace, for God so loved the world.

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

In yesterday's reading, Jesus taught Nicodemus about baptism, and about being reborn again with water and the Spirit in order to enter the heavenly spiritual realm. He said, "Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." As they spoke, Jesus told Nicodemus that no one knows of the deeper mysteries of heavenly things except He who has come from above. He added, "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." In today's reading, Jesus continues His teaching to Nicodemus.

"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." The power and beauty of this statement permeates through the many layers of meaning in the teachings to Nicodemus. First, there is the sense in which we cannot enter into a heavenly kingdom unless we first are a part of that realm or that currency; we must be reborn in Spirit in order to do so. There must be something in ourselves that can live in a such a realm. And further, He will be "lifted up" as a sign to defeat that which is against that heavenly kingdom, and active in the world, and keeps human beings from being able to find the entrance to the kingdom for themselves. Finally, the "lifting up" is a true sign of eternal life in this kingdom, and done "so that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." It all comes full circle with this statement above: the love of God is absolute and the beginning of all. It is so powerful and so overwhelming of all other things that God has sent His Son in order that we may have eternal life, and rest in Him and His kingdom. The spiritual reality of this mission is so that we may live with Him, in eternal reality.

"For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." The full meaning and purpose of this mission is for salvation, for all of us to fully live - to have life as an eternal gift and reality for ourselves. It is so He may keep us all with Him, and lose none.

"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." A complex and difficult saying, but in some sense clear in the understanding of what has come before. Unless we become "like" that kingdom, how do we dwell in it? And how will we dwell in that spiritual reality if we have rejected it already? How do we become a part of its eternal life? The "name" here is very important, because it gives us a sense of belonging to a kingdom, the same way that any king or emperor or earthly kingdom of power may stamp its "name" on something and claim it as a part of its reality. If that "name" is rejected, how then does one belong to that kingdom, or how can one live as a part of it? Faith, or trust, is a sign of our acceptance of that authority.

"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." My study bible says here: "A profound insight: Goodness and a pure heart welcome the light, whereas evil deeds and malice resist the light and seek to hide in the darkness." I think the phrases here touch on an even deeper reality, that of the experiential nature of real faith and its power working in us. There is a kind of recognition that happens within ourselves that sparks faith. It depends upon what we love. If the "plank in our own eye" is so great that we are stuck in love for that, and it becomes an obstacle to spiritual sight, then we have in effect rejected the good. If we continue to act against what is good, then this is what we have embraced, put first, in our choices. It depends upon what our treasure is, where our heart is.

What we learn from today's lesson is manifold: we are a part of kingdom if we are reborn in Spirit, like meets like. But it depends also upon our choice: what do we love? Can we see the act of love in Christ's great sacrifice, and understand the sign of God's love as He is lifted up? Can we know who we are in this kingdom, in Christ, and find our way toward Him through love and trust? Or do we reject it all, and remain outside of it? Whatever way you look at today's reading, one thing is clear: He wants us with Him, in an eternal embrace and in love and trust. Which do you choose? What obstacles stand in your way?